Chapter XXXIV: Act THE FIFTH: SCENE I.--At Bradford

_Enter_ KING EDWARD _and_ KING JAMES _disguised; each carrying a staff._

_K. Edw._ Come on, King James; now we are thus disguis'd,
There's none, I know, will take us to be kings:
I think we are now in Bradford,
Where all the merry shoemakers dwell.

_Enter several_ Shoemakers.

_First Shoe._ Down with your staves, my friends,
Down with them.

_K. Edw._ Down with our staves! I pray thee, why so?

_First Shoe._ My friend, I see thou art a stranger here,
Else wouldst thou not have question'd of the thing.
This is the town of merry Bradford,
And here hath been a custom kept of old,
That none may bear his staff upon his neck,
But trail it all along throughout the town,
Unless they mean to have a bout with me.

_K. Edw._ But hear you, sir, hath the king granted you this custom?

_First Shoe._ King or kaisar, none shall pass this way,
Except King Edward;
No, not the stoutest groom that haunts his court;
Therefore down with your staves.

_K. Edw._ What were we best to do?

_K. James._ Faith, my lord, they are stout fellows;
And, because we will see some sport,
We will trail our staves.

_K. Edw._ Hear'st thou, my friend?
Because we are men of peace and travellers,
We are content to trail our staves.

_First Shoe._ The way lies before you, go along.

_Enter_ ROBIN HOOD _and_ GEORGE-A-GREENE, _disguised._

_Rob._ See, George, two men are passing through the town,
Two lusty men, and yet they trail their staves.

_Geo._ Robin, they are some peasants trick'd in yeoman's weeds.--
Hollo, you two travellers!

_K. Edw._ Call you us, sir?

_Geo._ Ay, you. Are ye not big enough to bear
Your bats upon your necks, but you must trail them
Along the streets?

_K. Edw._ Yes, sir, we are big enough; but here is a custom kept,
That none may pass, his staff upon his neck,
Unless he trail it at the weapon's point.
Sir, we are men of peace, and love to sleep
In our whole skins, and therefore quietness is best.

_Geo._ Base-minded peasants, worthless to be men!
What, have you bones and limbs to strike a blow,
And be your hearts so faint you cannot fight?
Were't not for shame, I would drub your shoulders well,
And teach you manhood 'gainst another time.

_First Shoe._ Well preach'd, Sir Jack! down with your staff!

_K. Edw._ Do you hear, my friends? an you be wise, keep down
Your staves, for all the town will rise upon you.

_Geo._ Thou speakest like an honest, quiet fellow:
But hear you me; in spite of all the swains
Of Bradford town, bear me your staves upon your necks,
Or, to begin withal, I'll baste you both so well,
You were never better basted in your lives.

_K. Edw._ We will hold up our staves.
[GEORGE-A-GREENE _fights with the_ Shoemakers, _and beats them all down._

_Geo._ What, have you any more?
Call all your town forth, cut and longtail.[318]
[_The_ Shoemakers _recognise_ GEORGE-A-GREENE.

_First Shoe._ What, George a-Greene, is it you? A plague found[319] you!
I think you long'd to swinge me well.
Come, George, we will crush a pot before we part.

_Geo._ A pot, you slave! we will have an hundred.--
Here, Will Perkins, take my purse; fetch me
A stand of ale, and set in the market-place,
That all may drink that are athirst this day;
For this is for a fee to welcome Robin Hood
To Bradford town.
[_The stand of ale is brought out, and they fall a-drinking._
Here, Robin, sit thou here;
For thou art the best man at the board this day.
You that are strangers, place yourselves where you will.
Robin, here's a carouse to good King Edward's self;
And they that love him not, I would we had
The basting of them a little.

_Enter the_ EARL OF WARWICK _with other_ Noblemen, _bringing out the_ King's _garments; then_ GEORGE-A-GREENE _and the rest kneel down to the_ King.

_K. Edw._ Come, masters, ale--fellows.--Nay, Robin,
You are the best man at the board to-day.--
Rise up, George.

_Geo._ Nay, good my liege, ill-nurtur'd we were, then:
Though we Yorkshire men be blunt of speech,
And little skill'd in court or such quaint fashions,
Yet nature teacheth us duty to our king;
Therefore I humbly beseech you pardon George-a-Greene.

_Rob._ And, good my lord, a pardon for poor Robin;
And for us all a pardon, good King Edward.

_First Shoe._ I pray you, a pardon for the shoemakers.

_K. Edw._ I frankly grant a pardon to you all:
[_They rise._
And, George-a-Greene, give me thy hand;
There's none in England that shall do thee wrong.
Even from my court I came to see thyself;
And now I see that fame speaks naught but truth.

_Geo._ I humbly thank your royal majesty.
That which I did against the Earl of Kendal,
'Twas but a subject's duty to his sovereign,
And therefore little merits such good words.

_K. Edw._ But ere I go, I'll grace thee with good deeds.
Say what King Edward may perform,
And thou shalt have it, being in England's bounds.

_Geo._ I have a lovely leman,
As bright of blee as is the silver moon,
And old Grime her father will not let her match
With me, because I am a Pinner,
Although I love her, and she me, dearly.

_K. Edw._ Where is she?

_Geo._ At home at my poor house,
And vows never to marry unless her father
Give consent; which is my great grief, my lord.

