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Title: Beggars Bush
From the Works of Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher (Vol. 2 of 10)

Author: Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher

Release Date: April 30, 2004 [EBook #12221]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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BEGGARS BUSH,

A COMEDY.

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 of
A 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 gre