“Now must your honour leave these mourning tunes,

And thus by my areede you shall provide; {liii}

Your plate and jewels ‘i wil’ straight packe up,

And toward Notingham convey them hence.

At Rowford, Sowtham, Wortley, Hothersfield,

Of all your cattell mony shall be made,

And I at Mansfield will attend your comming;

Where weele determine which waie’s best to take.

Rob. Well, be it so; a God’s name, let it be;

And if I can, Marian shall come with mee.

John. Else care will kill her; therefore if you please,

At th’ utmost corner of the garden wall,

Soone in the evening waite for Marian,

And as I goe ile tell her of the place.

Your horses at the Bell shall readie bee,

I meane Belsavage,[41] whence, as citizens

That ‘meane’ to ride for pleasure some small way,

You shall set foorth.”

The company now enters, and Robin charges them with the conspiracy, and rates their treacherous proceedings. Little John in attempting to remove the goods is set upon by Warman and the sheriff; and during the fray “Enter Prince John, Ely and the prior, and others.” Little John tells the prince he but defends the box containing his own gettings; upon which his royal highness observes,

“You do the fellow wrong; his goods are his:

You only must extend upon the earles.

Prior. That was, my lord, but nowe is Robert Hood,

A simple yeoman as his servants were.”

Ely gives the prior his commission, with directions to make speed, lest “in his country-house all his heards be solde;” and gives Warman a patent “for the high sheriffewick of Nottingham.” After this, “Enter Robin like a citizen; and then the queen and Marian disguised for each other. Robin takes Marian, and leaves the queen to Prince John, who is {liv} so much enraged at the deception that he breaks the head of Ely’s messenger. Sir Hugh, brother to Lord Lacy, and steward to Ely, who had been deeply concerned in Hun­ting­ton’s ruin, is killed in a brawl by Prince John, whom Ely orders to be arrested; but the prince, producing letters from the king revoking Ely’s appointment, “lifts up his drawne sworde,” and “Exit, cum Lester and Lacy,” in triumph. Then “Enter Robin Hoode, Matilda at one doore, little John and Much the Miller’s sonne at another doore.” After mutual congratulations, Robin asks if it be

“possible that Warman’s spite

Should stretch so farre, that he doth hunt the lives

Of bonnie Scarlet, and his brother Scathlock?

Much. O, I, sir. Warman came but yesterday to take charge of the jaile at Notingham, and this daie, he saies, he will hang the two outlawes. . . .

Rob. Now, by my honour’s hope, . . .

He is too blame: say, John, where must they die?

John. Yonder’s their mother’s house, and here the tree,

Whereon, poore men, they must forgoe their lives;

And yonder comes a lazy lozell frier,

That is appointed for their confessor,

Who, when we brought your monie to their mother’s,

Was wishing her to patience for their deaths.”

Here “Enter Frier Tucke;” some conversation passes, and the frier Skeltonizes; after which he departs, saying,

“let us goe our way,

Unto this hanging businesse; would for mee

Some rescue or repreeve might set them free.

Rob. Heardst thou not, little John, the frier’s speach?

John. He seemes like a good fellow, my good lord.

Rob. He’s a good fellowe, John, upon my word.

Lend me thy horne, and get thee in to Much,

And when I blowe this horne, come both and helpe mee.

John. Take heed, my lord: the villane Warman knows you,

And ten to one he hath a writ against you.

Rob. Fear not: below the bridge a poor blind man doth dwell,

With him I will change my habit, and disguise,

Only be readie when I call for yee,

For I will save their lives, if it may bee. . . .

{lv}

Enter Warman, Scarlet and Scathlock bounde, Frier Tuck as their confessor, officers with halberts.

War. Master frier, be briefe, delay no time.

Scarlet and Scatlock, never hope for life;

Here is the place of execution,

And you must answer lawe for what is done.

Scar. Well, if there be no remedie, we must:

Though it ill seemeth, Warman, thou shouldst bee,

So bloodie to pursue our lives thus cruellie.

Scat. Our mother sav’d thee from the gallows, Warman,

His father did preferre thee to thy lord:

One mother had wee both, and both our fathers

To thee and to thy father were kinde friends. . . .

War. Ye were first outlawes, then ye proved theeves. . . .

Both of your fathers were good honest men;

Your mother lives their widowe in good fame:[42]

But you are scapethrifts, unthrifts, villanes, knaves,

And as ye liv’d by shifts, shall die with shame.”

To them enters Ralph, the sheriff’s man, to acquaint him that the carnifex, or executor of the law, had fallen off his “curtall” and was “cripplefied” and rendered incapable of performing his office; so that the sheriff was to become his deputy. The sheriff insists that Ralph shall serve the turn, which he refuses. In the midst of the altercation, “Enter Robin Hoode, like an old man,” who tells the sheriff that the two outlaws had murdered his young son, and undone himself; so that for revenge-sake he desires they may be delivered to him. They denying the charge, “Robin whispers with them,” and with the sheriff’s leave, and his man’s help, unbinds them: then, sounds his horn; and “Enter little John, Much . . . Fight; the frier, making as if he helpt the sheriffe, knockes down his men crying, Keepe the king’s peace. Sheriffe [perceiving that it is “the outlawed earle of Hun­ting­ton”] runnes away, and his men.” (See the ballad of “Robin Hood rescuing the widow’s sons,” part ii. num. xxiii.) {lvi}

“Fri. Farewell, earle Robert, as I am true frier,

I had rather be thy clarke then serve the prior.

Rob. A jolly fellowe! Scarlet, knowest thou him?

Scar. Hee is of Yorke, and of Saint Maries cloister;

There where your greedie uncle is lord prior. . . .

Rob. Here is no biding, masters; get yee in. . . .

John, on a sodaine thus I am resolv’d.

To keepe in Sherewoodde tille the king’s returne,

And being outlawed, leade an outlawe’s life. . . .

John. I like your honour’s purpose exceeding well.

Rob. Nay, no more honour, I pray thee, little John;

Henceforth I will be called Robin Hoode,

Matilda shall be my maid Marian.”

Then follows a scene betwixt old Fitzwater and Prince John, in the course of which the prince, as a reason to induce Fitzwater to recall his daughter Matilda, tells him that she is living in an adulterous state, for that