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JERNINGHAM.

Milliscent, how dost thou?

MILLISCENT.

Sir, very well.

I would to God we were at Brians lodge.

CLARE.

We shall anon; z'ounds, hark! What means this noise?

JERNINGHAM.

Stay, I hear horsemen.

CLARE.

I hear footmen too.

JERNINGHAM.

Nay, then I have it: we have been discovered,

And we are followed by our fathers men.

MILLISCENT.

Brother and friend, alas, what shall we do?

CLARE.

Sister, speak softly, or we are descried.

They are hard upon us, what so ere they be,

Shadow your self behind this brake of fern,

We'll get into the wood, and let them pass.

[Enter Sir John, Blague, Smug, and Banks, one after another.]

SIR JOHN.

Grass and hay! we are all mortall; the keepers abroad, and there's an end.

BANKS.

Sir John!

SIR JOHN.

Neighbour Banks, what news?

BANKS.

Z'wounds, Sir John, the keepers are abroad; I was hard by 'am.

SIR JOHN.

Grass and hay! where's mine host Blague?

BLAGUE.

Here, Metrapolitane. The philistines are upon us, be silent; let us serve the good Duke of Norfolk. But where is Smug?

SMUG.

Here; a pox on ye all, dogs; I have kild the greatest Buck in Brians walk. Shift for your selves, all the keepers are up: let's meet in Enfield church porch; away, we are all taken else.

[Exeunt.]

[Enter Brian, with his man, and his hound.]

BRIAN.

Raph, hearst thou any stirring?

RAPH.

I heard one speak here hard by, in the bottom. Peace, Maister,

speak low; zownes, if I did not hear a bow go off, and the

Buck bray, I never heard deer in my life.

BRIAN.

When went your fellows out into their walks?

RAPH.

An hour ago.

BRIAN.

S'life, is there stealers abroad, and they cannot hear

Of them: where the devil are my men to night?

Sirra, go up the wind towards Buckleyes lodge.

I'll cast about the bottom with my hound,

And I will meet thee under Cony ocke.

RAPH.

I will, Sir.

BRIAN.

How now? by the mass, my hound stays upon something; hark, hark, Bowman, hark, hark, there!

MILLISCENT.

Brother, Frank Jerningham, brother Clare!

BRIAN.

Peace; that's a woman's voice! Stand! who's there? Stand, or I'll shoot.

MILLISCENT.

O Lord! hold your hands, I mean no harm, sir.

BRIAN.

Speak, who are you?

MILLISCENT.

I am a maid, sir; who? Master Brian?

BRIAN.

The very same; sure, I should know her voice;

Mistris Milliscent?

MILLISCENT.

Aye, it is I, sir.

BRIAN.

God for his passion! what make you here alone?

I lookd for you at my lodge an hour ago.

What means your company to leave you thus?

Who brought you hither?

MILLISCENT.

My brother, Sir, and Master Jerningham,

Who, hearing folks about us in the Chase,

Feard it had been sir Ralph and my father,

Who had pursude us, thus dispearsed our selves,

Till they were past us.

BRIAN.

But where be they?

MILLISCENT.

They be not far off, here about the grove.

[Enter Clare and Jerningham.]

CLARE.

Be not afraid, man, I heard Brian's tongue,

That's certain.

JERNINGHAM.

Call softly for your sister.

CLARE.

Milliscent!

MILLISCENT.

Aye, brother, here.

BRIAN.

Maister Clare!

CLARE.

I told you it was Brian.

BRIAN.

Who's that? Maister Jerningham: you are a couple of hot-shots; does a man commit his wench to you, to put her to grass at this time of night

JERNINGHAM.

We heard a noise about her in the chase,

And fearing that our fathers had pursued us,

Severd our selves.

CLARE.

Brian, how hapd'st thou on her?

BRIAN.

Seeking for stealers are abroad to night,

My hound stayed on her, and so found her out.

CLARE.

They were these stealers that affrighted us;

I was hard upon them, when they horst their Deer,

And I perceive they took me for a keeper.

BRIAN.

Which way took they?

JERNINGHAM.

Towards Enfield.

BRIAN.

A plague upon 't, that's that damned Priest, and Blague of the George, he that serves the good Duke of Norfolk.

[A noise within: Follow, follow, follow.]

CLARE.

Peace, that's my father's voice.