A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Viii Part 34

_Enter_ MUCH, _running_.

MUCH. Master, fly! hide ye, mistress! we all shall be taken.

ROB. H. Why, what's the matter?

MUCH. The king! the king! and twelve and twenty score of horses.

ROB. H. Peace, fool! we have no cause from him to fly.

_Enter_ SCARLET, LITTLE JOHN.

LIT. JOHN. Scarlet and I were hunting on the plain; To us came royal Richard from his train, For a great train of his is hard at hand, And questioned us if we serv'd Robin Hood?

I said we did; and then his majesty, Putting this ma.s.sy chain about my neck, Said what I shame to say, but joy'd to hear.

Let Scarlet tell it, it befits not me.

SCAR. Quoth our good king, Thy name is Little John, And thou hast long time serv'd Earl Huntington: Because thou left'st him not in misery, A hundred marks I give thee yearly fee, And from henceforth thou shalt a squire be.

MUCH. O lord, what luck had I to run away!

I should have been made a knight or a lady, sure.

SCAR. Go, said the king, and to your master say, Richard is come to call him to the court, And with his kingly presence chase the clouds Of grief and sorrow, that in misty shades Have veil'd the honour of Earl Huntington.

ROB. H. Now G.o.d preserve him! hie you back again, And guide him, lest in bypaths he mistake.

Much, fetch a richer garment for my father; Good Friar Tuck, I prythee rouse thy wits: Warman, visit mine uncle and Sir Doncaster, See if they can come forth to grace our show.

G.o.d's pity, Marian, let your Jenny wait.

Thanks, my lord chancellor, you are well prepar'd; And, good Prince John, since you are all in green, Disdain not to attend on Robin Hood: Frolic, I pray; I trust to do ye good.

_Enter_ PRIOR _and_ SIR DONCASTER.[244]

Welcome, good uncle, welcome, Sir Doncaster.

Say, will ye sit; I fear ye cannot stand.

PRIOR. Yes, very well.

ROB. H. Why, cheerly, cheerly then.

The trumpet sounds, the king is now at hand: Lords, yeomen, maids, in decent order stand.

_The trumpets sound the while_ ROBIN HOOD _places them.

Enter first, bareheaded_, LITTLE JOHN _and_ SCARLET; _likewise_ CHESTER _and_ LEICESTER, _bearing the sword and sceptre; the_ KING _follows, crowned, clad in green; after him_ QUEEN MOTHER; _after her_ SALISBURY _and_ RICHMOND. SCARLET _and_ SCATHLOCK _turn to_ ROBIN HOOD, _who with all his company kneel down and cry_--

ALL. G.o.d save King Richard! Lord preserve your grace!

KING. Thanks all; but chiefly, Huntington, to thee.

Arise, poor earl; stand up, my late-lost son.

And on thy shoulders let me rest my arms, That have been toiled long with heathen wars.

True pillar of my state, right lord indeed, Whose honour s.h.i.+neth in the den of need, I am even full of joy and full of woe, To see thee, glad; but sad to see thee so.

ROB. H. O, that I could pour out my soul in prayers, And praises for this kingly courtesy!

Do not, dread lord, grieve at my low estate: Never so rich, never so fortunate, Was Huntington as now himself he finds; And to approve it, may it please your grace, But to accept such presents at the hand Of your poor servant as he hath prepar'd.

You shall perceive the Emperor of the East, Whom you contended with at Babylon, Had not such presents to present you with.

KING. Art thou so rich? swift,[245] let me see thy gifts.

ROB. H. First, take again this jewel you had lost, Aged Fitzwater, banished by John.

KING. A gem indeed! no prince hath such a one.

Good, good old man, as welcome unto me As cool fresh air in heat's extremity.

FITZ. And I as glad to kiss my sovereign's hand, As the wreck'd swimmer, when he feels the land.

QUEEN. Welcome, Fitzwater, I am glad to see you.

FITZ. I thank your grace: but let me hug these twain, Leicester and Richmond, Christ's sworn champions, That follow'd Richard in his holy war.

RICH. n.o.ble Fitzwater, thanks, and welcome both.

LEI. O G.o.d, how glad I am to see this lord!

I cannot speak, but welcome at a word.

ROB. H. Next, take good Ely in your royal hands, Who fled from death and most uncivil bonds.

KING. Robin, thy gifts exceed. Morton, my chancellor!

In this man giv'st thou holiness and honour.

ELY. Indeed he gives me, and he gave me life, Preserving me from fierce pursuing foes.

When I, to blame, had wrought him many woes.

With me he likewise did preserve this seal, Which I surrender to your majesty.

KING. Keep it, good Ely, keep it still for me.

ROB. H. The next fair jewel that I will present Is richer than both these; yet in the foil, My gracious lord, it hath a foul default Which if you pardon, boldly I protest, It will in value far exceed the rest.

JOHN. That's me he means; i'faith, my turn is next.

He calls me foil: i'faith, I fear a foil.

Well, 'tis a mad lord, this same Huntington. [_Aside_.

ROB. H. Here is Prince John, your brother, whose revolt And folly in your absence, let me crave, With his submission may be buried; For he is now no more the man he was, But dutiful in all respects to you.

KING. Pray G.o.d it prove so. Well, good Huntington, For thy sake pardon'd is our brother John, And welcome to us in all hearty love.

ROB. H. This last I give, as tenants do their lands, With a surrender to receive again The same into their own possession; No Marian, but Fitzwater's chaste Matilda: The precious jewel, that poor Huntington Doth in this world hold as his best esteem.

Although with one hand I surrender her, I hold the other, as one looking still Richard return her: so I hope he will.

KING. Else G.o.d forbid. Receive thy Marian back, And never may your love be separate, But flourish fairly to the utmost date.

ROB. H. Now please my king to enter Robin's bower, And take such homely welcome as he finds, It shall be reckon'd as my happiness.

KING. With all my heart. Then, as combined friends, Go we together: here all quarrel ends.