1541Legions of spirits vex thy impious ghost:

1542Ten thousand torments rack thy cursed bones.

1543Let every thing that hath the use of breath,

1548Hum. What Basilisk hath hatched in this place,

1549Where every thing consumed is to nought?

1550What fearfull Furie haunts these cursed groves,

1551Where not a root is left for Humber's meat?

1552Hath fell Alecto with envenomed blasts,

1553Breathed forth poison in these tender plains?

1554Hath triple Cerberus with contagious foam,

1555Sow'd Aconitum 'mongst these withered hearbs?

1556Hath dreadfull Fames with her charming rods

1557Brought barrennesse on every fruitfull tree?

1558What not a root, no fruit, no beast, no bird,

1559To nourish Humber in this wildernesse?

1560What would you more, you fiends of Erebus?

1561My very intrails burn for want of drink,

1562My bowels cry, Humber give us some meat,

1563But wretched Humber can give you no meat,

1564These foul accursed groves afford no meat:

1565This fruitless soil, this ground brings forth no meat.

1566The gods, hard hearted gods, yield me no meat.

1567Then how can Humber give you any meat?

1570St. How do you, Masters, how do you? how have you

1571scaped hanging this long time? ifaith I have scapt many

1572a scouring this year, but I thank God I have past them

1573all with a good couragio, couragio, and my wife and I

1574are in great love and charity now, I thank my manhood

1575and my strength; for I will tell you, Masters, upon a

1576certain day at night I came home, to say the very truth,

1577with my stomack full of wine, and ran up into the chamber,

1578where my wife soberly sate rocking my little babie,

1579leaning her back against the bed, singing lullaby. Now

1580when she saw me come with my nose formost, thinking

1581that I had been drunk, as I was indeed, snatcht up a fagot-

1582stick in her hand, and came furiously marching towards

1583me with a big face, as though she would have eaten me

1584at a bit; thundering out these words unto me. Thou

1585drunken knave where hast thou been so long? I shall

1586teach thee how to benight me another time: and so she

1587began to play knaves trumps. Now although I trembled

1588fearing she would set her ten commandements in my

1589face, ran within her, and taking her lustily by the mid-

1590dle, I carried her valiantly to the bed, and flinging her

1591upon it, flung my self upon her, and there I delighted

1592her so with the sport I made, that ever after she would

1593call me sweet husband, and so banisht brawling for ever:

1594and to see the good will of the wench, she bought with

1595her Portion a yard of land, and by that I am now be-

1596come one of the richest men in our parish. Well,

1597Masters, what's a clock? it is now break-fast time, you

1598shall see what meat I have here for my break-fast.

1600Hum. Was ever land so fruitless as this land?

1601Was ever grove so gracelesse as this grove?

1602Was ever soil so barren as this soil?

1603Oh no: the land where hungry Fames dwelt,

1604May no wise equalize this cursed land;

1605No, even the climate of the torrid zone

1606Brings forth more fruit then this accursed grove.

1607Ne'er came sweet Ceres, ne'er came Venus here;

1608Triptolemus the god of husbandmen,

1609Ne'er sow'd his seed in this foul wildernesse.

1610The hunger-bitten dogs of Acheron,

1611Chac't from the nine-fold Puriflegiton,

1612Have set their footsteps in this damned ground.

1613The iron-hearted Furies arm'd with snakes,

1614Scatered huge Hydra's over all the plains,

1615Which have consum'd the grass, the herbs, the trees,

1616Which have drunk up the flowing water springs.

1619Hum. Thou great commande of the starry sky,

1620That guid'st the life of every mortal wight,

1621From the inclosures of the fleeting clouds

1622Rain down some food, or else I faint and dye:

1623Pour down some drink, or else I faint and dye.

1624O Jupiter, hast thou sent Mercury

1625In clownish shape to minister some food?

1626Some meat, some meat, some meat.

1627Strum. O alas sir, ye are deceived, I am not Mercury,

1628I am Strumbo.

1629Hum. Give me some meat, villain, give me some meat,

1630Or 'gainst this rock, I'le dash thy cursed brains,

1631And rend thy bowels with my bloudie hands.

1632Give me some meat, villain, give me some meat.

1633Strum. By the faith of my body, good fellow, I had

1634rather give an whole oxe, then that thou should'st serve

1635me in that sort. Dash out my brains? O horrible, ter-

1636rible. I think I have a quarry of stones in my pocket.

1641Alba. Ghost. Loe here the gift of fell ambition,

1642Of usurpation and of treachery.

1643Loe here the harms that wait upon all those

1644That do intrude themselves in others lands,

1648Loc. Seven yeares hath aged Corineus liv'd

1649To Locrine's grief, and fair Estrilda's woe,

1650And seven yeares more he hopeth yet to live;

1651Oh supreme Jove, annihilate this thought.