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 a 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,
And teach you manhood 'gainst another time.
First Shoe. Well preach'd, Sir Jack! down with your staff!
K. Edw. Do you hear, my friends? an you be wise, keep down
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.[318]
[The Shoemakers recognise George-a-Greene.
First Shoe. What, George a-Greene, is it you? A plague found[319] 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 hundred.—
Here, Will Perkins, take my purse; fetch me
A stand of ale, and set 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 you will.
Robin, 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.
Enter the Earl of Warwick with other Noblemen, bringing out the King's garments; then George-a-Greene and the rest kneel down to the King.
K. Edw. Come, masters, ale—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 beseech 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 merits 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;
I'll send for Grime and force him give his grant:
He will not deny King Edward such a suit.
Enter Jenkin.
Jen. Ho, who saw a master of mine? O, he is gotten into company, an a body should rake hell for company.
Geo. Peace, ye slave! see where King Edward is.
K. Edw. George, what is he?