_Van._ Each scholar in the necromantic spells Can do as much as Bungay hath perform'd. But as Alcmena's bastard raz'd this tree, So will I raise him up as when he liv'd, And cause him pull the dragon from his seat, And tear the branches piecemeal from the root.-- Hercules! _Prodi, prodi,_ Hercules! HERCULES _appears in his lion's skin._ _Her. Quis me vult?_ _Van._ Jove's bastard son, thou Libyan Hercules, Pull off the sprigs from off the Hesperian tree, As once thou didst to win the golden fruit. _Her. Fiat._ [_Begins to break the branches._ _Van._ Now, Bungay, if thou canst by magic charm The fiend, appearing like great Hercules, From pulling down the branches of the tree, Then art thou worthy to be counted learnèd. _Bun._ I cannot. _Van._ Cease, Hercules, until I give thee charge.-- Mighty commander of this English isle, Henry, come from the stout Plantagenets, Bungay is learn'd enough to be a friar; But to compare with Jaques Vandermast, Oxford and Cambridge must go seek their cells To find a man to match him in his art. I have given non-plus to the Paduans, To them of Sien, Florence, and Bologna, Rheims, Louvain, and fair Rotterdam, Frankfort, Lutrech,[214] and Orleans: And now must Henry, if he do me right, Crown me with laurel, as they all have done. _Enter_ BACON. _Bacon._ All hail to this royal company, That sit to hear and see this strange dispute!-- Bungay, how stand'st thou as a man amaz'd? What, hath the German acted more than thou? _Van._ What art thou that question'st thus? _Bacon._ Men call me Bacon. _Van._ Lordly thou look'st, as if that thou wert learn'd; Thy countenance, as if science held her seat Between the circled arches of thy brows. _K. Hen._ Now, monarchs, hath the German found his match. _Emp._ Bestir thee, Jaques, take not now the foil, Lest thou dost lose what foretime thou didst gain. _Van._ Bacon, wilt thou dispute? _Bacon._ No, unless he were more learn'd than Vandermast; For yet, tell me, what hast thou done? _Van._ Rais'd Hercules to ruinate that tree, That Bungay mounted by his magic spells. _Bacon._ Set Hercules to work. _Van._ Now, Hercules, I charge thee to thy task; Pull off the golden branches from the root. _Her._ I dare not; see'st thou not great Bacon here, Whose frown doth act more than thy magic can? _Van._ By all the thrones, and dominations, Virtues, powers, and mighty hierarchies, I charge thee to obey to Vandermast. _Her._ Bacon, that bridles headstrong Belcephon, And rules Asmenoth, guider of the north, Binds me from yielding unto Vandermast. _K. Hen._ How now, Vandermast! have you met with your match?