Moore.
Come my good fellowes, stirre, be dilligent,
Sloth is an ydle fellowe, leaue him now,
the time requires your expeditious seruice.
Place me heere stooles, to set the Ladyes on.
Sonne Roper, you haue giuen order for the banquet.

Ro.
I haue my Lord, and euery thing is readie. &fslash;Enter his Lady.

Moore.
Oh welcome wife, giue you direction,
how women should be plac'de, you knowe it best.
ffor my Lord Maior, his bretheren, and the rest,
Let me alone, men best can order men

La.
I warrant ye my Lord, all shalbe well
Ther's one without that stayes to speake with ye,
And bad me tell ye that he is a Player.

Moore.
A Player wife? one of ye bid him come in, ex. one.
Nay stirre there fellowes, fye, ye are to slowe.

See that your lights be in a readines,
the Banquet shalbe heere. Gods me Madame,
leaue my Lady Maioresse? bothe of vs from the boord?
and my Sonne Roper too? what may our guests thinke?

La.
My Lord, they are risen, and sitting by the fire.

Moore.
why yet goe you and keepe them companie,
It is not meete we should be absent bothe. &fslash;ex. La. ent. Player.
welcome good freend, what is your will with me?

Player.
My Lord, my fellowes and my selfe,
are come to tender ye our willing seruice,
so please you to commaund vs.

Moore.
what, for a play, you meane?
whom doo ye serue?

Player.
^noteMy Lord Cardinalles grace.

Moore.
My Lord Cardinalls players? now trust me, welcome.
you happen hether in a luckie time,
to pleasure me, and benefit your selues.
The Maior of London, and some Aldermen,
his Lady, and their wiues, are my kinde guests
this night at supper. Now, to haue a play,
before the banquet, will be excellent,
how thinke you Sonne Roper?

Ro.
Twill doo well my Lord,
and be right pleasing pastime to your guests.

Moore.
I pre thee tell me, what playes haue ye?

Player.
diuers my Lord: the Cradle of Securitie,
hit nayle o'th head, impacient pouertie,
the play of foure Pees, diues and Lazarus,
Lustie Iuuentus, and the mariage of witt and wisedome.

Moore.
The mariage of witt and wisedome? that my Lads,
Ile none but that, the theame is very good,
and may maintaine a liberall argument.
To marie wit to wisedome, asks some cunning,
Many haue witt, that may come short of wisedome.

weele see how M^r. Poet playes his part,
and whether witt or wisedome grace his arte.
Goe, make him drinke, and all his fellowes too,
how manie are ye?

Player.
ffoure men and a boy Sir.

Moore.
But one boy? then I see,
ther's but fewe women in the play.

Player.
Three my Lord ^note: dame Science, Lady vanitie,
and wisedome ^note she her selfe

Moore.
And one boy play them all? bir ^note Lady, hees loden.
well my good fellowe get ye straite together,
and make ye readie with what haste ye may.
Prouide their supper gainste the play be doone,
else shall we stay our guests heere ouer long.
make haste I pray ye.

Player.
we will my Lord. —ex. Ser. &. player.

Moore.
where are the waytes? goe, bid them play,
to spend the time awhile. &fslash; How now Madame! &fslash; En. Lady.

La.
My Lord th'are c&obar;ming ^note hether.

Moore.
Th'are welcome: wife, Ile tell ye one thing,
Our sporte is somewhat mended, we shall haue
a play to night: the mariage of witt and wisedome,
And acted by my good Lord Cardinalles players.
how like ye that wife?

La.
My Lord, I like it well.
See, they are comming. ^noteWAITES PLAY HERE. The waytes playes, Enters Lord Maior, so many Aldermen as may, the Lady ^note Maioresse in Scarlet, with other Ladyes ^note and Sir Thomas Moores ^note daughters, Seruaunts ^note carying lighted Torches by them.

Moore.
Once agayne ^note welcome, welcome my good Lord Maior,

And bretheren all ^note for once I was your brother,
and so am still in hart. It is not state,
that can our looue from London seperate.
<sup>note

note</sup>
naught but pride. Fol. 15^a
But they that cast an eye still whence they came,
knowe how they rose, and how to vse the same.

L. Maior.
My Lord, you set a glosse on Londons fame,
and make it happie euer by your name.
Needs must we say, when we remember Moore,
Twas he that droue rebellion from our doore.
with graue discretions milde and gentle breath,
sheelding a many subiects liues from death.
Oh how our Cittie is by you renownde,
And with your vertues our endeuours ^note crownde.

