ROBIN HOOD, The chief Woodman, mafter of the

MARIAN,

FRIAR TUCK,

SCARLET,

SCATHLOCK,

LITTLE JOHN,

His Lady, the Mistress.

Their Family.

The Chaplain and Steward.
Bow-bearer.

[Feaft,

}

Two Brothers, Huntfmen.

GEORGE A GREEN, Huifher of the Bower.

Robin Hood's Bailiff, or Acater.

The Guests invited.

MUCH,

Confifting of a landfcape of a foreft, hills, valleys, cottages, a caftle, a river, paftures, herds, flocks, all full of country fimplicity; Robin Hood's bower, his well, the witch's dimble, the fwine'ard's oak, the hermit's cell.

The Sad Shepherd.

OR,

A TALE of of ROBIN HOOD.

The ARGUMENT of the First A&.

R

OBIN HOOD, having invited all the fhepherds and fhepherdeffes of the vale of Be'voir to a feast in the forest of Sherwood, "and trufting to his mistress, maid Marian, with her "woodmen, to kill him venifon against the day: "having left the like charge with friar Tuck his chap"lain and steward, to command the reft of his merry

men to see the bower made ready, and all things "in order for the entertainment: meeting with his "guests at their entrance into the wood, welcomes "and conducts them to his bower. Where, by the way, he receives the relation of the fad fhepherd Eglamour, who is fallen into a deep melancholy for "the lofs of his beloved Earine, reported to have been "drowned in paffing over the Trent, fome few days "before. They endeavour in what they can to com"fort him but his disease having taken fuch ftrong 66 root, all is in vain, and they are forced to leave "him. In the mean time, Marian is come from hunting

B 4

66

ing with the huntfmen, where the lovers inter"changeably exprefs their loves. Robin Hood en"quires if the hunted the deer at force, and what "iport he made? how long he ftood? and what head "he bore? All which is briefly anfwered, with a re"lation of breaking him up, and the raven, and "her bone. The fufpect had of that raven to "be Maudlin the witch of Paplewick, whom one "of the huntfmen met i' the morning at the rouzii ing of the deer, and is confirmed, by her being "then in Robin Hood's kitchin, i'the chimney-corner,

broiling the fame bit which was thrown to the ra

ven at the quarry or fall of the deer. Marian being "gone in to fhew he deer to fome of the fhepherdeffes, "returns instantly to the fcene, difcontented; fends

away the venifon fhe had killed, to her they call the "witch; quarrels with her love Robin Hood, abufeth him, and his guests the fhepherds; and fo departs, "leaving then all in wonder and perplexity."

H

ACT I. SCE N E. I.

SCENE, a Grove.

glamour enters.

TJERE he was wont to go! and here! and here!
Just where thofe daisies, pinks, and violets
grow:
The world may find the fpring by following her;
For other print her airy fteps ne'er left :
Her treading would not bend a blade of grafs !
Or fhake the downy Blow-ball from his italk!
But like the foft weft wind the shot along,

And where he went, the flowers took thickest root,
As the had fow'd 'em with her odorous foot.

[Exit Æglamour. SCENE

SCENE II.

SCENE, the entrance to Robin Hood's bower.

Marian, Tuck, George a Green, and Much, enter from the bower.

Mar. Know you, or can you guefs, my merry men, What 'tis that keeps your master, Robin Hood, So long, both from his Marian, and the Wood?

Tuc. Forfooth, madam, he will be here by noon,
And prays it of your bounty, as a boon,
That you by then have kill'd him venison some,
To feaft his jolly friends, who hither come
In threaves to frolick with him, and make cheer;
John and Woodmen enter.

Here's Little John hath harbour'd you a deer,
I fee by his tackling.

John. And a hart of ten',

I trow he be, madam, or blame your men:

2

For by his flot, his entries, and his port,

His frayings, fewmets, he doth promile sport,

1 And a HART OF TEN

And

I trow he be] Mr. Warburton, in his note of Shakefpear's Taming of the Shrew, at 2. fcene 6. hath interpreted this phrafe, to fignify only an extraordinary good one: but with fubmiffion to fo judicious an authority, the expreffion is taken from the foreft, and relates to the age of the deer. When a hart, fays Manwood, is paft his fixth year, he is generally to be called a bart of ten; and afterwards according to the increafe of his head, whether he be croched, palmed, or crowned. Of the foreft laws, p. 28. edit. 4to. 1598. So likewife in the fixth fcene we have the expreffion again, forked! a bart of ten.

2 For by his SLOT, his ENTRIES, &c.] Thefe are all terms of the chafe, and should be explained to a common reader. The fot is the print of a ftag's foot upon the ground; entries are places through which deer have lately paffed, by which their fize is guessed at; frayings are the pillings of their horns; and a deer is faid to

fray

And standing 'fore the dogs, he bears a head
Large and well beam'd; with all rights fomm'd and

[fpread.

Mar. Let's rouze him quickly, and lay on the

[hounds.

John. Scathlock is ready with them on the grounds : So is his brother Scarlot: now they 'ave found His layre, they have him fure within the pound. Mar. Away then, when my Robin bids a feast, 'Twere fin in Marian to defraud a guest.

[Exeunt Marian, John, and Woodmen.

Manent Tuck, George a Green, and Much.

Tuc. And I, the chaplain, here am left to be
Steward to-day, and charge you, all in fee,
To d'on your liveries, fee the bower dreft,
And fit the fine devices for the feast:

You, George, must care to make the baldric trim,
And garland that muft crown, or her, or him,
Whole flock this year hath brought the earliest lamb.
Geo. Good father Tuck, at your commands I am
To cut the table out o' the green fword,

Or any other service for my lord;

To carve the guests large feats; and thefe lain in With turfe (as foft and fmooth as the mole's fkin :) And hang the bulled nofegays 'bove their heads,

The

fray her head, when the rubs it against a tree to renew it, or to caufe the outward coat of her new horns to fall off; the fewments are the dung of a deer. Whether all thefe terms are ftill in ufe amongst modern fportfmen, or whether the application of them is right, I know not for the last the poet is anfwerable.

2

To make the BALDRIC trim.] The Scarf, Belt, or Sash.

And hang the BULLED nojegays 'bove their heads.] Bulled, or bolled, fignifies a thing fwelled, and ready to break its inclosure; and is properly applied to corn, when it is just bursting into ear.