SCENE I.--_The Court at Hampton House.

_Enter_ KING HENRY THE THIRD, _the_ EMPEROR OF GERMANY, _the_ KING OF CASTILE, ELINOR, _and_ VANDERMAST.

_K. Hen._ Great men of Europe, monarchs of the West, Ring'd with the walls of old Oceanus, Whose lofty surge is like the battlements That compass'd high-built Babel in with towers,-- Welcome, my lords, welcome, brave western kings, To England's shore, whose promontory-cleeves Show Albion is another little world; Welcome says English Henry to you all; Chiefly unto the lovely Elinor, Who dar'd for Edward's sake cut through the seas, And venture as Agenor's damsel through the deep, To get the love of Henry's wanton son.

_K. of Cast._ England's rich monarch, brave Plantagenet, The Pyren Mounts swelling above the clouds, That ward the wealthy Castile in with walls, Could not detain the beauteous Elinor; But hearing of the fame of Edward's youth, She dar'd to brook Neptunus' haughty pride, And bide the brunt of froward Æolus: Then may fair England welcome her the more.

_Elin._ After that English Henry by his lords Had sent Prince Edward's lovely counterfeit, A present to the Castile Elinor, The comely portrait of so brave a man, The virtuous fame discoursèd of his deeds, Edward's courageous resolution, Done at the Holy Land 'fore Damas'[190] walls, Led both mine eye and thoughts in equal links, To like so of the English monarch's son, That I attempted perils for his sake.

_Emp._ Where is the prince, my lord?

_K. Hen._ He posted down, not long since, from the court, To Suffolk side, to merry Framlingham, To sport himself amongst my fallow deer: From thence, by packets sent to Hampton House, We hear the prince is ridden, with his lords, To Oxford, in the académy there To hear dispute amongst the learnèd men. But we will send forth letters for my son, To will him come from Oxford to the court.

_Emp._ Nay, rather, Henry, let us, as we be, Ride for to visit Oxford with our train. Fain would I see your universities, And what learn'd men your académy yields. From Hapsburg have I brought a learnèd clerk, To hold dispute with English orators: This doctor, surnam'd Jaques Vandermast, A German born, pass'd into Padua, To Florence and to fair Bologna, To Paris, Rheims, and stately Orleans, And, talking there with men of art, put down The chiefest of them all in aphorisms, In magic, and the mathematic rules: Now let us, Henry, try him in your schools.

_K. Hen._ He shall, my lord; this motion likes me well. We'll progress straight to Oxford with our trains, And see what men our académy brings.-- And, wonder Vandermast, welcome to me: In Oxford shalt thou find a jolly friar, Call'd Friar Bacon, England's only flower: Set him but non-plus in his magic spells, And make him yield in mathematic rules, And for thy glory I will bind thy brows, Not with a poet's garland made of bays, But with a coronet of choicest gold. Whilst then we set to Oxford with our troops, Let's in and banquet in our English court. [_Exeunt._