Moore.
No more my good Lord Maior: but thanks to all,
that on so short a summons, you would come
to visite him that holdes your kindnesse deere.
Madame, you are not merie with my Lady Maioresse,
And these fayre Ladyes, pray ye seate them all,
And heere my Lord, let me appoint your place
the rest to seate them selues: Nay, Ile wearie ye,
you will not long in haste to visite me.

La.
Good Madame sit, in sooth you shall sit heere.

La. Mai.
Good Madame pardon me, it may not be.

La.
In troth Ile haue it so, Ile sit heere by yee,
Good Ladyes sit, more stooles heere hoe.

La. Mai.
It is your fauour Madame makes me thus,
presume abooue my merit.

La.
when we come to you,
then shall you rule vs, as we rule you heere.
Now must I tell ye Madame, we haue a play,

to welcome ye withall: how good so ere,
that knowe not I, my Lord will haue it so.

Moore.
wife, hope the best, I am sure theyle doo their best,
they that would better, comes not at their feaste.
My good Lord Cardinalles players, I thanke them for it,
play vs a play, to lengthen out your welcome,
^note[my good Lord Maior, and all my other freends.]
They say it is the mariage of wit and wisedome,
A theame of some importe, how ere it prooue:
but if Arte faile, weele inche it out with looue.
what, are they readie?

Ser.

My Lord, one of the Players craues to speake with you.

Moore.

^notewith me? where is he?

Incli.

heere my Lord.

Moore.

How now? what's the matter?

Incli.

we would desire your honor but to stay a little, one of my fellowes is but run to Oagles, for a long beard for young witt, and heele be heere presently.

Moore.

A long beard for young witt? why man, he may be with out a beard till he come to mariage, for witt goes not all by the hayre: when comes witt in?

Incli.

In the second Scene, next to the Prologue my Lord.

Moore.

why play on till that Sceane come, and by that time witts beard will be growne, or else the fellowe returned with it. And what part plaist thou?

Incli.

Inclination the vice my Lord.

Moore.

Gramercies, now I may take the vice if I list: and wherfore hast thou that bridle in thy hand?

Incli.

I must be bridled annon my Lord.

Moore.

And thou beest not sadled too, it makes no matter, for then witts inclination may gallop so fast, that he will outstrip wisedome, and fall to follie.

Incli.

Indeed so he does to Lady vanitie: but we haue no follie in our play.

Moore.

Then ther's no witt in't, Ile be sworne: ffollie waites on witt, as the shaddowe on the bodie, and where witt is ripest, there follie still is readiest. But beginne I pre thee, weele rather allowe a beardlesse witt, then witt all bearde to ^note haue no braine.

Incli.

Nay, he has his apparell on too my Lord, and therfore he is the readier to enter.

Moore.
^noteThen good Inclination beginne at a venter. —exit.
My Lord Maior: witt lacks a beard, or else they would beginne,
Ide lend him mine, but that it is too thinne.
Silence, they come. The Trompet soundes, ^note enter the Prologue.

Pro.
Now for as much as in these latter dayes,
throughout the whole world in euery land;
vice dooth ^note encrease and vertue decayes,
Iniquitie hauing the vpper hand.
we therfore intend good gentle Audience,
a prettie short Enterlude to play at this present,
desiring your leaue and quiet silence,
to shewe the same as is meete and expedient.
It is called the mariage of witt and wisedome,
A matter right pithie and pleasing to heare,

wherof in breefe we will shewe the whole summe
But I must begon, for witt dooth appeare. —exit Fol. 15^b Enter Witt ruffling, and Inclination the vice.

Witt.
In an arbour greene, a sleepe where as I lay,
The birdes sang sweetely in the midst of the day,
I dreamed fast of mirthe and play,
In youth is pleasure, in youthe is pleasure.
Me thought I walked still to and fro,
And from her companie I could not goe,
But when I waked, it was not so,
In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure.
Therfore my hart is surely plight,
Of her alone to haue a sight,
which is my ioy and harts delight,
In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure.

Moore.

Marke ye my Lord, this is witt without a bearde, what will he be, by that time he comes to the commoditie of a bearde?

Incli.
Oh Sir, the ground is the better on which she dooth goe.
ffor she will make better cheere with a little she can get:
then many a one can with a great banquet of meat.

Witt.
And is her name wisedome?

Incli.
I Sir, a wife moste fitt,
for you my good maister, my daintie sweet Witt.

Witt.
To be in her companie, my hart it is set.
therfore I pre thee to let vs begon:
for vnto wisedome Witt hath Inclination.

