Cud. An it please your grace, my father was Five-score and three at Midsummer last past: Yet had King Jamy been as good as George-aGreene,

Yet Billy Musgrove would have fought with him. K. Edw. As George-a-Greene!

I pray thee, Cuddy, let me question thee. Much have I heard, since I came to my crown, Many in manner of a proverb say, "Were he as good as George-a-Greene, I would strike him sure."

I pray thee tell me, Cuddy, canst thou inform

me,

What is that George-a-Greene?

Cud. Know, my lord, I never saw the man, But mickle talk is of him in the country: They say he is the Pinner of Wakefield town: But for his other qualities, I let alone.

War. May it please your grace, I know the man too well.

K. Edw. Too well! why so, Warwick?
War. For once he swing'd me till my bones

did ache.

K. Edw. Why, dares he strike an earl?

War. An earl, my lord! nay, he will strike a king,

Be it not King Edward. For stature he is fram'd
Like to the picture of stout Herenles,
And for his carriage passeth Robin Hood.
The boldest earl or baron of your land,

That offereth scath unto the town of Wakefield,
George will arrest his pledge unto the pound;
And whoso resisteth bears away the blows,
For he himself is good enough for three.

K. Edw. Why, this is wondrous. My lord of
Warwick,

Sore do I long to see this George-a-Greene.
But leaving him, what shall we do, my lord,
For to subdue the rebels in the north?

Enter one with the EARL OF KENDAL prisoner.
Cud. Here is a traitor, the Earl of Kendal.
K. Edw. Aspiring traitor! how darest thou
Once cast thine eyes upon thy sovereign
That honour'd thee with kindness and with
favour?

But I will make thee by † this treason dear.
Ken. Good my lord,-

K. Edw. Reply not, traitor.-
Tell me, Cuddy, whose deed of honour
Won the victory against this rebel?

Cud. George-a-Greene, the Pinner of Wakefield.
K. Edw. George-a-Greene! now shall I hear
Certain, what this Pinner is.
[news
Discourse it briefly, Cuddy, how it befell.
Cud. Kendal and Bonfield, with Sir Gilbert

Armstrong,

Came to Wakefield town disguis'd,

And there spoke ill of your grace;
Which George but hearing, fell'd them at his feet,
And, had not rescue come into the place,
George had slain them § in his close of wheat.
K. Edw. But, Cuddy,

Canst thou not tell where I might give and grant
Some thing that might please

And highly gratify the Pinner's thoughts?

Cud. This at their parting George did say to

mell;

"If the king vouchsafe of this my service,
Then, gentle Cuddy, kneel upon thy knee,
And humbly crave a boon of him for me."
K. Edw. Cuddy, what is it?

Cud. It is his will your grace would pardon

them,

And let them live, although they have offended. K. Edw. I think the man striveth to be

glorious.

Well, George hath crav'd it, and it shall be granted,

Which none but he in England should have gotten.

Live, Kendal, but as prisoner,

So shalt thou end thy days within the Tower.

*They] Qy. "That"?

by] i. e. aby. (In p. 259, first col., we have had "but thou shalt dear aby this blow.")

into] For "unto": see note t, p. 111, sec. col.

§ them] The 4to. "him." This account is at varianc with what has occurred in p. 261, sec. col.

This at their parting George did say to me, &c.] Yet Cuddy a little before has told the king he never saw George-a-Greene!

Ken. Gracious is Edward to offending subjects. K. James. My Lord of Kendal, you are welcome to the court.

K. Edw. Nay, but ill-come as it falls out now; Ay,

Ill-come indeed, were't not for George-a-Greene.
But, gentle king, for so you would aver,
And Edward's betters, I salute you both,
And here I vow by good Saint George,

You'll gain but little when your sums are counted.

I sore do long to see this George-a-Greene :
And for because I never saw the north,

I will forthwith go see it;

And for that to none I will be known, we will
Disguise ourselves and steal down secretly,
Thou and I, King James, Cuddy, and two or
three,

And make a merry journey for a month.-
Away, then, conduct him to the Tower.-
Come on, King James, my heart must needs be

merry,

So will I wend with Robin all along,
And try this Pinner what he dares do. *
Much. As I am Much, the miller's son,
That left my mill to go with thee,
And nillt repent that I have done,
This pleasant life contenteth me;
In aught I may, to do thee good,
I'll live and die with Robin Hood.

Mar. And, Robin, Marian she will go with thee,

To see fair Bettris how bright she is of blee.+

Rob. Marian, thou shalt go with thy Robin.Bend up your bows, and see your strings be

tight,

The arrows keen, and every thing be ready,
And each of you a good bat on his neck,
Able to lay a good man on the ground.

Scar. I will have Friar Tuck's.

