IV. iii. 40. Hock Monday followed the second Sunday after Easter. See Brand’s Popular Antiquities.
IV. iii. 68. Our poet blackens Mosbie for the same reason that he whitewashes Arden, e.g.: ‘Master Arden both then and at other times had been greatly provoked by Mosbie to fight with him, but he would not.’ ‘Mosby at the first would not agree to that cowardly murdering of him.’—Holinshed.
SCENE IV
The open country.
Here enters Dick Reede and a Sailor.
Sailor. Faith, Dick Reede, it is to little end:
His conscience is too liberal, and he too niggardly
To part from any thing may do thee good.
Reede. He is coming from Shorlow as I understand;
Here I’ll intercept him, for at his house
He never will vouchsafe to speak with me.
If prayers and fair entreaties will not serve,
Or make no battery in his flinty breast,
Here enters Franklin, Arden, and Michael.
I’ll curse the carle, and see what that will do.
See where he comes to further my intent!— 10
Master Arden, I am now bound to the sea;
My coming to you was about the plat
Of ground which wrongfully you detain from me.
Although the rent of it be very small,
Yet it will help my wife and children,
Which here I leave in Feversham, God knows,
Needy and bare: for Christ’s sake, let them have it!
Arden. Franklin, hearest thou this fellow speak?
That which he craves I dearly bought of him,
Although the rent of it was ever mine.— 20
Sirrah, you that ask these questions,
If with thy clamorous impeaching tongue
Thou rail on me, as I have heard thou dost,
I’ll lay thee up so close a twelve-month’s day,
As thou shalt neither see the sun nor moon.
Look to it, for, as surely as I live,
I’ll banish pity if thou use me thus.