Duch. Hobs. Well met, good fellow: saw'st thou not the hart? My heart? God bless me from seeing my heart. Duch. Thy heart? the deer, man; we demand the deer. Hobs. Do you demand what's dear? Marry, corn and cowhides. Mass, a good snug lass, well like my daughter Nell. I had rather than a bend of leather she and I might smouch together. Duch. Hobs. Cam'st thou not down the wood? Yes, mistress; that I did. Duch. And sawest thou not the deer imbost ? Hobs. By my hood, ye make me laugh. What the dickens? is it love that makes ye prate to me so fondly? By my father's soul, I would I had job'd faces with you. Hunts. Why, how now, Hobs? so saucy with the duchess and the queen ? Hobs. Much queen, I trow! these be but women; and one of them is like my wench. I would she had her rags. I would give a load of hair and horns, and a fat of leather, to match her to some justice, by the meg-holly. Hunts. Be silent, Tanner, and ask pardon of the queen. Hobs. And ye be the queen, I cry ye mercy, good Mistress Queen. Queen. No fault, my friend. Madam, let's take our bows, and in the standing seek to get a shoot. Duch. Hobs. Come, bend our bows, and bring the herd of deer. fat flesh! Enter SELLINGER and HowARD (in green). Soft, who comes here? more knaves yet? Sel. Hobs. Ho, good fellow! sawest thou not the king ? dost thou ask for? How. Why, King Edward. What king is there else? Hobs. There's another king, one Harry, one Harry; and, by honester man of the two, and ye could hit on him; our Lady, they say he's the Sel. Sirrah, beware you speak not treason. Sel. Then shalt thou be hanged. Hobs. A dog's death: I'll not meddle with it; for, by my troth, I know not when I speak treason, when I do not. There's such halting betwixt two kings, that a man cannot go upright, but he shall offend t'one of them. I would God had them both, for me. How. Well, thou sawest not the king. How. He's hunting here, at Drayton Basset. I The devil he is ? God bless his mastership! saw a woman here, that they said was the queen. She's as like my daughter, but my daughter is the fairer, as ever I see. Sel. Farewell, fellow; speak well of the king. [Exeunt. Hobs. (Solus.) God make him an honest man! I hope that's well spoken; for, by the mouse-foot, some give him hard words, whether he 'zerves 'em not. Let him look to that. I'll meddle of my cowhide, and let the world slide. Enter the KING, disguised. The devil in a dung-cart! How these roysters swarm in the country, now the king is so near! God 'liver me from this; for this looks like a thief; but a man cannot tell amongst these courtnols who's true. King. Holla, my friend! good fellow, prithee, stay. Hobs. No such matter. I have more haste of my way. King. If thou be a good fellow, let me borrow a word. My purse, thou meanest. Hobs. I am no good fellow; and I pray God thou beest not one. King. Why? dost thou not love a good fellow ? Hobs. No: good fellows be thieves. Thought is free; and thou art not my ghostly Hobs. father. King. I mean thee no harm. Hobs. Who knows that but thyself? I pray God he spy not my purse. King. On my troth, I mean thee none. Hobs. Upon thy oath, I'll stay. Now, what sayest thou to me? speak quickly; for my company stays for me beneath, at the next style. The king is hunting hereabouts. Didst thou see King. his majesty ? Hobs. His majesty ? what's that? his horse or his mare ? King. Tush! I mean his grace ? Hobs. Grace, quotha? pray God he have any! Which king dost thou 'quire for ? King. Why, for King Edward. Knowest thou any more kings than one ? Hobs. I know not so many; for I tell thee I know none. Marry, I hear of King Edward. King. Didst thou see his highness. Hobs. By my holidame, that's the best term thou gavest him yet: he's high enough; but he has put poor King Harry low enough. King. How low hath he put him ? Hobs. Nay, I cannot tell; but he has put him down, for he has got the crown; much good do't him with it. King. Amen. I like thy talk so well, I would I knew