Much. I will have Little John's.

Rob. I will have one made of an ashen plank,§ Able to bear a bout or two.

Then come on, Marian, let us go;

Enter ROBIN HOOD, MAID MARIAN, SCARLET, and MUCH. Rob. Why is not lovely Marian blithe of cheer?

What ails my leman,* that she gins to lour?
Say, good Marian, why art thou so sad?

Mar. Nothing, my Robin, grieves me to the heart

But, whensoever I do walk abroad,

I hear no songs but all of George-a-Greene;
Bettris, his fair leman, passeth me:

And this, my Robin, galls my very soul.

Rob. Content thee +:

[stout,

What recks it us, though George-a-Greene be
So long as he doth proffer us no scath?
Envy doth seldom hurt but to itself;
And therefore, Marian, smile upon thy Robin.
Mar. Never will Marian smile upon her Robin,
Nor lie with him under the green-wood shade,
Till that thou go to Wakefield on a green,
And beat the Pinner for the love of me.

Rob. Content thee, Marian, I will ease thy grief,

My merry men and I will thither stray;
And here I vow that, for the love of thee,

I will beat George-a-Greene, or he shall beat me.
Scar. As I am Scarlet, next to Little John,
One of the boldest yeomen of the crew,

leman] i. c. mistress, love.

thes] Not in the 4to. But compare Robin's next speech.

A Shoemaker at work: enter JENKIN, carrying a staff. Jen. My masters,** he that hath neither meat nor money, and hath lost his credit with the alewife, for anything I know, may go supperless to bed. But, soft! who is here? here is a shoemaker; he knows where is the best ale.Shoemaker, I pray thee tell me, where is the best ale in the town?

Shoe. Afore, afore, follow thy nose; at the sign of the Egg-shell.

Jen. Come, shoemaker, if thou wilt, and take thy part of a pot.

Shoe. [coming forward.] Sirrah, down with your staff, down with your staff.

Jen. Why, how now! is the fellow mad? I

*And try this Pinner what he dares do] Here "dares" is a dissyllable: see Walker's Shakespeare's Versification, &c., p. 146.

tnill] i. e. will not.

how bright she is of blee] Bright of blee is an expression frequent in old ballads: blce is colour, complexion (Sax. bleo).

$ plank] The 4to. "plunke." Qy. "plant "?" The editor suggests 'plant'; but plank is surely right, out of which the bat is to be cut." Rev. J. Mitford,-Gent. Mag. for March 1833, p. 218.

the morning day] Qy. “his morning ray"? ¶A Shoemaker, &c.] The 4to. has "Enter a Shoomaker sitting vpon the stage at worke, lenkin to him." ** My masters, &c.] See note *, p. 204, sec. col.

pray thee tell me, why should I hold down my staff?

Shoe. You will down with him, will you not, sir? Jen. Why, tell me wherefore?

Shoe. My friend, this is the town of merry Wakefield, and here is a custom held, that none shall pass with his staff on his shoulders but he must have a bout with me; and so shall you, sir. Jen. And so will not I,* sir.

Shoe. That will I try. Barking dogs bite not the sorest.

Jen. [aside.] I would to God I were once well rid of him.

Shoe. Now, what, will you down with your staff?

Jen. Why, you are not in earnest, are you? Shoe. If I am not, take that. [Strikes him. Jen. You whoreson cowardly scab, it is but the part of a clapperdudgeon+ to strike a man in the street. But darest thou walk to the town's end with me?

Shoe. Ay, that I dare do: but stay till I lay in my tools, and I will go with thee to the town's end presently.

Jen. [aside.] I would I knew how to be rid of this fellow.

Shoe. Come, sir, will you go to the town's end sir?

now,

* will not I] i. e. will not I down with my staff. clapperdudgeon] i.e. beggar. (A clap-dish,-a wooden dish with a moveable lid, which they clapped to show that it was empty,-used to be carried by beggars.)

Now we are at the town's end, &c. Here, after Jenkin had said "Ay, sir, come," and had walked round the stage with the Shoemaker, the audience were to suppose that the scene was changed to "the town's end." See note, p. 202, first col.

the] The 4to. "a."

Jen. Faith, no: come, I will give thee two pots of the best ale, and be friends.

Shoe. [aside.] Faith, I see it is as hard to get water out of a flint as to get him to have a bout with me: therefore I will enter into him for some good cheer.-My friend, I see thou art a faint-hearted fellow, thou hast no stomach to fight, therefore let us go to the ale-house and

drink.

Jen. Well, content: go thy ways, and say thy prayers, thou scapest my hands to-day. [Exeunt.

Enter GEORGE-A-GREENE and BETTRIS.

