eyes.

MILLISCENT.
Alas, sweet Love, what shall become of me?
I must to Chesson to the Nunry,
I shall ne'er see thee more.

MOUNCHENSEY.
How, sweet?
I'll be thy votary, we'll often meet:
This kiss divides us, and breathes soft adieu,—
This be a double charm to keep both true.

FABELL.
Have done: your fathers may chance spy your parting.
Refuse not you by any means, good sweetness,
To go unto the Nunnery; far from hence
Must we beget your love's sweet happiness.
You shall not stay there long; your harder bed
Shall be more soft when Nun and maid are dead.

[Enter Bilbo.]

MOUNCHENSEY.
Now, sirra, what's the matter?

BILBO. Marry, you must to horse presently; that villainous old gouty churl, Sir Arthur Clare, longs till he be at the Nunry.

HARRY CLARE.
How, sir?

BILBO. O, I cry you mercy, he is your father, sir, indeed; but I am sure that there's less affinity betwixt your two natures then there is between a broker and a cutpurse.

MOUNCHENSEY.
Bring my gelding, sirra.

BILBO. Well, nothing grieves me, but for the poor wench; she must now cry vale to Lobster pies, hartichokes, and all such meats of mortality; poor gentlewoman, the sign must not be in virgo any longer with her, and that me grieves full well.

 Poor Milliscent
 Must pray and repent:
O fatal wonder!
She'll now be no fatter,
Love must not come at her
Yet she shall be kept under.

[Exit.]

JERNINGHAM.
Farewell, dear Raymond.

HARRY CLARE.
Friend, adieu.

MILLISCENT.
Dear sweet,
No joy enjoys my heart till we next meet.

[Exeunt.]

FABELL.
Well, Raymond, now the tide of discontent
Beats in thy face; but, er't be long, the wind
Shall turn the flood. We must to Waltham abbey,
And as fair Milliscent in Cheston lives,
A most unwilling Nun, so thou shalt there
Become a beardless Novice; to what end,
Let time and future accidents declare:
Taste thou my sleights, thy love I'll only share.

MOUNCHENSEY.
Turn friar? Come, my good Counsellor, let's go,
Yet that disguise will hardly shroud my woe.

[Exeunt.]

ACT III.

SCENE I. Cheston Priory.

[Enter the Prioress of Cheston, with a Nun or two, Sir Arthur
Clare, Sir Raph Jerningham, Henry and Francke, the Lady, and
Bilbo, with Millisent.]

LADY CLARE.
Madam,
The love unto this holy sisterhood,
And our confirmd opinion of your zeal
Hath truly won us to bestow our Child
Rather on this then any neighbouring Cell.

PRIORESS.
 Jesus daughter, Mary's child,
 Holy matron, woman mild,
 For thee a mass shall still be said,
 Every sister drop a bead;
 And those again succeeding them
 For you shall sing a Requiem.

FRANK. The wench is gone, harry; she is no more a woman of this world: mark her well, she looks like a Nun already. What thinkst on her?

HARRY. By my faith, her face comes handsomely to 't. But peace, let's hear the rest.

SIR ARTHUR.
Madam, for a twelvemonths approbation,
We mean to make this trial of our child.
Your care and our dear blessing in mean time
We pray may prosper this intended work.

PRIORESS.
 May your happy soul be blithe,
 That so truly pay your tithe:
 He who many children gave,
 Tis fit that he one child should have.
 Then, fair virgin, hear my spell,
 For I must your duty tell.

MILLISCENT.
—Good men and true, stand together, and hear your charge.

PRIORESS.
 First, a mornings take your book,
 The glass wherein your self must look;
Your young thoughts, so proud and jolly,
Must be turnd to motions holy;
For your busk, attires, and toys
Have your thoughts on heavenly joys;
And for all your follies past
You must do penance, pray, and fast.

BILBO. —Let her take heed of fasting; and if ever she hurt her self with praying, I'll ne'er trust beast.

MILLISCENT.
—This goes hard, berladye!

PRIORESS.
 You shall ring the sacring bell,
 Keep your hours, and tell your knell,
 Rise at midnight at your matins,
 Read your Psalter, sing your latins,
 And when your blood shall kindle pleasure,
 Scourge your self in plenteous measure.

MILLISCENT.
—Worse and worse, by Saint Mary.

FRANK. —Sirra Hal, how does she hold her countenance? Well, go thy ways, if ever thou prove a Nun, I'll build an Abbey.

HARRY. —She may be a Nun; but if ever she prove an Anchoress, I'll dig her grave with my nails.

FRANK.
—To her again, mother!

HARRY.
—Hold thine own, wench!

PRIORESS.
 You must read the mornings mass,
 You must creep unto the Cross,
 Put cold ashes on your head,
 Have a hair cloth for your bed.

BILBO.
—She had rather have a man in her bed.

PRIORESS.
 Bid your beads, and tell your needs,
 Your holy Avies, and you Creeds;
 Holy maid, this must be done,
 If you mean to live a Nun.

MILLISCENT.
—The holy maid will be no Nun.

SIR ARTHUR.
Madam, we have some business of import,
And must be gone.
Wilt please you take my wife into your closet,
Who further will acquaint you with my mind;
And so, good madam, for this time adieu.

[Exeunt women.]

SIR RALPH.
Well now, Francke Jerningham, how sayest thou?
To be brief,—
What wilt thou say for all this, if we two,
Her father and my self, can bring about,
That we convert this Nun to be a wife,
And thou the husband to this pretty Nun?
How, then, my lad? ha, Francke, it may be done.

HARRY.
—Aye, now it works.

FRANCKE.
O God, sir, you amaze me at your words;
Think with your self, sir, what a thing it were
To cause a recluse to remove her vow:
A maimed, contrite, and repentant soul,
Ever mortified with fasting and with prayer,
Whose thoughts, even as her eyes, are fixd on heaven,
To draw a virgin, thus devour'd with zeal,
Back to the world: O impious deed!
Nor by the Canon Law can it be done
Without a dispensation from the Church:
Besides, she is so prone unto this life,
As she'll even shriek to hear a husband named.

BILBO. Aye, a poor innocent she! Well, here's no knavery; he flouts the old fools to their teeth.

SIR RAPH.
Boy, I am glad to hear
Thou mak'st such scruple of that conscience;
And in a man so young as in your self,
I promise you tis very seldom seen.
But Franke, this is a trick, a mere devise,
A sleight plotted betwixt her father and my self,
To thrust Mounchensey's nose besides the cushion;
That, being thus behard of all access,
Time yet may work him from her thoughts,
And give thee ample scope to