suppose that it was the moral play of "Albion, Knight: " those who read what follows will see abundant ground for believing that, if it were exhibited at court, or indeed any where else, in the very outset of the reign of Elizabeth, it could not be acceptable.

It seems not improbable, from the fact that only this fragment has reached us, that after it was printed the piece was suppressed.

According to the registers of the Stationers' Company, 1565 to 1566, Thomas Colwell entered for publication "A mery Playe, bothe pythy and pleasaunt, of Albyon Knight;” and there can be little doubt that what follows is a fragment of the "merry play" which Colwell had printed, and which, very possibly, never was published on account of the offence it had given. It does not touch any points of religious faith, like some of the extant ancient dramas of that period, but it is purely politically didactic. I give it in the words, orthography, and even punctuation, of the original.

Nay I will taste of other assayes

And spare our dame for holy daies

So that for very neede shee must use her feate
With other of her house, and such as she can geate,

Yet is she not much to blame

Though she increase her husbandes name

Such chyldren to brynge as now yee see mee

Tall men as I am unworthie though I bee.

Thou spekest lyke a Lorell full larg & full lewdly Iustice.

And not lyke a childe gotten of true matrymony

And yet though thy person enduce no lykelyhode

That in thee shuld be any manhode

Yet besyde that thou seemest of manhode frayle

Because so abused is thy lyght apparaile.

Apparell, good syr, what faulte is that

Iniuri.

Though grey be her cote why blame ye ye wild cat.

Why shuld ye hym deme of nature frayle

Though as wyse as ye wolde were a Foxtayle

Or a cote after the comen usage

Or have by nature a mad vysage

These be no wytnesse for Iustyce to dyserne
Nor certayne knowledge of nature to lerne
And christ taught you syr how ye shuld judge men
Sayenge Nolite judicare secundum faciem.

And yet in nature better knowledge shuld bee
Then is in apparell ye know perdie.

O yet in apparell is great abusion

If it be framed without dyscretion

For in apparell there may a great token bee

Of fraylenes, of pryde, and instabilytie,
If comen assyse therin use no measure
For then is apparell a wanton foolysh pleasure
And foly, best mede is of presumpcyon
When nature of reason used resumpcyon

And therfore Chryst taught a great wyse prose
Sayenge Ex fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos.

Iustice.

Yet with ye same text I pray you wipe your Iniuri.

nose

Hee said not Ex vestibus eorum cognoscetis eos.

Yet freindes I pray you once agayne

To seace your travice that breedes disdayne

And hartely both I do you pray

That both your frendshyps haue I may.

Syr as for myne ye shall not mysse

But thys gentleman I thinke wyll go pysse.
Nay syr Albyon I will not draw backe

If that of mee ye have lacke

So that I were in perfyte suertie

That this man here shuld manhode bee.

Albion.

Iniury.

Iustice.

Of long tyme by any enterpryse.

Now Chrystes benedycyte

How Albion and Justyce hath forgot mee

Because of mee they had no exercyse

Iniury.

Wherfore sethen ye can not know me by experience

I wote not how ye shuld knowe me but by my

credence

Therfore by my trouth & by my honestie.

Beleve mee, for manhode trulie I am hee.
Then by your othe I am content
To haue your frendshyp with good assent
And Justice I pray you to do the same.

Albion.

Iustice.

Syr if manhod be hys name

As he hath sworne I wolde be glad
That hys frendshyp also I had.

Then Iustyce I pray you bothe

Albion.

Let mee knyt you both upon hys othe.

Now freindes I trust we be all three

And the he taketh both their hands togither saieing

And with this knot I pray you contented to bee.

Syr ye ought to be contented best of all

Where justice is treited with due equitie

And where no favour nor mede shuld bee

And when reason hath tried there everie deale

That such an acte were good for the comen weale

If therin any losse may bee

To the disaduauntage of Principaltie

Such an acte loseth all hys sute

With a lytle indoysing of reason astute
And if it touche the Lordes sprytuall

Or be disadvantage to the Lordes temporall
Fare well, go bett, this bill may sleepe
As well as through the parlyament creepe
And if that Marchauntes be moouid with all

Or anie multitude of the comen hall

This is not for us say they than

Iniuri.

This bill is naught but for to wype a pan
And this is all your new equitie

And for all your message yet thus will it bee.

Alas if this may not reformed bee

I shall never be sure of prosperitie.

Albion.

Why halfe a man and halfe a wyld goose.

Albion.

For with hie reason they saie ye can dispute Iniuri.

And trie out perils with laborous sute

And eke the treasure for the comen vaile

a

As farr as wit or reason car assaile

But when all is done and your statute made

They foorth ye go in a wise trade

To brynge it all to good conclusion

And put it never in execucyon

Then speke they further in steede of a mocke
They have made a statute lyke a woodkocke

That hath but one eye and the other blynde
And it wyll turne with euery wynde.

And for because ye study but for the begynnynge
And never provide for a sure endyng

Begynnyng lyke a man ye take great assay

At last lyke a wyld goose even but to flye awaye.

I shall mee endeuer with the comynaltie

Theyr hole allegyaunce to keepe in vnytie.

Then God be your spede for I will forth my way Iustice.

And I will after god guyde us that best may. Albion. And I wyll tarye no longer whyle

Iniuri.

But as I see you over the style.

Then departeth Albion & Justice both.

Now here begynneth a game ywys

Iniuri.

For manhode they wene my name is

But trust me syrs if I shuld not lye

My name is called Injury

Whych name to hyde I thought it polysie
And turne it to manhode, and wote ye why?
It is a parte of our new experyence

When I agaynst ryght make styffe defence

That Justyce in hys seate may not be enstabled
Then am I Injury manhode called

O than of mee craketh every man

How lyke a lorde this fellow stere can
The lawe to defend without a fall

For all theyr pledyng in Westminster hall,
Or say what they will and bable there
Yet mayntenance and I wyll kepe the chere
If it come once to the countree

Then as I wyll, so shall it bee.

A very cause, syrs, why I hyde my name
Was, they shuld not suspect my fame
Because I wolde spye all theyr intent
To chaunge theyr purpose after my judgement
And so wyll I do for this is theyr pretence

By meane of Justice to brynge in experyence
That shuld continew the people amonge

peace

And so, by that meane, to banysh mee wronge.
But trust me, syrs, I will none of that

But rather by theyr faces I will them scrat