Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

HENRY III

in Friar Bacon and Friar Bongay — Greene, Robert

Metadata

PlayFriar Bacon and Friar Bongay
AuthorGreene, Robert
Year (catalogued)1594
First performance1589
Decade1590s
GenreComedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyQueen Elizabeth's Men
Speech prefix(es)Henrie. | Hen. | He •• ie. | He • ri • . | Henry.
Words772
Characters4218
Typicality0.38 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA02127
BritDrama no.822
ClusterCluster 8 — Martial kings & Roman gravity

Important excerpts

No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).

Full speech

Great men of Europe, monarch's of the West, Ringed with the walls of old Oc nus, Whose lo tie surges Like the bat ments, That compassed high built Babel in with towers, Welcome my lords, welcome brave westeme kings, To England's shore, whose promontory cleeues, Shows Albion is another little world, Welcome says English Henry to you all, Chie lie unto the lovely Eleanour, Who darde or Edwards sake cut through the seas, And venture as Agenors worser msell through the deep, To get the love of Henries wanton son. He posted down, not long since from the court, To Suffolk side, to merry Fremingham, To sport himself amongst my fallow deer, From thence by packets sent to Hampton house, We hear the Prince is ridden with his lords, To Oxford, in the Academy there, To hear dispute amongst the learned men, But we will send forth letters for my son, To will him come from Oxford to the court. He shall my lord, this motion likes me well, Weel progress straight to Oxford with our trains, And see what men our Academi brings. And wonder Vandermast welcome to me In Oxford shalt thou find a jolly friar, Called Friar Ba on, England's only flower Set him but Nonplus in his magic spells, And make him yield in Mathematic rules, And for thy glory I will bind thy brows, Not with a poets garland made of Bays, But with a coronet of choicest gold, While then we fit to Oxford with our troops, Lets in and banquet in our English court. Stand to him Bungay, charm this Vandermast, And I will use thee as a royal king. Bacon, thou hast honoured England with thy skill, And made fair Oxford famous by thine art, I will be English Henry to thy self, But tell me shall we dine with thee to day. N worser, where hast thou been. Let me that joy in these consorting greets, And glory in these honours done to Ned, Yield thanks for all these favours to my son, And rest a true Plantagenet to all. 'Tis my lord, doctor Bacons poor scholar. By Henries honour and the royal faith The English monarcke bears to his friend: I knew not of the friars feeble fare, Nor am I pleased he entertains you thus. 'Tis true my lord, 'tis wondrous for to hear, Her beauty passing Marces parramour: Her virgins right as rich as Vesta's was, Lacy and Ned hath told me miracles. Lacy, go to the quirie of my stable, And take such coursers as shall fit thy turn, High thee to Frefingfield and bring home the lass, And for her fame flies through the English coast, If it may please the lady Ellinor, One day shall match your excellence and her, To horse my lord, the day is passing fair, Weel fly the partridge or go rouse the deer, Follow my lords, you shall not want for sport. Gramercy Lordlings, old Plantagenet, That rules and sways the Albion diadem, With tears discovers these conceived joys, And vows requital, if his men at arms, The wealth of England, or endue honours done To Ellinour, may quite his favorites. But all this while what say you to the Dams, That shine Like to the crystal lamps of heaven? Seeing the marriage is solemnised, Lets march in triumph to the royal feast, But why stands Friar Bacon here so mute? This Prophesy is mystical, But glorious commanders of Europa's love, That makes fair England Like that wealthy I'll, Circled with Gihen, and first Euphrates, In royallising Henries Albion, With presence of your princely mightiness, Lets march, the tables all are spread, And viands such as England's wealth affords, Are ready set to furnish out the boards, You shall have welcome mighty potentates, It rests to furnish up this royal feast, Only your hearts be frolic for the time, Craves that we taste of nought but iouysaunce, Thus glories England over all the west. How now Vandermast, have you met with your match. What madam hath my son found grace or no. Raphe tells all, you shall have a good secretary of him, But Lacy haste thee post to Fressingfield: For ere thou hast fitted all things for her state, The solemn marriage day will be at hand. Why Bacon what strange eve ̄ to shall happen ̄ to this land Or what shall grow from Edward and his Queen. What say you royal lordings to my friar, Hath he not done a point of cunning skill. Now Monarchs hath the German found his match. I Raphe, how then. Whats that Raphe.

Plot summary

Plot — Friar Bacon and Friar Bongay
Primce Bdwafd is in love with the country wench Margarety and he orders Bay to woo her on his behalf. He does so, but she falls for him rather than the Prince. Meanwhile BRiamlBaeoH is questioned by his academic superiors, who suspect him of practising black magic. He explains his plans to make a brazen head which will lecture in philosophy, and to surround England with a defensive wall of brass. The one sceptic, DEIBOTGER, is shown up when Bacon uses his powers to reveal that he sneaks off at night to play cards at a tavern when he should be reading. Prineejkdward and Ralphithelfeal swap clothes and identities when visiting Bacon, but he sees through the deception with ease. Bacon shows Edward events at Suffolk through a magic mirror: Daey is wooing Margaret for himself, and they are to be married by FriamBungay; but Bacon magically strikes Bungay dumb, then brings him to Oxford for dinner. Edward rides to Suffolk to confront Lacy, but Margaret’s determination reconciles him to the situation: even if he tries to remove the obstacle by killing Lacy, she will never love him and will kill herself to be with Lacy. Prince Edward’s future wife, Elifi@f of Castile, arrives in England with a group of foreign potentates. The Emperor of Germany has brought along Wandérmast} a famous magician, to compete with England’s best scholars at Oxford. Vandermast’s first opponent in magic is BriamBuiigay, who conjures up a golden tree. Vandermast summons Hercules to pull it down, but Hercules proves to be more subservient to Fraribacen) who completes his victory by magically sending Vandermast back to Germany. At the ensuing dinner, th@|Emiperot is offended by the mean academic fare, so Bacon conjures up a more sumptuous feast. Bacon’s brazen head is ready, but he is tired from staying up all night waiting for it to speak. He appoints his scholar Miles to watch, and wake him when it does. The head speaks enigmatically and is magically destroyed, but Miles fails to wake his master in time. Bacon sacks him and later sends a devil to carry him to Hell. Two country squires want to marry Margarée but she asks for ten days’ grace to make a decision, confident that Lacy will come for her before then. What actually arrives is a letter telling her that he is to marry someone else, so she decides to enter a nunnery. The two squires kill one another in a duel, and their sons, watching from Oxford through Bacon’s magic mirror, do the same. Bacon smashes the mirror in remorse and…