Beggars Bush: A Comedy

John Fletcher

Francis Beaumont

Francis Beaumont

Beggars Bush: A Comedy / From the Works of Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher (Volume 2 of 10)

Persons Represented in the Play

Wolfort, an usurper of the Earldom of Flanders.

Gerrard, falsely called Clause, King of the Beggars, Father in Law to Florez.

Hubert, an honest Lord, a friend to Gerrard.

Florez, falsely called Goswin, a rich Merchant of Bruges.

Hempskirke, a Captain under Wolford.

Herman a Courtier,} inhabitants ofA Merchant, } Flanders.

Vandunke, a drunken Merchant friend to Gerrard, falsely called Father to Bertha.

Vanlock, and 4 Merchants, of Bruges.

Higgen, }

Prigg, }Three Knavish Beggars.

Snapp, }

Ferret, }Two Gentlemen disguised under those

Ginkes, } names of Gerrard's party.

Clown.

Boores.

Servants.

Guard.

A Sailor.

WOMEN.

Jaculin, Daughter to Gerrard, beloved of Hubert.

Bertha called Gertrude, Daughter to the Duke of Brabant, Mistress to Florez.

Margaret, Wife to Vandunke.

Mrs Frances, a frow Daughter to Vanlock.

The Scene Flanders.

ACTUS PRIMUS. SCENA PRIMA

Enter a Merchant and Herman.

Mer. Is he then taken?

Her. And brought back even now, Sir.

Mer. He was not in disgrace?

Her. No man more lov'd,

Nor more deserv'd it, being the only man

That durst be honest in this Court.

Mer. Indeed

We have heard abroad, Sir, that the State hath suffered

A great change, since the Countesses death.

Her. It hath, Sir.

Mer. My five years absence hath kept me a stranger

So much to all the occurents of my Country,

As you shall bind me for some short relation

To make me understand the present times.

Her. I must begin then with a War was made

And seven years with all cruelty continued

Upon our Flanders by the Duke of Brabant,

The cause grew thus: during our Earls minority,

Wolfort, (who now usurps) was employed thither

To treat about a match between our Earl

And the Daughter and Heir of Brabant: during which treaty

The Brabander pretends, this Daughter was

Stoln from his Court, by practice of our State,

Though we are all confirm'd, 'twas a sought quarrel

To lay an unjust gripe upon this Earldom,

It being here believ'd the Duke of Brabant

Had no such loss. This War upon't proclaimed,

Our Earl, being then a Child, although his Father

Good Gerrard liv'd, yet in respect he was

Chosen by the Countesses favour, for her Husband,

And but a Gentleman, and Florez holding

His right unto this Country from his Mother,

The State thought fit in this defensive War,

Wolfort being then the only man of mark,

To make him General.

Mer. Which place we have heard

He did discharge with ho[n]our.

Her. I, so long,

And with so blest successes, that the Brabander

Was forc't (his treasures wasted, and the choice

Of his best men of Armes tyr'd, or cut off)

To leave the field, and sound a base retreat

Back to his Country: but so broken both

In mind and means, er'e to make head again,

That hitherto he sits down by his loss,

Not daring, or for honour, or revenge

Again to tempt his fortune. But this Victory

More broke our State, and made a deeper hurt

In Flanders, than the greatest overthrow

She ever receiv'd: For Wolfort, now beholding

Himself, and actions, in the flattering glass

Of self-deservings, and that cherish't by

The strong assurance of his power, for then

All Captains of the Army were his creatures,

The common Souldier too at his devotion,

Made so by full indulgence to their rapines

And secret bounties, this strength too well known

And what it could effect, soon put in practice,

As further'd by the Child-hood of the Earl:

And their improvidence, that might have pierc't

The heart of his designs, gave him occasion

To seize the whole, and in that plight you find it.

Mer. Sir, I receive the knowledge of thus much,

As a choice favour from you.

Her. Only I must add, Bruges holds out.

Mer. Whither, Sir, I am going,

For there last night I had a ship put in,

And my Horse waits me. [Ex