Geo. Tell me, sweet love, how is thy mind content?

What, canst thou brook to live with George-aGreene?

Bet. O, George, how little pleasing are these

words!

Came I from Bradford for the love of thee,
And left my father for so sweet a friend?
Here will I live until my life do end.

Geo. Happy am I to have so sweet a love.-
But what are these come tracing here along?
Bet. Three men come striking through the

corn, my love.

Enter ROBIN HOOD, SCARLET, MUCH, and MAID MARIAN. Geo. Back again, you foolish travellers,

For you are wrong, and may not wend this way. Rob. That were great shame. Now, by my

soul, proud sir,

We be three tall* yeomen, and thou art but one. Come, we will forward in despite of him.

Geo. Leap the ditch, or I will make you skip.
What, cannot the highway serve your turn,
But you must make a path over the corn?
Rob. Why, art thou mad? dar'st thou encoun-
ter three?

We are no babes, man, look upon our limbs.
Geo. Sirrah,

The biggest limbs have not the stoutest hearts.
Were ye as good as Robin Hood and his three

But empty vessels have the loudest sounds,
And cowards prattle more than men of worth.
Geo. Sirrah, darest thou try me?
Scar. Ay, sirrah, that I dare.

[They fight, and GEORGE-A-GREENE beats him. Much. How now! what, art thou down?— Come, sir, I am next.

[They fight, and GEORGE-A-GREENE beats him. Rob. Come, sirrah, now to me: spare me not, For I'll not spare thee.

Geo. Make no doubt I will be as liberal to thee. [They fight; ROBIN HOOD stays.

Rob. Stay, George, for here I do protest, Thou art the stoutest champion that ever I Laid hands upon.

Geo. Soft, you sir! by your leave, you lie; You never yet laid hands on me.

Rob. George, wilt thou* forsake Wakefield, And go with me?

Two liveries will I give thee every year,

And forty crowns shall be thy fee.

Geo. Why, who art thou?
Rob. Why, Robin Hood:

I am come hither with my Marian

And these my yeomen for to visit thee.

Geo. Robin Hood!

Next to King Edward art thou lieft to me.
Welcome, sweet Robin; welcome, Maid Marian;
And welcome, you my friends. Will you to my
poor house?

You shall have wafer-cakes your fill,
A piece of beef hung up since Martlemas,
Mutton and veal: if this like you not,

Take that you find, or that you bring, for me.
Rob. Godamercies, good George,

I'll be thy guest to-day.

Geo. Robin, therein thou honourest me. I'll lead the way.

[Exeunt.

Several Shoemakers at work: enter KING EDWARD and
JAMES KING OF SCOTS disguised, each carrying a staff.
K. Edw. Come on, King James; now we are
thus disguis'd,

There is none, I know, will take us to be kings:
I think we are now in Bradford,
Where all the merry shoemakers dwell.

First Shoe. [coming forward.] Down with your staves, my friends,

Down with them.

*George, wilt thou, &c.] See the Ballad at the end of this play.

t lief i. e. dear.

Martlemas] See note t, p. 260, first col.

K. Edw. Down with our staves! I pray thee,

why so?

First Shoe. My friend, I see thou art a stranger here,

Else wouldst thou not have question'd of the
This is the town of merry Bradford, [thing.

And here hath been a custom kept of old,
That none may bear his staff upon his neck,
But trail it all along throughout the town,
Unless they mean to have a bout with me.
K. Edw. But hear you, sir, hath the king
granted you

This custom?

First Shoe. King or kaisar, none shall pass this

way,

Except King Edward;

No, not the stoutest groom that haunts his court: Therefore down with your staves.

K. Edw. What were we best to do?

K. James. Faith, my lord, they are stout fellows;

And, because we will see some sport,
We will trail our staves.

K. Edw. Hear'st thou, my friend!
Because we are men of peace and travellers,
We are content to trail our staves.

First Shoe. The way lies before you, go along.

Enter ROBIN HOOD and GEORGE-A-GREENE, disguised. Rob. See, George, two men are passing through

the town,

Two lusty men, and yet they trail their staves. Geo. Robin,

They are some peasants trick'd in yeoman's weeds.

Hollo, you two travellers!

K. Edw. Call you us, sir?

Geo. Ay, you. Are ye not big enough to bear Your bats upon your necks, but you must trail them Along the streets?,

K. Edw. Yes, sir, we are big enough;
But here is custom kept,

That none may pass, his staff upon his neck,
Unless he trail it at the weapon's point.
Sir, we are men of peace, and love to sleep
In our whole skins, and therefore quietness is best.
Geo. Base-minded peasants, worthless to be

men!

What, have you bones and limbs to strike a blow, And be your hearts so faint you cannot fight? Were't not for shame, I would drub* your shoulders well,

*drub] The 4to. "shrub."

