A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Viii Part 30

FRIAR. Now, Sir John Eltham, what is't you would say?

LIT. JOHN. Methinks, I see no jests of Robin Hood, No merry morrices of Friar Tuck, No pleasant skippings up and down the wood, No hunting-songs, no coursing of the buck.

Pray G.o.d this play of ours may have good luck, And the king's majesty mislike it not.

FRIAR. And if he do, what can we do to that?

I promis'd him a play of Robin Hood, His honourable life in merry Sherwood.

His majesty himself survey'd the plot, And bad me boldly write it; it was good.

For merry jests they have been shown before, As how the friar fell into the well For love of Jenny, that fair bonny belle; How Greenleaf robb'd the Shrieve of Nottingham, And other mirthful matter full of game.[230]

Our play expresses n.o.ble Robert's wrong; His mild forgetting treacherous injury: The abbot's malice, rak'd in cinders long, Breaks out at last with Robin's tragedy.

If these, that hear the history rehears'd, Condemn my play, when it begins to spring, I'll let it wither, while it is a bud, And never show the flower to the king.

LIT. JOHN. One thing beside: you fall into your vein Of ribble-rabble rhymes Skeltonical, So oft, and stand so long, that you offend.

FRIAR. It is a fault I hardly can amend.

O, how I champ my tongue to talk these terms!

I do forget ofttimes my friar's part; But pull me by the sleeve when I exceed, And you shall see me mend that fault indeed.

Wherefore, still sit you, Doth Skelton entreat you While he _facete_ Will briefly repeat ye The history all And tale tragical, By whose treachery And base injury Robin the good, Call'd Robin Hood, Died in Sherwood.

Which till you see, Be ruled by me: Sit patiently, And give a plaudite, If anything please ye.

[_Exeunt_.

ACT V., SCENE 1.

_Enter_ WARMAN.

WAR. Banish'd from all, of all I am bereft!

No more than what I wear unto me left.

O wretched, wretched grief, desertful fall!

Striving to get all, I am reft of all.

Yet if I could awhile myself relieve, Till Ely be in some place settled, A double rest.i.tution should I get, And these sharp sorrows, that have joy suppress'd, Should turn to joy with double interest.

_Enter a_ GENTLEMAN, _Warman's Cousin_.

And in good time, here comes my cousin Warman, Whom I have often pleasur'd in my time.

His house at Bingham I bestow'd on him, And therefore doubt not, he will give me house-room.

Good even, cousin.

COU. O cousin Warman, what good news with you?

WAR. Whither so far a-foot walk you in Sherwood?

COU. I came from Rotherham; and by hither Farnsfield My horse did tire, and I walk'd home a-foot.

WAR. I do beseech you, cousin, at some friend's, Or at your own house, for a week or two Give me some succour.

COU. Ha! succour, say you? No, sir: I heard at Mansfield how the matter stands; How you have justly lost your goods and lands, And that the prince's indignation Will fall on any that relieves your state.

Away from me! your treacheries I hate.

You, when your n.o.ble master was undone, (That honourable-minded Huntington), Who forwarder than you all to distrain?

And, as a wolf that chaseth on the plain The harmless hind, so wolf-like you pursued Him and his servants. Vile ingrat.i.tude, d.a.m.n'd Judasism,[231] false wrong, abhorred treachery, Impious wickedness, wicked impiety!

Out, out upon thee! foh, I spit at thee!

WAR. Good cousin.

COU. Away! I'll spurn thee if thou follow me.

[_Exit_.

WAR. O just heaven, how thou plagu'st iniquity!

All that he has my hand on him bestowed.

My master gave me all I ever owed, My master I abus'd in his distress; In mine my kinsman leaves me comfortless.

_Enter_ JAILER _of Nottingham, leading a dog_.

Here comes another; one that yesterday Was at my service, came when I did call, And him I made jailer of Nottingham.

Perchance some pity dwells within the man; Jailer, well met; dost thou not know me, man?

JAI. Yes, thou art Warman; every knave knows thee.

WAR. Thou know'st I was thy master yesterday.

JAI. Ay, but 'tis not as it was: farewell; go by.

WAR. Good George, relieve my bitter misery.

JAI. By this flesh and blood, I will not.

No, if I do, the devil take me quick.

I have no money, beggar: balk the way!

WAR. I do not ask thee money.

JAI. Wouldst ha' meat?

WAR. Would G.o.d I had a little bread to eat.

JAI. Soft, let me feel my bag. O, here is meat, That I put up at Retford for my dog: I care not greatly if I give thee[232] this.

WAR. I prythee, do.

JAI.[233] Yet let me search my conscience for it first: My dog's my servant, faithful, trusty, true; But Warman was a traitor to his lord, A reprobate, a rascal and a Jew, Worser than dogs, of men to be abhorr'd!

Starve, therefore, Warman; dog, receive thy due.

Follow me not, lest I belabour you, You half-fac'd groat, you thick-cheek'd chittyface; You Judas-villain! you that have undone The honourable Robert Earl of Huntington. [_Exit_.

WAR. Worse than a dog the villain me respects, His dog he feeds, me in my need rejects.

What shall I do? yonder I see a shed, A little cottage, where a woman dwells, Whose husband I from death delivered: If she deny me, then I faint and die.

Ho! goodwife Thompson!