5

"Upon their shoulders, whilst they past through town, "For if they did, he soon should beat them downe. "(So valiant was the Souter) and from hence, "Twixt Robin Hood and him grew th' difference; Which, cause it is by most stage poets writ,

66

"For brevity, I thought good to omit."

George a Green was played on the 28th Dec. 1593, by the Lord Strange's company; and the "Piner of Wakefield," which seems to be a different play, on the 8th Jan. 1593 (i. e. 1593-4).— Shakespeare, III. 357. edit. 1803.

It seems referred to in the Apology for Herodotus, 256 fol. 1607:

"More spruce, more nimble, and more gay to seene
Than some attorney's clerk or George a Greene."

O. G.

An entertainment under the title of "George a Greene, the Pinder of Wakefield," was brought out at York theatre in 1775, but it was never printed.

DRAMATIS PERSONE.

EDWARD, King of England.
JAMES, King of Scotland.
Earl of KENDALL.

Lord WARWICK.

Lord BONFIELD.

Lord HUMES.

Sir GILBERT ARMSTRONG.
Sir NICHOLAS MANNERING.
GEORGE A GREENE.

Old MUSGROVE.

Young CUDDY, his Son.

Mr. GRIME.

BETTRIS, his Daughter.

ROBIN HOOD.

JENKIN, a Clown.

WILY.

MUCH, the Miller's Son.

Maid MARION.

SCARLET.

A JUSTICE.

A TOWNSMAN.

JOHN.

JANE A BARLEY.

NED, her Son.

A Shoemaker, Soldiers, Messengers, &c.

THE

PINNER' OF WAKEFIELD.

Enter the Earl of KENDALL; with him the Lord BON-
FIELD, Sir GILBERT ARMSTRONG, and JOHN*.
Earl of Kendall. WELCOME to Bradford, martial gen-
tlemen,

Lord Bonfield, and sir Gilbert Armstrong both,
And all my troops, even to my basest groom,
Courage and welcome; for the day is ours.
Our cause is good, it is for the land's avail :
Then let us fight, and die for England's good
Omnes. We will my lord.

Kendall. As I am Henry Momford, Kendall's earl, You honour me with this assent of yours;

2 And here upon my sword I make protest, For to relieve the poor, or die myself.

And know, my lords, that James, the king of Scots, Wars hard upon the borders of this land:

1 Pinner] Or Pindar; the keeper of the Pinfolds belonging to the common fields about Wakefield. Junius, in his Etymologicon, voce Pende, says: "Pende Includere ch. ab A. S. pennan pyndan "idem significante. Hinc pinder pinner. Qui pecora ultra fines vagantia septo includit.” Mr. Steevens observes, that the figure of this rustic hero is still preserved on a sign at the bottom of Gray's-Inn-Lane.

*The name of Sir Nicholas Mannering is omitted here.

2 And here upon my sword I make protest,] It was formerly com mon to swear upon the sword; that is, upon the cross which the old swords always had upon the hilt. Of this custom many instances are quoted by Dr. Farmer and Mr. Steevens in their Notes on Hamlet, A. 1. S. 5.

Again, in Your five Gallants, by Middleton, A. 4: "Sweare on "this sword then to set spurs to your horse, not to looke back, to give no markes to any passenger."

Here is his post; say, John Taylor,
What news with king James?

John. War, my lord, I tell; and good news I trow;
For king James vows to meet you the twenty-sixth
Of this month, God willing; marry doth he, sir.

Kendall. My friends, you see what we have to win.
Well, John, commend me to king James, and tell him,
I will meet him the twenty-sixth of this month,
And all the rest; and so farewel.
[Exit John.
Bonfield, why stand'st thou as a man in dumps?
Courage; for if I win, I'll make thee duke.

I Henry Momford will be king myself,
A I will make thee duke of Lancaster,
And Gilbert Armstrong lord of Doncaster.

Bonfield. Nothing, my lord, makes me amaz'd at all,
But that our soldiers find our victuals scant.
We must make havock of those country swains;
For so will the rest tremble and be afraid,
And humbly send provision to your camp.

Gilbert. My lord Bonfield gives good advice; They make a scorn and stand upon the king: So what is brought is sent from them perforce; Ask Mannering else.

Kendall. What sayest thou, Mannering?

Mannering. When as I shew'd your high commission, They made this answer,

Only to send provision for your horses.

Kendall. Well, hie thee to Wakefield, bid the town

To send me all provision that I want;

Lest I, like martial Tamberlaine, lay waste

Their bordering countries, leaving none

Alive that contradicts my commission.

Mannering. Let me alone, my lord, I'll make them'

Vail their plumes; for whosoever he be,

The proudest knight, or justice, or other, that gainsayeth

Your word, I clap him fast, to make the rest to fear. Kendall. Do so, Nick! hie thee thither presently, And let us hear of thee to-morrow.

Mannering. Will you not remove, my lord;

Kendall. No, I will lie at Bradford all this night, And all the next. Come, Bonfield, let us go,

And listen out some bonny lasses here. [Exeunt omnes. Enter the JUSTICE, a TOWNSMAN, GEORGE A GREENE, and Sir NICHOLAS MANNERING with his commission.

Justice. M. Mannering, stand aside, whilst we confer What is best to do: townsmen of Wakefield, The earl of Kendall here hath sent for victuals; And in aiding him we shew ourselves

No less than traitors to the king;

Therefore let me hear, townsmen,

What is your consents.

Townsman. Even as you please, we are all content. Justice. Then M. Mannering we are resolv'dMannering. As how?

Justice. Marry, sir, thus.

We will send the earl of Kendall no victuals,

Because he is a traitor to the king;

And in aiding him we shew ourselves no less.

Mannering. Why, men of Wakefield, are you waxen mad,

That present danger cannot whet your wits,
Wisely to make provision of yourselves?
The earl is thirty thousand men strong in power,
And what town soever him resist,

He lays it flat and level with the ground.
Ye silly men, you seek your own decay:

Therefore send my lord such provisions as he wants,
So he will spare your town, and come no nearer
Wakefield than he is.

Justice. Master Mannering, you have your answer, You may be gone.

Mannering. Well, Woodroffe, for so I guess is thy

name,

I'll make thee curse thy overthwart denial;

*The Townsman here introduced seems to represent all the inhabitants of Wakefield, and is so addressed by the Justice. C. overthwart denial;] So, in Erasmus's Praise of Folie, 1549, Sign. C 2: "but when the Gods, are sette at bankette, he 'plaieth the jester, now wyth hys lymphaultynge, now with his