thy name. Hobs. Then thou knowest nobody. Didst never hear of John Hobs, the tanner of Tamworth ? King. Not till now, I promise thee; but now I like thee well. Hobs. So do not I thee. I fear thou art some outrider, that lives by taking of purses here, on Basset's Heath. But I fear thee not, for I have wared all my money in cowhides at Coleshill Market, and my man and my mare are hard by at the hill-foot. King. Is that thy gray mare that's tied at the style, with the hides on her back? Hobs. That's Brock, my mare; and there's Dun, my nag, and Dudgeon, my man. King. mare. Hobs. There's neither man nor horse; but only one What the dickens! has the knave served me so? Farewell! I may lose hides, horns, and mare and all, by prating with thee. King. Tarry, man, tarry! they'll sooner take my gelding than thy gray mare; for I have tied mine by her. Hobs. That will I see, afore I'll take your word. King. I'll bear thee company. Hobs. I had as lieve go alone. Re-enter the two Huntsmen, with the bows. [Exeunt. First Hunts. Now, on my troth, the queen shoots passing well. Sec. Hunts. So did the duchess, when she was as young. First Hunts. Age shakes the hand, and shoots both wide Sec. Hunts. Oh, were we ever so paid for our pain ! would, He would have rain'd upon us show'rs of gold. Sec. Hunts. Why, he is hunting somewhere hereabout. Let's first go drink and then go seek him out. Re-enter the KING and HOBS. [Exeunt. King. Hay say'st thou, tanner? wilt thou take my courser for thy mare ? Hobs. Courser, call'st thou him? So ill mought I fare, thy skittish jade will never abide to carry my leather, my horns, nor hide. But, if I were so mad to scorce, what boot would'st thou give me ? King. thee. Nay, boot that's boot worthy. I look for boot of Hobs. Ha, ha! a merry jig. Why, man, Brock, my mare, knows ha and ree, and will stand when I cry ho, and let me get up and down, and make water when I do. King. I'll give thee a noble, if I like her pace. Lay thy cowhides on my saddle, and let's jog towards Drayton. Hobs. 'Tis out of my way; but I begin to like thee well. King. Thou wilt like me better before we do part. I prithee tell me, what say they of the king. Hobs. I tell thee? King. it for me. Hobs. King. Of the kings, thou meanest. Art thou no blab, if If the king know't not now, he shall never know Mass, they say King Harry's a very advowtry man. A devout man? And what King Edward ? Hobs. He's a frank franion, a merry companion, and loves a wench well. They say he has married a poor widow, because she's fair. King. Dost thou like him the worse for that? No; by my feckins, but the better; for, though I be a plain tanner, I love a fair lass myself. King. Prithee tell me, how love they King Edward? Hobs. Faith, as poor folks love holidays, glad to have them now and then; but to have them come too often will undo them. So, to see the king now and then 'tis comfort; but every day would beggar us; and I may say to thee, we fear we shall be troubled to lend him money; for we doubt he's but needy. King. need? Wouldst thou lend him no money, if he should Hobs. By my halidome, yes. He shall have half my store ; and I'll sell sole leather to help him to more. King. Faith, whether thou lovest better Harry or Edward? Hobs. Nay, that's counsel, and two may keep it, if one be away. King. Shall I say my conscience? I think Harry is the true king. Hobs. Art advised of that? Harry's of the old house of Lancaster; and that progenity do I love. King. And thou dost not hate the house of York ? Hobs. Why, no; for I am just akin to Sutton Windmill; I can grind which way soe'er the wind blow. If it be Harry, I can say, "Well fare, Lancaster." If it be Edward, I can sing, "York York, for my money." King. Thou art of my mind; but I say Harry is the lawful king. Edward is but an usurper, and a fool, and a coward. He has wit enough and Hobs. Nay, there thou liest. courage enough. Dost thou not speak treason? King. Ay, but I know to whom I speak it. |