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.
BRIAN. Z'ownds, you suspected them, and now they are here indeed.
MILLISCENT. Alas, what shall we do?
BRIAN. If you go to the lodge, you are surely taken; Strike down the wood to Enfield presently, And if Mounchensey come, I'll send him t'yee. Let me alone to bussle with your father; I warrant you that I will keep them play Till you have quit the chase; away, away!
[Exeunt all but Brian.]
Who's there?
[Enter the Knights.]
SIR RAPH. In the king's name, pursue the Ravisher!
BRIAN. Stand, or I'll shoot.
SIR ARTHUR. Who's there?
BRIAN. I am the keeper that do charge you stand; You have stolen my Deer.
SIR ARTHUR. We stolen thy Deer? we do pursue a thief.
BRIAN. You are arrant thieves, and ye have stolen my Deer.
SIR RAPH. We are Knights; Sir Arthur Clare, and Sir Raph Jerningham.
BRIAN. The more your shame, that Knights should be such thieves.
SIR ARTHUR. Who, and what art thou?
BRIAN. My name is Brian, keeper of this walk.
SIR ARTHUR. O Brian, a villain! Thou hast received my daughter to thy lodge.
BRIAN. You have stolen the best Deer in my walk to night. My Deer!
SIR ARTHUR. My daughter! Stop not my way!
BRIAN. What make you in my walk? you have stolen the best Buck in my walk to night.
SIR ARTHUR. My daughter!
BRIAN. My Deer!
SIR RAPH. Where is Mountchensey?
BRIAN. Where's my Buck?
SIR ARTHUR. I will complain me of thee to the King.
BRIAN. I'll complain unto the King you spoil his game: Tis strange that men of your account and calling Will offer it! I tell you true, Sir Arthur and Sir Raph, That none but you have only spoild my game.
SIR ARTHUR. I charge you, stop us not!
BRIAN. I charge you both ye get out of my ground! Is this a time for such as you, Men of your place and of your gravity, To be abroad a thieving? tis a shame; And, afore God, if I had shot at you, I had served you well enough.
[Exeunt.]
SCENE II. Enfield Churchyard.
[Enter Banks the Miller, wet on his legs.]
BANKS. S'foot, here's a dark night indeed! I think I have been in fifteen ditches between this and the forest. Soft, here's Enfield Church: I am so wet with climing over into an orchard for to steal some filberts.