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KEN. 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-AGREENE, and SIR NICHOLAS MANNERING with his commission.

Jus. Master Mannering, stand aside, whilst we confer

What is best to do. Townsmen of Wakefield,
The earl of Kendal 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.
TOWNS. Even as you please, we are all content.
Jus. Then, Master Mannering, we are resolv'd—
MAN. As how?

Jus. Marry, sir, thus.

We will send the earl of Kendal no victuals,
Because he is a traitor to the king;

And in aiding him we shew ourselves no less.
MAN. 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 provision as he wants,
So he will spare your town, and come no nearer
Wakefield than he is.

a Townsman] i.e. the spokesman of the whole body of townsmen, several of whom must be on the stage during the scene.

Jus. Master Mannering, you have your answer, be gone.

You may

MAN. Well, Woodroffe, for so I guess is thy name, I'll make thee curse thy overthwart denial;

And all that sit upon the bench this day

Shall rue the hour they have withstood my lord's Commission.

Jus. Do thy worst, we fear thee not.

MAN. See you these seals? before you pass the I will have all things my lord doth want,

In spite of you.

[town,

GEO. Proud dapper Jack, vail bonnet to the bench, That represents the person of the king;

Or, sirrah, I'll lay thy head before thy feet.

MAN. Why, who art thou?

GEO. Why, I am George-a-Greene,

True liegeman to my king,

Who scorns that men of such esteem as these,
Should brook the braves of any traitrous squire.
You of the bench, and you, my fellow-friends,
Neighbours, we subjects all unto the king;
We are English born, and therefore Edward's friends,
Vow'd unto him even in our mothers' womb,
Our minds to God, our hearts unto our king;
Our wealth, our homage, and our carcasses,
Be all king Edward's. Then, sirrah, we have
Nothing left for traitors, but our swords,
Whetted to bathe them in your bloods, and die
Against you, before we send you any victuals.
Jus. Well spoken, George-a-Greene!
TOWNS. Pray let George-a-Greene speak for us.
GEO. Sirrah, you get no victuals here,
Not if a hoof of beef would save your lives.

MAN. Fellow, I stand amaz'd at thy presumption. Why, what art thou that dar'st gainsay my lord, Knowing his mighty puissance and his stroke?

Why, my friend, I come not barely of myself;
For see, I have a large commission.

GEO. Let me see it, sirrah. Whose seals be these? MAN. This is the earl of Kendal's seal at arms; This lord Charnel Bonfield's;

And this sir Gilbert Armstrong's.

GEO. I tell thee, sirrah, did good king Edward's son Seal a commission against the king his father, Thus would I tear it in despite of him,

[He tears the commission. Being traitor to my sovereign.

MAN. What! hast thou torn my lord's commission? Thou shalt rue it, and so shall all Wakefield.

GEO. What, are you in choler? I will give you pills To cool your stomach. Seest thou these seals? Now, by my father's soul,

Which was a yeoman, when he was alive,

*

Eat them, or eat my dagger's point, proud squire. MAN. But thou doest but jest, I hope.

GEO. Sure that shall you see before we two part. MAN. Well, and there be no remedy, so George: One is gone; I pray thee, no more now.

GEO. O sir,

If one be good, the others cannot hurt.
So, sir,

Now you may go tell the earl of Kendal,
Although I have rent his large commission,
Yet of courtesy I have sent all his seals
Back again by you.

MAN. Well, sir, I will do your errand. [Exit.
GEO. Now let him tell his lord, that he hath spoke

*Eat them, &c.] The resemblance between this incident and an adventure in which Greene was concerned is pointed out in my remarks on The Pinner of Wakefield, in the account of our author's Life see also the extract from the prose History of George-a-Greene at the end of this play.

With George-a-Greene,

Right Pinner of merry Wakefield town,
That hath physick for a fool,

Pills for a traitor that doth wrong his sovereign.
Are you content with this that I have done?
JUST. Ay, content, George;

For highly hast thou honour'd Wakefield town,
In cutting off proud Mannering so short.
Come, thou shalt be my welcome guest to day;
For well thou hast deserv'd reward and favour.

[Exeunt omnes.

Enter old MUSGROVE, and young CUDDY his son.

CUD. Now, gentle father, list unto thy son,
And for my mother's love,

That erst was blithe and bonny in thine eye
Grant one petition that I shall demand.
Mus. What is that, my Cuddy?

CUD. Father,

You know the ancient enmity of late
Between the Musgroves and the wily Scots,
Whereof they have oath,

Not to leave one alive that strides a lance.*

O father,

You are old, and waning age + unto the grave:

Old William Musgrove, which whilom was thought The bravest horseman in all Westmoreland,

Is weak,

And forc'd to stay his arm upon a staff,

That erst could wield a lance.

Then, gentle father, resign the hold to me;
Give arms to youth, and honour unto age.

[quake

Mus. Avaunt, false-hearted boy: my joints do

*strides a lance.] i. e. not to leave even a child of them alive, one who equitat in arundine longa. Steevens.

+age] Qy. "aye."

Even with anguish of thy very words.

Hath William Musgrove seen an hundred years?
Have I been fear'd and dreaded of the Scots,
That, when they heard my name in any road,*
They fled away, and posted thence amain,
And shall I die with shame now in mine age?
No, Cuddy, no: thus resolve I,

Here have I liv'd, and here will Musgrove die.

[Exeunt. Enter LORD BON FIELD, SIR GILBERT ARMSTRONG, MASTER GRIME, and BETTRIS his daughter. BON. Now, gentle Grime, god a mercy for our good cheer;

Our fare was royal, and our welcome great :
And sith so kindly thou hast entertain❜d us,
If we return with happy victory,

We will deal as friendly with thee in recompence.
GRIME. Your welcome was but duty, gentle lord:
For wherefore have we given us our wealth,
But to make our betters welcome when they come?
O, this goes hard when traitors must be flatter'd !
But life is sweet, and I cannot withstand it :
God, I hope, will revenge the quarrel of my king.
ARM. What said you, Grime?

GRIME. I say, sir Gilbert, looking on my daughter,
I curse the hour that e'er I got the girl :
For, sir, she may have many wealthy suitors,
And yet she disdains them all,

To have poor George-a-Greene unto her husband. BON. On that, good Grime, I am talking with thy daughter;

But she, in quirks and quiddities of love,

Sets me to school, she is so overwise.

But, gentle girl, if thou wilt forsake the Pinner,

road] i. e. inroad.

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