A Pleafant Comedie of faire Em,
The Millers daughter of Manchester.

With the loue of William
the Conquerour.

Actus primus, Scæna prima.

Enter William the Conqueror: Marques Lubeck, with a picture

Mountney: Manuile: Valingford: and Duke Dirot.

Marques. W
Hat meanes faire Britaines mighty Conqueror
So suddenly to cast away his itaffe?

And all in passion to forfake the tilt.

D. Dirot. My Lord, this triumph we solemnise here,
Is of meere loue to your increafing ioyes :

Only expeeting cheerefull lookes for all.

What suddenly pangs then moues your maiety,

To dim the brightneſſe of the day with frownes ?

W. Conqueror. Ah, good my Lords, mieconſter not the cauſe :
At least, ſuppect not my diſpleased browes

I amorouſly do beare to your intent :

For thanks and all that you can wifh I yeeld.

But that which makes me bluſh and ſhame to tell,

Is cauſe why thus I turne my conquering eyes

To cowards lookes and beaten ſantasies.

Mountney. Since we are guiltlesſe, we the leſſe diſmay
To ſee this sudden change poſſeſſe your cheere :

For if it illue from your owne conceits,

Bred by ſuggeſtion of ſome enuious thoughts:

Your highneſſe wifdome may ſupprefſe it ſtraight.

Yet tell vs (good my Lord) what thought it is,

That thus bereaues you of your late content,

That in aduife we may aſſiſt your Grace.

Or bend our forces to reuiue your ſpirits.

W. Con. Ah Marques Lubeck, in thy power it lyes
To rid my boſome of theſe thraled dumps:

And therefore, good my Lords, forbeare a while,

That we may parley of theſe priuate cares,

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Whole

The Millers daughter

Whose strength subdues me more than all the world.
Valing ford. We goe and wifh thee priuate conference,
Publike affects in this accustomed peace.

Exit all but William and the Marques.

William. Now Marques must a Conqueror at armes
Disclose himselfe thrald to vnarmed thoughts,
And threatned of a shaddow, yeeld to luft :
No sooner had my sparkling eyes beheld
The flames of beaustie blasing on this peecce,
But suddenly a fence of myracle

Imagined on thy louely Maistres face,
Made mee abandon bodily regard,
And caft all pleasures on my wounded soule :
Then gentle Marques tell me what she is,
That thus thou honourest on thy wallike shield;
And if thy loue and intereft be such,
As iustly may giue place to mine,
That if it be :my soule with honors wings
May fly into the bosome of my deare.

If not, close them and floope into my graue.

Marques. If this be all renowned Conqueror :
Aduance your drooping spirits, and reuiue
The wonted courage of your Conquering minde,
For this faire picture painted on my shield
Is the true counterfeit of louely Blanch

Princes and daughter to the King of Danes :

Whose beaute and exceſſe of ornaments
Deferues another manner of defence,
Pompe and high person to attend her ſtate-
Than Marques Lubeck any way preſents :
Therefore her vertues I religne to thee,
Alreadie ſhrind in thy religious breſt,
To be aduanced and honoured to the full.

Nor beare I this an argument of loue :

But to renowne faire Blanch my Soueraignes Childe,
In euerie place where I by armes may do it.

William

of Manchester.

William. Ah Marques, thy words bring heauen vnto my soule,
And had I heauen to giue for thy reward,
Thou shouldst be thronde in no vnworthy place.
But let my vttermoſt wealth ſuffice thy worth,
Which here I vowe, and to aſpire the blifſe
That hangs on quicke atchiuement of my loue,
Thy ſelſe and I will trauell in diſguife,
To bring this Ladie to our Brittraine Court

Marques. Let William but bethinke what may auayle,
And let mee die if I denie my ayde.

William. Then thus: The Duke Dirot and th'Earle Dimash
Will I leaue ſubſtitutes to rule my Realme,
While mightie loue forbids my being here,
And in the name of Sir Robert of Windsor
Will goe with thee vnto the Daniſh Court.
Keepe Williams ſecrets Marques if thou loue him.
Bright Blanch I come, sweet fortune fauour me,
And I will laud thy name eternally.

Exeunt.

