The Merry Devill of Edmonton Part 11

We shall anon; z'ounds, hark! What means this noise?

JERNINGHAM.

Stay, I hear hors.e.m.e.n.

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 pa.s.s.

[Enter Sir John, Blague, Smug, and Banks, one after another.]

SIR JOHN.

Gra.s.s 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.

Gra.s.s 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 ma.s.s, 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.

G.o.d for his pa.s.sion! 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 dispea.r.s.ed our selves, Till they were past us.

BRIAN.

But where be they?