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face,

      And trample on it, for this villainy.

      WILL

      Come, let’s go seek out Greene; I know he’ll swear.

      SHAKEBAG

      He were a villain, and he would not swear.

      ‘twould make a peasant swear among his boys,

      That ne’er durst say before but ‘yea’ or ‘no’,

      To be thus flouted by a coistril.

      WILL

      Shakebag, let’s seek out Greene, and in the morning

      At the alehouse butting Arden’s house

      Watch the out coming of that prickear’d cur,

      And then let me alone to handle him. (Exeunt.

      (here Enter Arden, Franklin, and MICHAEL

      ARDEN

      Sirrah, get you back to billingsgate

      And learn what time the tide will serve our turn,

      Come to us in paul’s. First go make the bed,

      And afterwards go hearken for the flood. (Exit MICHAEL

      Come, master Franklin, you shall go with me.

      This night I dream’d that, being in a park,

      A toil was pitched to overthrow the deer,

      And I upon a little rising hill

      Stood whistly watching for the herd’s approach.

      Even there, methoughts, a gentle slumber took me,

      And summoned all my parts to sweet repose;

      But in the pleasure of this golden rest

      An ill thewed foster had removed the toil

      Which late, methought, was pitched to cast the deer.

      With that he blew an evil sounding horn,

      And at the noise another herdman came,

      With falchion drawn, and bent it at my breast,

      Crying aloud, ‘thou art the game we seek!’

      With this I wak’d and trembled every joint,

      Like one obscured in a little bush,

      That sees a lion foraging about,

      And, when the dreadful forest king is gone,

      He pries about with timorous suspect

      Throughout the thorny casements of the brake,

      And will not think his person dangerless,

      But quakes and shivers, though the cause be gone.

      So, trust me, Franklin, when I did awake,

      I stood in doubt whether I waked or no:

      Such great impression took this fond surprise.

      God grant this vision bedeem me any good.

      FRANKLIN

      This fantasy doth rise from Michael’s fear,

      Who being awaked with the noise he made,

      His troubled senses yet could take no rest;

      And this, I warrant you, procured your dream.

      ARDEN

      It may be so, god frame it to the best:

      But often times my dreams presage too true.

      FRANKLIN

      To such as note their nightly fantasies,

      Some one in twenty may incur belief;

      But use it not, ‘tis but a mockery.

      ARDEN

      Come, master Franklin, we’ll now walk in paul’s

      And dine together at the ordinary,

      And by my man’s direction draw to the key,

      And with the tide go down to feversham.

      Say, master Franklin, shall it not be so?

      FRANKLIN

      At your good pleasure sir,

      I’ll bear you company.

      Shakebag at another door.

      (here enters Michael at one door. Here Enter Greene, Will, and

      WILL

      Draw, Shakebag, for here’s that villain MICHAEL

      GREENE

      First, Will, let’s hear what he can say.

      WILL

      Speak, milksop slave, and never after speak.

      MICHAEL

      For god’s sake, sirs, let me excuse myself.

      For here I swear, by heaven and earth and all,

      I did perform the utMost of my task,

      But see the chance: Franklin and my master

      Were very late conferring in the porch,

      And Franklin left his napkin where he sat

      With certain gold knit in it, as he said.

      Being in bed, he did bethink himself,

      And coming down he found the doors unshut:

      He locked the gates, and brought away the keys,

      For which offence my master rated me.

      But now I am going to see what flood it is,

      For with the tide my master will away;

      Where you may front him well on rainham down,

      A place well fitting such a stratagem.

      WILL

      Your excuse hath somewhat mollified my choler,

      MOSBIE

      Disturbed thoughts drives me from company,

      And dries my marrow with their watchfulness;

      Continual trouble of my moody brain

      Feebles my body by excess of drink,

      And nips me as the bitter northeast wind

      Doth check the tender blossoms in the spring.

      Well fares the man, howe’er his cates do taste,

      That tables not with foul suspicion;

      And he but pines amongst his delicates,

      Whose troubled mind is stuffed with discontent.

      Thought then I wanted, yet I slept secure;

      My daily toil begat me night’s repose,

      But since I climbed the top bough of the tree

      And sought to build my nest among the clouds,

      Each gentle stirry gale doth shake my bed,

      And makes me dread my downfall to the earth.

      But whither doth contemplation carry me?

      The way I seek to find, where pleasure dwells,

      Is hedged behind me that I cannot back,

      But needs must on, although to danger’s gate.

      Then, Arden, perish thou by that decree;

      For Greene doth ear the land and weed thee up

      To make my harvest nothing but pure corn.

      And

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