Incli
Oh Sir, she will come her selfe euen annon.
ffor I tolde her before where we would stand
And then she sayd she would beck vs with her hand.
Back with those ^note boyes, and saucie great knaues, &fslash; florishing his dagger.
what, stand ye heere so bigge in your braues?
my dagger about your coxecombes shall walke,
if I may but so much as heare ye chat or talke.

Witt.
But will she take paines to come for vs hether?

Incli.
I warrant ye, therfore you must be familiare with her.
when she commeth in place,
you must her embrace, somewhat hansomely,
Least she thinke it daunger,
because you are a straunger, to come in your companie.

Witt.
I warrant thee Inclination, I will be busie,
Oh how witt longs to be in wisedomes companie. Enter Lady Vanitie singing. and beckning with her hand.

Van.
Come hether, come hether, come hether come:
Such cheere ^note as I haue, thou shalt haue some.

Moore.
This is Lady Vanitie Ile holde my life:
beware good witt, you take not her to wife.

Incli.
what, vnknowne honestie, a woord in your eare,
you shall not be gon as yet I sweare. &fslash; she offers to depart.
Heer's none but your freends, you need not to fray,
this young Gentleman looues ye, therfore you must stay.

Witt.
I trust in me she will thinke no daunger,
for I looue well the companie of fayre women:
And though to you I am a straunger,
yet Witt may pleasure you now and then.

Van.
who you? nay you are such a holy man,
that to touche one you dare not be bolde:
I thinke you would not kisse a young woman,
if one would giue ye twentie pound in golde.

Witt.
yes in good sadnesse Lady, that I would,
I could finde in my hart to kisse you in your smock.

Van.
My back is broade enough to beare that mock.
ffor it hath bin tolde me many a time:
that you would be seene in no such companie as mine.

Witt.
Not Witt in the companie of Lady Wisedome?
Oh Ioue for what doo I hether come?

Incli.
Sir, she did this nothing else but to prooue,
whether a little thing would you mooue,
to be angrie and frett:
what and ^note if one sayd so,
let such trifling matters goe,
and with a kinde kisse come out of her debt.
Is Luggins come yet with the beard? &fslash;Enter an other player.

Player.
No faith, he is not come, alas, what shall we doo?

Incli.

fforsooth we can goe no further, till our fellowe Luggins come,[s] for he plays good Councell, and now he should enter, to admonishe Witt, that this is Lad[y Vanitie, and not Lady Wisedome.

Moore.

Nay, and it be no more but so, ye shall not tarie at a stand for that, weele not haue our play marde for lack ^note of a little good Councell: till your fellowe come Ile geue ^note him the best councell that I can, pardon me my Lord Maior, I loue ^noteto be merie

Moore. ^note
noteoh
^note witt, thou art nowe on the bowe hand, Fol. 17^a

And blindely in thine owne oppinion doost stand.
I tell thee, this naughtie lewde Inclination,
Does lead thee amisse in a very straunge fashion.
This is not Wisedome, but Lady Vanitie,
therfore ^note list to good councell, and be ruled by me.

Incli.
In troth my Lord, it is as right to Lugginses part, as can be, speake Witt.

Moore.
Nay, we will not haue our audience disappointed, if I can help it.

Witt.
Art thou good Councell, and wilt tell me so?
wouldst thou haue Witt from Lady Wisedome to goe?
Thou art some deceiuer, I tell thee verily,
In saying that this is Lady Vanitie.

Moore.
Witt, iudge not things by the outwarde showe,
the eye oft mistakes, right well you doo knowe.
Good councell assures thee vppon his honestie,
that this is not Wisedome, but Lady Vanitie. Enter Luggins with the bearde.

Incli. ^note

Oh my Lord, he is come, now we shall goe forwarde.

Moore.

Art thou come? well fellowe, I haue holpe to saue thine honestie a little, Now, if thou canst giue witt any better councell then I haue doone, spare not there I leaue him to thy mercie.

Witt.

ffye fellowe Luggins, you serue vs hansomely, doo ye not thinke ye.

Lug.

why, Oagle was not with in, and his wife would not let me haue the beard, and by my troth I ran so fast that I sweat againe.

Incli.

doo ye heare fellowes? would not my Lord make a rare player? Oh, he would vpholde a companie beyond all hoe, better then Mason among the Kings players:

did ye marke how extemprically he fell to the matter, ^note and spake Lugginses ^note parte, almoste as it is in the very booke set downe.

Witt.

Peace, doo ye knowe what ye say? my Lord a player? let vs not meddle with any such matters: yet I may be a little proude, that my Lord hath answerd me in my parte, but come, let vs goe and be readie to begin the play againe.

Lug.

^note15Q0008I, thats the best, for now we lack nothing.