K. Edw. Do you hear, my friends? an you be
Your staves, for all the town will rise upon you.
Geo. Thou speakest like an honest quiet fellow:
But hear you me; in spite of all the swains
Of Bradford town, bear me your staves upon
your necks,

Or, to begin withal, I'll baste you both so well,
You were never better basted in your lives.
K. Edw. We will hold up our staves.
GEORGE-A-GREENE fights with the Shoemakers, and beats
them all down.

Geo. What, have you any more?
Call all your town forth, cut and longtail.*

The Shoemakers discover GEORGE-A-GREENE.
First Shoe. What, George-a-Greene, is it you?
A plague found† you!

I think you long'd to swinge me well.
Come, George, we will crush a pot before we part.
Geo. A pot, you slave! we will have an hun-
dred.-

Here, Will Perkins, take my purse, fetch me
A stand of ale, and set [it] in the market-place,
That all may drink that are athirst this day;
For this is for a fee to welcome Robin Hood
To Bradford town.

The stand of ale is brought out, and they fall a drinking. Here, Robin, sit thou here;

For thou art the best man at the board this day.
You that are strangers, place yourselves where
Robin,
[you will.
Here's a carouse to good King Edward's self;
And they that love him not, I would we had
The basting of them a little.

cut and longtail] This expression, it would seem, was originally applied to dogs: "Yea, even their verie dogs, Rug, Rig, and Risbie, yea, cut and long-taile, they shall be welcome." Ulpian Fulwell's Art of Flattery, 1576, sig. G 3. (In his note on "call me cut," Twelfth-Night, act ii. sc. 3, Shakespeare, ii. 671, ed. 1858, Mr. Collier writes; "Cut' (as Steevens suggests) was probably abbreviated from curtal, a horse whose tail has been docked; and hence the frequent opposition, in old comic writers, of cut and long-tail. The Rev. Mr. Dyce in a note on 'Wit at several Weapons' (B. and F. iv. 39) says that cut and longtail means 'dogs of all kinds.' What marks of admiration would he not have placed after it, if any other editor had committed such a mistake!" But Mr. Collier's memory must be sadly impaired; for his note on "come cut and long-tail", Merry Wives of Windsor, act iii. sc. 4, Shakespeare, i. 222, ed. 1858, runs thus; "A phrase expressive of dogs of every kind; which Slender applies to persons precisely in the same way as by [sic] Pompey in Beaumont and Fletcher's Wit at several Weapons' (edit. Dyce, iv. p. 39)," &c.) t found] i, e. confound.

Enter the EARL OF WARWICK with other Noblemen, bring

ing out the King's garments; then GEORGE-A-GREENE and the rest kneel down to the King.

K. Edw. Come, masters, all fellows.--Nay,
Robin,

You are the best man at the board to-day.-
Rise up, George.

Geo. Nay, good my liege, ill-nurtur'd we were,

then :

Though we Yorkshire men be blunt of speech, And little skill'd in court or such quaint fashions, Yet nature teacheth us duty to our king; Therefore I

Humbly bescech you pardon George-a-Greene. Rob. And, good my lord, a pardon for poor Robin;

And for us all a pardon, good King Edward. First Shoe. I pray you, a pardon for the shoemakers.

K. Edw. I frankly grant a pardon to you all:
[They rise.

And, George-a-Greene,* give me thy hand;
There's none in England that shall do thee wrong.
Even from my court I came to see thyself;
And now I see that fame speaks naught but truth.
Geo. I humbly thank your royal majesty.
That which I did against the Earl of Kendal,
'Twas but a subject's duty to his sovereign,
And therefore little merit[s] such good words.
K. Edw. But ere I go, I'll grace thee with good
deeds.

Say what King Edward may perform,

And thou shalt have it, being in England's bounds. Geo. I have a lovely leman,+

As bright of blee‡ as is the silver moon,

And old Grime her father will not let her match
With me, because I am a Pinner,
Although I love her, and she me, dearly.
K. Edw. Where is she?

Geo. At home at my poor house,
And vows never to marry unless her father
Give consent; which is my great grief, my lord.
K. Edw. If this be all, I will despatch it
straight;

* And, George-a-Greene, &c.] Mr. Collier (Hist. of Engl. Dram. Poet. iii. 167) cites this passage with the following regulation;

"And George-a-Greene, give me thy hand: there is None in England that shall do thee wrong,"observing that "the word 'England' is to be pronounced as a trisyllable." But though our early poets occasionally use "England" as a trisyllable, they certainly never intended it to be accented "Engéland."

tleman] i. e. mistress, love.

bright of blee] See note 1, p. 264, sec. col.