Enter the Miller and Em his daughter.

Miller. Come daughter we muſt learne to ſhake off pompes.
To leaue the ſtate that earſt beſeemd a Knight,
And gentleman of no meane diſcent,

To vndertake this homely millers trade :

Thus muſt we maske to ſaue our wretched liues,
Threatned by Conqueſt of this hapleſſe Ile :

Whose ſad inuafions by the Conqueror,

Thou made a number ſuch as we subieſt

Their gentle neckes vnto their stubborne yoke,
Of drudging labour and bafe pefantrie.

Sir Thomas Goddard now old Goddard is,
Goddard the Miller of faire Manchester.

Why should not I content me with this ſtate ?
As good Sir Edmund Trofferd did the ſaile.

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The Millers daughter

Our harmelesse liues, which ledin greater port
Would be an enuious obiect to our foes,
That seeke to root all Britaines Gentric

From bearing countenance against their tyrannie.

*Em.* Good Father let my full resolued thoughts,
With fetled patience to support this chance
Be some poore comfort to your aged soule:
For therein refts the height of my estate,
That you are pleased with this deiection,
And that all toyles my hands may vndertake,
May serue to worke your worthines content.

*Miller.* Thankes my deere daughter : these thy pleasant words
Transfer my soule into a second heauen :
And in thy fetled minde, my ioyes confit,
My state reuied, and I in former plight.

Although our outward pomp be thus abafed,
And thralde to drudging, ftayleſſe of the world,
Let vs retaine those honourable mindes
That lately gouerned our ſuperior ſtate.

Wherein true gentrie is the only meane,
That makes vs differ from bafe millers borne :
Though we expect no knightly delicates,
Nor thirſt in ſoule for former ſoueraightie.

Yet may our mindes as highly ſcorne to ſoope
To bafe deſires of vulgars worldlineſſe,
As if we were in our preſedent way.

And louely daughter, ſince thy youthfull yeares
Muſt needs admit as young affections :

And that ſweet loue vnpartiall perceiues
Her dainie ſubieſts through euery part,

In chiefe receive these leſions from my lips,
The true diſcouerers of a Virgins due

Now requisite, now that I know thy minde
Something enclude to fauour Mannils ſute,
A gentleman, thy Louer in proteſt :

And that thou maift not be by loue deceiued,

But

of Manchester.

But try his meaning fit for thy deſert,
In purſuit of all amorous deſires,

Regard thine honour. Let not vehement ſighes
Nor earnest vowes importing ſeruent loue,
Render thee ſubieſt to the wrath of luſt:

For that transformed to former ſweet delight,
Will bring thy body and thy ſoule to ſhame.

Chaſſe thoughts and modell conuerſations,
Of proofe to keepe out all inchaunting vowes,
Vaine ſighes, forſt teares, and pittifull alpeſts,

Are they that make deformed Ladies faire,
Poore wretch, and ſuch inticing men,
That seeke of all but onely preſentgrace,
Shall in perſeuance of a Virgins due
Prefer the moſt refuſers to the choyce
Of ſuch a ſoule as yeelded what they thought.

But hoe : where is Trotter ?

*Here enters Trotter the Millers man to them : and they within call to him for their grift.*

*Trotter.* Wheres Trotter ? why Trotter is here.

Yfaith, you and your daughter go vp and downe weeping,
And wamenting and keeping of a wamentation,

As who should ſay, the Mill would goe with your wamenting.

*Miller.* How now Trotter ? why complainest thou so ?

*Trotter.* Why yonder is a company of young men and maids.
Keepe ſuch a ſtir for their grift, that they would haue it before
My ſtones be readie to grindit. But yfaith, I would I coulde
Breake winde enough backward : you should not tarrie for your
Grift I warrant you.

*Miller.* Content thee Trotter, I will go pacifie them.

*Trotter.* Iwis you will when I cannot. Why looke,
You haue a Mill. Why what's your Mill without mee ?
O rather Miftres, what were I without you ?

*Em.* Nay Trotter, if you fall a chiding, I will giue you ouer.

*Trotter.* I chide you dame to amend you.

You are too fine to be a Millers daughter:

Here heta-
keth Ema-
lout thenecke.

For