ACT IV.
SCENE I. Enfield Chase.
[Enter Blague, Smug, and Sir John.]
BLAGUE. Come, ye Hungarian pilchers, we are once more come under the zona torrida of the forest. Let’s be resolute, let’s fly to and again; and if the devil come, we’ll put him to his Interrogatories, and not budge a foot. What? s’foot, I’ll put fire into you, ye shall all three serve the good Duke of Norfolk.
SMUG. Mine host, my bully, my pretious consull, my noble Holofernes, I have been drunk i’ thy house twenty times and ten, all’s for that: I was last night in the third heavens, my brain was poor, it had yest in ’t; but now I am a man of action; is ’t not so, lad?
BANKS. Why, now thou hast two of the liberall sciences about thee, wit and reason, thou maist serve the Duke of Europe.
SMUG. I will serve the Duke of Christendom, and do him more credit in his celler then all the plate in his buttery; is ’t not so, lad?
SIR JOHN. Mine host and Smug, stand there; Banks, you and your horse keep together; but lie close, shew no tricks, for fear of the keeper. If we be scared, we’ll meet in the Church-porch at Enfield.
SMUG.
Content, sir John.
BANKS.
Smug, dost not thou remember the tree thou felst out of last
Night?
SMUG. Tush, and ’t had been as high as the Abbey, I should nere have hurt my self; I have fallen into the river, coming home from Waltham, and scapt drowning.
SIR JOHN. Come, sever, fear no sprits! We’ll have a Buck presently; we have watched later then this for a Doe, mine Host.
HOST.
Thou speakst as true as velvet.
SIR JOHN.
Why then, come! Grass and hay, etc.
[Exeunt.]
[Enter Clare, Jerningham, and Milliscent.]
CLARE.
Franke Jerningham!
JERNINGHAM.
Speak softly, rogue; how now?
CLARE. S’foot, we shall lose our way, it’s so dark; whereabouts are we?
JERNINGHAM. Why, man, at Potters gate; the way lies right: hark! the clock strikes at Enfield; what’s the hour?
CLARE.
Ten, the bell says.
JERNINGHAM.
A lies in’s throat, it was but eight when we set out of
Chesson. Sir John and his Sexton are at ale to night, the
clock runs at random.
CLARE. Nay, as sure as thou liv’st, the villanous vicar is abroad in the chase this dark night: the stone Priest steals more venison then half the country.
JERNINGHAM.
Milliscent, how dost thou?
MILLISCENT.
Sir, very well.
I would to God we were at Brians lodge.
CLARE.
We shall anon; z’ounds, hark! What means this noise?
JERNINGHAM.
Stay, I hear horsemen.
CLARE.
I hear footmen too.
JERNINGHAM.
Nay, then I have it: we have been discovered,
And we are followed by our fathers men.
MILLISCENT.
Brother and friend, alas, what shall we do?
CLARE.
Sister, speak softly, or we are descried.
They are hard upon us, what so ere they be,
Shadow your self behind this brake of fern,
We’ll get into the wood, and let them pass.
[Enter Sir John, Blague, Smug, and Banks, one after another.]
SIR JOHN. Grass and hay! we are all mortall; the keepers abroad, and there’s an end.
BANKS.
Sir John!
SIR JOHN.
Neighbour Banks, what news?
BANKS.
Z’wounds, Sir John, the keepers are abroad; I was hard by ’am.
SIR JOHN.
Grass and hay! where’s mine host Blague?
BLAGUE. Here, Metrapolitane. The philistines are upon us, be silent; let us serve the good Duke of Norfolk. But where is Smug?
SMUG. Here; a pox on ye all, dogs; I have kild the greatest Buck in Brians walk. Shift for your selves, all the keepers are up: let’s meet in Enfield church porch; away, we are all taken else.
[Exeunt.]
[Enter Brian, with his man, and his hound.]
BRIAN.
Raph, hearst thou any stirring?
RAPH.
I heard one speak here hard by, in the bottom. Peace, Maister,
speak low; zownes, if I did not hear a bow go off, and the
Buck bray, I never heard deer in my life.
BRIAN.
When went your fellows out into their walks?
RAPH.
An hour ago.
BRIAN.
S’life, is there stealers abroad, and they cannot hear
Of them: where the devil are my men to night?
Sirra, go up the wind towards Buckleyes lodge.
I’ll cast about the bottom with my hound,
And I will meet thee under Cony ocke.
RAPH.
I will, Sir.
