Five Anonymous Plays Fourth Series

St. Dunstan's Church, by Thomas Marsh. [157o] THE MARRIAGE OF WIT AND SCIENCE ACT I. Nature, Wit, And Will. Grand lady, mother of every mortal thing : Nurse of the world, conservative of kind : Cause of increase, of life and soul the spring, At whose instinct the noble heaven doth wind, To whose award all creatures are assigned : I come in place to treat with this my son, For his avail how he the path may find Whereby his race in honour he may run. Come, tender child, unripe and green for age, In whom the parent sets her chief delight, Wit is thy name, but far from wisdom sage Till tract of time shall work and frame aright This peerless brain, not yet in perfect plight. But when it shall be wrought, methinks I see, As in a glass beforehand with my sight, A certain perfect piece of work in thee. And now so far as I [can] guess by signs, Some great attempt is fixed in thy breast: Speak on, my son, whereto thy heart inclines, And let me deal to set thy heart at rest. He salves the sore that knows the patient best: A. P. IV. B As I do thee, my son, my chiefest care, In whom my special praise and joy doth rest; To me therefore these thoughts of thine declare. Wit. Nature, my sovereign queen and parent passing dear, Whose force I am enforced to know and knowledge everywhere, This care of mine, though it be bred within my breast, [unrest. Yet it is not so ripe as yet to breed me great S...