66 in that I have spoken Arthur," quoth kinge deere Sir, I pray you to pardon mee, so much against your pleasure.” Oberon, "I will that you well knowe, that if it were not for the love of your sister, who hath desired mee to pardon you, I would have shewed you the power that I have in the fayrie, the which from hencefoorth I give unto Duke Huon of Bourdeaux, and all the dignitie and puissance that I have used in all my life." Then Duke Huon thanked kinge Oberon right humbly of his courtesie. CHAP. 147. Of the ordinances that the noble king Oberon made before he dyed. When king Oberon had deposed himselfe of his realme and dignitie, and that he had put all his puissance into the hands of Huon, then he sayd unto king Arthur, "Sir, because I desire with all my heart that after my decease Huon and you shoulde live together in good peace and love, I give you all my realme of Boulquant, and all the realme that Sibilla holdeth of me, to do therewith at your pleasure; and of all the fayries that bee in the plaine of Tartary, I will that you have so much puissance there, as Huon hath heere; provided that heere before me you make homage unto him, and that good peace and love may be betweene you." Then Arthur, Morgue, and Transeline, and all the other lordes and ladies that were there, thanked king Oberon, and sayd how that they never heard nor saw so rich a guift given before as that kinge Oberon had given unto kinge Arthur. Then king Arthur, in the presence of king Oberon, came and made homage, and kissed duke Huon. Then kinge Oberon and all the other hadde thereof great joy because of the peace made betweene those two kinges, and great feasting and joy was made in the pallaice; for all the most noble lordes and ladies of the fayrie were there assembled, there was great solemnitie made. Thus as they were in this great joy, kinge Oberon feeling that his last end approached, for hee knewe the day and houre; then, seeing that in his life time he had provided a king for his realme, he humbly thanked our Lord God of the graces that he had given him in this world. Then hee called before him Huon of Bourdeaux, and kinge Arthur, Gloriand, and Mallabron, and sayd, "Sirs, I advertise you that longe I shall not abide among you; therefore, Huon, for your bountie and noblenesse wherewith you have beene alwayes indued, I have chosen you among other to have the keeping and signiorie, and the ministration of all the fayrie, as well of the countrey of warre-wolves, as of other thinges secret reserved, and not to bee shewed to any mortall men; and also I have given you my dignitie and puissance, to doe therewith as I have done in my time; and because I have thus chosen you, therefore I will that when I depart out of this world that you doe make a newe abbey of monkes, the which I will bee set in the meadowe heere before this citie, because all my dayes I have loved this citie, and I will that in the church of the same abbey you doe burie my bodie as richly as you shall thinke convenient; and I recommend unto you all such as have well served me, and I will that you retaine them into your service." When king Oberon had sayd as much as pleased him, Huon answeared and sayd, "Deere sir, of the great goodnesse and honour that you have done unto me, I thanke you, and all that you have ordained or will do, by the grace of God it shall be done in such wise that my soule shall beare no charge for it at the day of judgement." When the lordes and ladies that were there assembled heard the words of king Oberon, and saw well that his last end approached neere, the cryes and clamours that were there made was great marvaile to heare, and especially there was such weepings and lamentations in the citie, that great pittie it was to heare it, for they were advertized that kinge Oberon drewe neere unto his last end, who lay in his rich couch in the middest of his pallaice, making his prayers unto our Lord God, and holding Huon by the hand, and at the last hee sayd, "My right deere freend Huon, pray for mee." And then hee made the signe of the crosse, and recommending his soule unto God, the which incontinent was borne into Paradice by a great multitude of angels sent from God, who at their departing, made such shining and clearnesse in the pallaice, that there was never none such seene before, and therewith there was so sweet a smell, that everie man thought that they had been ravished into Paradice; whereby they knewe surely that kinge Oberons soule was saved. When king Huon, and king Arthur, and Queene Escleremond, Morgue le Fay, and Transeline, and king Carahew, Gloriand, and Mallabron, and all other knightes and ladies, knew that king Oberon was dead, there is no humane tong can tell the cries, weepings, and complaints that were made there for the