ere they can get cleane. Others that for laysinesse will give the poore beasts no meate, I oftentimes so punish them with blowes, that they cannot feed themselves they are so sore.

Thus many trickes, I, Pach, can doe,

But to the good I ne'ere was foe:
The bad I hate and will doe ever,
Till they from ill themselves doe sever.
To helpe the good Ile run and goe,
The bad no good from me shall know.

The tricks of the fairy called Gull.

When mortals keep their beds I walke abroad, and for my prankes am called by the name of Gull. I with a fayned voyce doe often deceive many men, to their great amazement. Many times I get on men and women, and so lye on their stomackes, that I cause their great paine, for which they call me by the name of Hagge, or Night-mare. Tis I that doe steale children, and in the place of them leave changelings. Sometime I also steale milke and creame, and then with my brothers Patch, Pinch, and Grim, and sisters Sib, Tib, Licke, and Lull, I feast with my stolne goods: our little piper hath his share in all our spoyles, but hee nor our women fayries doe ever put themselves in danger to doe any great exploit.

What Gull can doe, I have you showne;

I am inferior unto none.

Command me, Robin, thou shalt know,

That I for thee will ride or goe:
I can doe greater things than these

Upon the land, and on the seas.

The trickes of the fairy cald Grim.

I walke with the owle, and make many to cry as loud as she

doth hollow. Sometimes I doe affright many simple people, for which some have termed me the Blacke Dog of New-gate. At the meetings of young men and maydes I many times am, and when they are in the midst of all their good cheare, I come in, in some feareful shape, and affright them, and then carry away their good cheare, and eate it with my fellow fayries. Tis I that do, like a skritch-owle, cry at sicke mens windowes, which makes the hearers so fearefull, that they say, that the sicke person cannot live. Many other wayes have I to fright the simple, but the understanding man I cannot moove to feare, because he knowes I have no power to do hurt.

My nightly businesse I have told,
To play these trickes I use of old :
When candles burne both blue and dim,
Old folkes will say, Here's fairy Grim.
More trickes then these I use to doe:
Hereat cry'd Robin, Ho, ho, hoh!

The trickes of the women fayries told by Sib.

To walke nightly, as do the men fayries, we use not; but now and then we goe together, and at good huswives fires we warme and dresse our fayry children. If wee find cleane water and cleane towels, wee leave them money, either in their basons or in their shooes; but if wee find no cleane water in their houses, we wash our children in their pottage, milke or beere, or what-ere we finde: for the sluts that leave not such things fitting, wee wash their faces and hands with a gilded childs clout, or els carry them to some river, and ducke them over head and eares. We often use to dwell in some great hill, and from thence we doe lend money to any poore man, or woman that hath need; but if they bring it not againe at the day appointed, we doe not only punish them with pinching, but also in their goods, so that they never thrive till they have payd us.

Tib and I the chiefest are,
And for all things doe take care.
Licke is cooke and dresseth meate,
And fetcheth all things that we eat :
Lull is nurse and tends the cradle,
And the babes doth dresse and swadle.
This little fellow, cald Tom Thumb,
That is no bigger then a plumb,
He is the porter to our gate,

For he doth let all in thereat,

And makes us merry with his play,

And merrily we spend the day.

Shee having spoken, Tom Thumb stood up on tip-toe, and shewed himselfe, saying,

My actions all in volumes two are wrote,
The least of which will never be forgot.

He had no sooner ended his two lines, but a shepheard (that was watching in the field all night) blew up a bag-pipe: this so frighted Tom, that he could not tell what to doe for the present time. The fayries seeing Tom Thumbe in such a feare, punisht the shepheard with his pipes losse, so that the shepherds pipe presently brake in his hand, to his great amazement. Hereat did Robin Good-fellow laugh, ho, ho, hoh! Morning beeing come, they all hasted to Fayry Land, where I thinke they yet remaine.

My hostesse asked me how I liked this tale? I said, it was long enough, and good enough to passe time that might be worser spent. I, seeing her dry, called for two pots: she emptied one of them at a draught, and never breathed for the matter: I emptied the other at leasure; and being late I went to bed, and did

dreame of this which I had heard.

VII. BALLAD OF ROBIN GOODFELLOW.

This ballad is printed from an unique copy in Mr. Collier's possession, and is evidently founded upon the preceding work. It was originally illustrated by a woodcut upon the title-page, but this has disappeared, rendering part of the letter-press imperfect. The lacunæ have been supplied by Mr. Collier from conjecture, and will be found inserted between brackets.

The merry pranks of Robin Good-fellow: very pleasant
and witty.

CHAPTER I.-Shewing his birth, and whose sonne he was.

And sundry houses they did use,
but one, above the rest,

Wherein a comely lasse did dwell,
that pleas'd King Oberon best.
This lovely damsell, neat and faire,
so courteous, meek, and mild,
As sayes my booke, by Oberon
she was begot with child.

She knew not who the father was,
but thus to all would say―
In night time he to her still came,
and went away ere day.

The midwife having better skill
than had this new made mother,

Quoth she, "Surely some fairy 'twas, for it can be no other."

And so the old wife rightly judg'd,

For it was so indeed.

This fairy shew'd himself most kind,

and helpt his love at need; For store of linnen he provides,

and brings her for her baby; With dainty cates and choised fare, he serv'd her like a lady.

The Christening time then being [come, most merry they [did pass ;

The Gossips dra[ined a cheerful cup

as then provided was.

And Robin was [the infant call'd,

so named the [gossips by:

What pranks [he played both day and night I'le tell you certainly.