SHO.  Now, afore God, the collier chooseth well;
For beauty Jug doth bear away the bell,
And I love her:  then, collier, thou must miss,
For Parson Shorthose vows, Jug shall be his. [Aside.]
But hear’st thou, Grim, I have that in my head,
To plot that how thou shalt the maiden wed.

GRIM.  But are you sure you have that in your head?  O, for a hammer to knock that out! one blow at your pate would lay all open to me, and make me as wise as you.

SHO.  Think’st thou I do so often look
For nothing on my learned book,
As that I cannot work the feat? 
I warrant I’ll the miller cheat,
And make Jug thine, in spite of him. 
Will this content thee, neighbour Grim?

GRIM.  Content me! ay, and so highly, that if you do this feat for me, you hire me to you as one hireth an ox or an ass:  to use, to ride, to spur, or anything; yours to demand, miserable Grim!  Joan’s handmaid! for so I have called myself ever since last May-day, when she gave me her hand to kiss.

SHO.  Well, let’s away; and in all haste
About it, ere the day be pass’d;
And ever after, if thou hast her,
Acknowledge me to be thy master.

GRIM.  I wool, sir:  come, let’s away, the best drink in Croydon’s yours;
I have it for you, even a dozen of jugs, to Jug’s health.

[Exeunt both.

Enter EARL MORGAN, EARL LACY, MARIAN.

MOR.  My Lord of Kent, the latter motion
Doth bind me to you in a higher degree
Than all those many favours gone before: 
And now the issue of my help relies
Only on Mariana’s gentleness,
Who, if she will, in such a common good,
Put to her helping-hand, the match is made.

LACY.  You need not make a doubt of Marian,
Whose love unto her lady were enough,
Besides her cousin’s and her own consent,
To move her to a greater thing than this.

MAR.  My lords, if aught there be in Marian,
That may or pleasure you or profit her,
Ye shall not need to doubt of my consent.

MOR.  Gramercy, Marian; and indeed the thing
Is in itself a matter of no moment,
If it be weigh’d aright, and therefore this: 
Thou know’st the bargain ’twixt me and the doctor,
Concerning marriage with my only daughter,
Whom I determined that my Lord of Kent
Should have espoused:  but I see her mind
Is only set upon thy cousin Musgrave,
And in her marriage to use constraint
Were bootless; therefore thus we have devised. 
Lord Lacy is content to lose his part,
And to resign his title to young Musgrave;
But now the doctor will not yield his right. 
Thus we determine to beguile his hopes: 
Thou shalt this night be brought unto his bed
Instead of her, and he shall marry thee: 
Musgrave shall have my daughter, she her will;
And so shall all things sort[444] to our content.

LACY.  And this thou shalt be sure of, Marian,
The doctor’s wealth will keep thee royally: 
Besides, thou shalt be ever near thy friends,
That will not see thee wrong’d by any man. 
Say then, wilt thou resolve to marry him?