_K. Edw._ If this be all, I will despatch it straight;
I'll send for Grime and force him give his grant:
He will not deny King Edward such a suit.

_Enter_ JENKIN.

_Jen._ Ho, who saw a master of mine? O, he is gotten into company, an a body should rake hell for company.

_Geo._ Peace, ye slave! see where King Edward is.

_K. Edw._ George, what is he?

_Geo._ I beseech your grace pardon him; he is my man.

_First Shoe._ Sirrah, the king hath been drinking with us, and did pledge us too.

_Jen._ Hath he so? kneel; I dub you gentlemen.

_First Shoe._ Beg it of the king, Jenkin.

_Jen._ I will.--I beseech your worship grant me one thing.

_K. Edw._ What is that?

_Jen._ Hark in your ear. [_Whispers_ K. EDW. _in the ear._

_K. Edw._ Go your ways, and do it.

_Jen._ Come, down on your knees, I have got it.

_First Shoe._ Let us hear what it is first.

_Jen._ Marry, because you have drunk with the king, and the king hath so graciously pledged you, you shall be no more called Shoemakers; but you and yours, to the world's end, shall be called the trade of the Gentle Craft.

_First Shoe._ I beseech your majesty reform this which he hath spoken.

_Jen._ I beseech your worship consume this which he hath spoken.

_K. Edw._ Confirm it, you would say.--
Well, he hath done it for you, it is sufficient.--
Come, George, we will go to Grime, and have thy love.

_Jen._ I am sure your worship will abide; for yonder is coming old Musgrove and mad Cuddy his son.--Master, my fellow Wily comes dressed like a woman, and Master Grime will marry Wily. Here they come.

_Enter_ MUSGROVE _and_ CUDDY; GRIME, WILY _disguised as a woman,_ MAID MARIAN, _and_ BETTRIS.

_K. Edw._ Which is thy old father, Cuddy?

_Cud._ This, if it please your majesty.
[MUSGROVE _kneels._

_K. Edw._ Ah, old Musgrove, stand up;
It fits not such grey hairs to kneel.

_Mus._ [_rising_]. Long live my sovereign!
Long and happy be his days!
Vouchsafe, my gracious lord, a simple gift
At Billy Musgrove's hand.
King James at Middleham Castle gave me this;
This won the honour, and this give I thee.
[_Gives sword to_ K. EDW.

_K. Edw._ Godamercy, Musgrove, for this friendly gift;
And, for thou fell'dst a king with this same weapon,
This blade shall here dub valiant Musgrove knight.

_Mus._ Alas, what hath your highness done? I am poor.

_K. Edw._ To mend thy living take thou Middleham Castle,
And hold of me. And if thou want living, complain;
Thou shalt have more to maintain thine estate.--
George, which is thy love?

_Geo._ This, if please your majesty.

_K. Edw._ Art thou her aged father?

_Grime._ I am, an it like your majesty.

_K. Edw._ And wilt not give thy daughter unto George?

_Grime._ Yes, my lord, if he will let me marry with this lovely lass.

_K. Edw._ What say'st thou, George?

_Geo._ With all my heart, my lord, I give consent.

_Grime._ Then do I give my daughter unto George.

_Wily._ Then shall the marriage soon be at an end.
Witness, my lord, if that I be a woman;
[_Throws off his disguise._
For I am Wily, boy to George-a-Greene,
Who for my master wrought this subtle shift.

_K. Edw._ What, is it a boy?--what say'st thou to this, Grime?

_Grime._ Marry, my lord, I think this boy hath
More knavery than all the world besides.
Yet am I content that George shall both have
My daughter and my lands.

_K. Edw._ Now, George, it rests I gratify thy worth:
And therefore here I do bequeath to thee,
In full possession, half that Kendal hath;
And what as Bradford holds of me in chief,
I give it frankly unto thee for ever.
Kneel down, George.

_Geo._ What will your majesty do?

_K. Edw._ Dub thee a knight, George.

_Geo._ I beseech your grace, grant me one thing.

_K. Edw._ What is that?

_Geo._ Then let me live and die a yeoman still:
So was my father, so must live his son.
For 'tis more credit to men of base degree,
To do great deeds, than men of dignity.

_K. Edw._ Well, be it so, George.

_K. James._ I beseech your grace despatch with me,
And set down my ransom.

_K. Edw._ George-a-Greene,
Set down the King of Scots his ransom.

_Geo._ I beseech your grace pardon me;
It passeth my skill.

_K. Edw._ Do it, the honour's thine.

_Geo._ Then let King James make good
Those towns which he hath burnt upon the borders;
Give a small pension to the fatherless,
Whose fathers he caus'd murder'd in those wars;
Put in pledge for these things to your grace,
And so return.

_K. Edw._ King James, are you content?

_K. James._ I am content, an like your majesty,
And will leave good castles in security.

_K. Edw._ I crave no more.--Now, George-a-Greene,
I'll to thy house; and when I have supt, I'll go
To ask and see if Jane-a-Barley be so fair
As good King James reports her for to be.
And for the ancient custom of _Vail staff_,
Keep it still, claim privilege from me:
If any ask a reason why, or how,
Say, English Edward vail'd his staff to you.
[_Exeunt omnes._