BRIAN. How now? by the mass, my hound stays upon something; hark, hark, Bowman, hark, hark, there!
MILLISCENT.
Brother, Frank Jerningham, brother Clare!
BRIAN. Peace; that’s a woman’s voice! Stand! who’s there? Stand, or I’ll shoot.
MILLISCENT.
O Lord! hold your hands, I mean no harm, sir.
BRIAN.
Speak, who are you?
MILLISCENT.
I am a maid, sir; who? Master Brian?
BRIAN.
The very same; sure, I should know her voice;
Mistris Milliscent?
MILLISCENT.
Aye, it is I, sir.
BRIAN.
God for his passion! what make you here alone?
I lookd for you at my lodge an hour ago.
What means your company to leave you thus?
Who brought you hither?
MILLISCENT.
My brother, Sir, and Master Jerningham,
Who, hearing folks about us in the Chase,
Feard it had been sir Ralph and my father,
Who had pursude us, thus dispearsed our selves,
Till they were past us.
BRIAN.
But where be they?
MILLISCENT.
They be not far off, here about the grove.
[Enter Clare and Jerningham.]
CLARE.
Be not afraid, man, I heard Brian’s tongue,
That’s certain.
JERNINGHAM.
Call softly for your sister.
CLARE.
Milliscent!
MILLISCENT.
Aye, brother, here.
BRIAN.
Maister Clare!
CLARE.
I told you it was Brian.
BRIAN. Who’s that? Maister Jerningham: you are a couple of hot-shots; does a man commit his wench to you, to put her to grass at this time of night
JERNINGHAM.
We heard a noise about her in the chase,
And fearing that our fathers had pursued us,
Severd our selves.
CLARE.
Brian, how hapd’st thou on her?
BRIAN.
Seeking for stealers are abroad to night,
My hound stayed on her, and so found her out.
CLARE.
They were these stealers that affrighted us;
I was hard upon them, when they horst their Deer,
And I perceive they took me for a keeper.
BRIAN.
Which way took they?
JERNINGHAM.
Towards Enfield.
BRIAN. A plague upon ’t, that’s that damned Priest, and Blague of the George, he that serves the good Duke of Norfolk.
[A noise within: Follow, follow, follow.]
CLARE.
Peace, that’s my father’s voice.
BRIAN.
Z’ownds, you suspected them, and now they are here indeed.
MILLISCENT.
Alas, what shall we do?
BRIAN.
If you go to the lodge, you are surely taken;
Strike down the wood to Enfield presently,
And if Mounchensey come, I’ll send him t’yee.
Let me alone to bussle with your father;
I warrant you that I will keep them play
Till you have quit the chase; away, away!
[Exeunt all but Brian.]
Who’s there?
[Enter the Knights.]
SIR RAPH.
In the king’s name, pursue the Ravisher!
BRIAN.
Stand, or I’ll shoot.
SIR ARTHUR.
Who’s there?
BRIAN.
I am the keeper that do charge you stand;
You have stolen my Deer.
SIR ARTHUR.
We stolen thy Deer? we do pursue a thief.
BRIAN.
You are arrant thieves, and ye have stolen my Deer.
SIR RAPH.
We are Knights; Sir Arthur Clare, and Sir Raph Jerningham.
BRIAN.
The more your shame, that Knights should be such thieves.
SIR ARTHUR.
Who, and what art thou?
BRIAN.
My name is Brian, keeper of this walk.
SIR ARTHUR.
O Brian, a villain!
Thou hast received my daughter to thy lodge.
BRIAN.
You have stolen the best Deer in my walk to night. My Deer!
SIR ARTHUR.
My daughter!
Stop not my way!
BRIAN. What make you in my walk? you have stolen the best Buck in my walk to night.
SIR ARTHUR.
My daughter!
BRIAN.
My Deer!
SIR RAPH.
Where is Mountchensey?
BRIAN.
Where’s my Buck?
SIR ARTHUR.
I will complain me of thee to the King.
BRIAN.
I’ll complain unto the King you spoil his game:
Tis strange that men of your account and calling
Will offer it!
I tell you true, Sir Arthur and Sir Raph,
That none but you have only spoild my game.
SIR ARTHUR.
I charge you, stop us not!
BRIAN.
I charge you both ye get out of my ground!
Is this a time for such as you,
Men of your place and of your gravity,
To be abroad a thieving? tis a shame;
And, afore God, if I had shot at you,
I had served you well enough.
[Exeunt.]