death of king Oberon: then his bodie was taken, and borne to the place where his sepulcher was devised, the which king Huon caused to be made right richly, and founded there an abbey as Oberon had devised. After the buriall, they returned to the pallaice, whereas the tables were set, and there sat three crowned kinges, and two excellent queens, full of great beautie. At the upper end of the table sat king Huon, and next unto him king Arthur; and then king Carahew and the two queens, and the other ladies departed, and went and dyned in their chambers, and they were all served of everie thinge that was necessarie. And after dinner and grace sayd, king Arthur and king Carahew tooke their leave of king Huon, and of queene Escleremond, and so departed everie man into his owne countrey; and Morgue and Transeline tarried a certaine space with queene Escleremond in great joy and solace. Now let us leave speaking of kinge Huon and Queene Escleremond, who tarried still in the fayrie, and shall do untill the day of judgment, and let us returne unto our former matter, and speake of faire Clariet, daughter unto king Huon, who was at the noble citie of Bourdeaux. : VI. LIFE OF ROBIN GOODFELLOW. This most important, indeed the most valuable illustration we have of the Midsummer's Night's Dream, is reprinted from a black-letter tract of the utmost rarity, published at London in 1628, under the title of "Robin Goodfellow; his mad prankes, and merry Jests, full of honest mirth, and is a fit medicine for melancholy." Mr. Collier has previously made an excellent reprint of this curious production for the Percy Society, but he has kindly permitted me to include it in this collection. Mr. Collier's preface, and the bibliographical particulars there mentioned, are here omitted; the latter purposely, that the members of the Percy Society might not have to complain that one of their publications had suffered in value. The commentators on Shakespeare were unacquainted with it, and not more than two copies, and these with different dates, are known to exist. One of them is in the possession of Lord Francis Egerton, the other in the library of Mr. Daniel, of Islington. The tract is dated 1628, but it is in all probability a much earlier production, and although we have no proof of the fact, had most likely been seen by Shakespeare in some form or other. The First Part. Not omitting that antient forme of beginning tales, Once upon a time, it was my chance to travaile into that noble county of Kent. The weather beeing wet, and my two-leg'd horse being almost tyred (for indeede my owne leggs were all the supporters that my body had), I went dropping into an alehouse: there found I, first a kinde wellcome, next good lyquor, then kinde strangers (which made good company), then an honest hoast, whose love to good liquor was written in red characters both in his nose, cheekes and forehead: an hoastesse I found there too, a woman of very good carriage; and though she had not so much colour (for what she had done) as her rich husband had, yet all beholders might perceive by the roundness of her belly, that she was able to draw a pot dry at a draught, and ne're unlace for the matter. Well, to the fire I went, where I dryed my outside and wet my inside. The ale being good, and I in good company, I lapt in so much of this nappy liquor, that it begot in mee a boldnesse to talke, and desire of them to know what was the reason that the people of that country were called Long-tayles.1 The hoast sayd, all the reason that ever he could heare was, because the people of that country formerly did use to goe in side skirted coates. There is (sayd an old man that sat by) another reason that I have heard: that is this. In the time of the Saxons conquest of England there were divers of our countrymen slaine by treachery, which made those that survived more carefull in dealing with their enemies, as you shall heare. After many overthrowes that our countrymen had received by the Saxons, they dispersed themselves into divers companies into the woods, and so did much damage by their suddaine assaults to the Saxons, that Hengist, their king, hearing the damage that they did (and not knowing how to subdue them by force), used this policy. Hee sent to a company of them, and gave them his word for their liberty and safe returne, if they would come unarmed and speake with him. This they seemed to grant unto, but for their more security (knowing how little hee esteemed oathes or promises) they went every one of them armed with a shorte sword, hanging just behind under their garments, so that the Saxons thought not of any weapons they had: but it proved otherwise; for when 1 An old nick-name for Kentishmen. Lambarde mentions it in his "Perambulation," 4to., Lond., 1596. |