jerkin and hose, like a ranger; a Monmouth cap, with a yellow feather, yellow stockings and shoes; for being to dance, he would not trouble himself with

boots.

Fitz.

Acci.

Stub of Stub-hall,

Some do him call;

But most do say,
He's Stub will stay

To run his race,
Not run away.
At Quintain he,

In honour of this bridaltee,

Hath challeng'd either wide countee;
Come Cut and Long-tail: for there be
Six bachelors as bold as he,

Adjuting to his companee,

And each one hath his livery.

Fitz. Six Hoods they are, and of the blood,
They tell of ancient Robin Hood.

Acci.

Enter RED-HOOD.

Red-hood, the first that doth appear
In stamel.2

Scarlet is too dear.

Enter GREEN-HOOD.

Fitz. Then Green-hood.

Acci. He's in Kendal-green,

As in the forest-colour seen.

2 Red-hood, the first that doth appear

In stamel,] i. e. a kind of red, inferior both in quality and price to scarlet. Thus Fletcher :

"To see a handsome, young, fair enough, and well-mounted

wench

Humble herself in an old stamel petticoat."

Woman Hater, Act iv. Scene 2.

And our author, a little after, describes the bride-maids drest in stamel petticoats, after the cleanliest country guise. WHAL.

Enter BLUE-HOOD.

Fitz. Next Blue-hood is, and in that hue
Doth vaunt a heart as pure and true
As is the sky; give him his due.
Acci. Of old England the yeoman blue.

Enter TAWNY-HOOD.

Fitz. Then Tawny fra' the kirk that came.
Acci. And cleped was the abbot's man.

Enter MOTLEY-HOOD.

Fitz. With Motley-hood, the man of law.
Enter RUSSET-HOOD.

Acci. And Russet-hood keeps all in awe.
Bold bachelors they are, and large,
And come in at the country charge;
Horse, bridles, saddles, stirrups, girts,
All reckon'd o' the country skirts!
And all their courses, miss or hit,
Intended are for the shire-wit,
And so to be received.
Their game
Is country sport, and hath a name
From the place that bears the cost,
Else all the fat i' the fire were lost.
Go, captain Stub, lead on, and show
What house you come on by the blow
You give sir Quintain, and the cuff
o' the sand-bag's counterbuff.
[Flourish.

You scape

3 Go, captain Stub, lead on, and shew What house you come on by the blow You give sir Quintain, and the cuff

You scape o' th' sand-bag's counterbuff.] The diversion here mentioned is thus described by Dr. Kennet: "They set up a post perpendicularly in the ground, and then placed a slender piece of timber on the top of it on a spindle, with a board nailed to it on one end, and a bag of sand on the other. Against this board they

STUB'S COURSE.

Acci. O well run, yeoman Stub!
Thou hast knock'd it like a club,
And made sir Quintain know,
By this his race so good,
He himself is also wood,
As by his furious blow.

RED-HOOD'S COURSE.

Fitz. Bravely run, Red-hood,
There was a shock

To have buff'd out the blood

From aught but a block.

GREEN-HOOD'S COURSE.

[Flourish.

[Flourish.

Acci. Well run, Green-hood, got between,
Under the sand-bag he was seen,
Lowting low, like a forester green.
Fitz. He knows his tackle, and his treen.

BLUE-HOOD'S COURSE.

[Flourish.

Acci. Give the old England yeoman his due,
He has hit sir Quintain just in the qu-
Though that be black, yet he is blue.
It is a brave patch and a new!

TAWNY-HOOD'S COURSE.

[Flourish.

Fitz. Well run, Tawny, the abbot's churl,
His jade gave him a jerk,

As he would have his rider hurl

His hood after the kirk.

rode with spears. Dr. Plot writes, that he saw it at Deddington in Oxfordshire, where only strong staves were used: which violently bringing about the bag of sand, if they made not good speed away, it struck them on the neck, and shoulders, and sometimes perhaps knocked them off their horses." Paroch. Antiq. WHAL.

But he was wiser, and well beheft,
For this is all that he hath left.

MOTLEY-HOOD'S COURSE.

[Flourish.

Fitz. Or the saddle turn'd round, or the girts brake: For low on the ground, woe for his sake! The law is found.

Acci. Had his pair of tongues not so much good, To keep his head in his motley hood, [Safefrom the ground?*]

RUSSET-HOOD'S COURSE.

[Flourish.

Fitz. Russet ran fast, though he be thrown.
Acci. He lost no stirrup, for he had none.
Fitz. His horse it is the herald's weft.
Acci. No, 'tis a mare, and hath a cleft."
Fitz. She is country-borrow'd, and no vail,
Acci. But's hood is forfeit to Fitz-Ale.

Here ACCIDENCE did break them off, by calling them to the dance, and to the bride, who was dressed like an old May-lady, with scarfs, and a great wrought handkerchief, with red and blue, and other habiliments: Six maids attending on her, attired with buckram bridelaces begilt, white sleeves, and stammel petticoats, drest after the cleanliest country guise; among whom mistress ALPHABET, master ACCIDENCE's daughter, did bear a prime sway.

The two bride-squires, the cake-bearer and the bowlbearer, were in two yellow leather doublets, and russet

4 [Safe from the ground.] A line is lost in this place, and I have merely put in brackets what I conceive the sense of it to have been.

5 And hath a cleft.] This passage is quoted by Mr. Todd to illustrate the meaning of clefts, "a term in farriery for a disease of the pasterns." This is very innocently done; nevertheless, I would advise the substitution of another example, for the present is unluckily not to the purpose.

hose, like two twin clowns prest out for that office, with livery hats and ribands.

Acci. Come to the bride; another fit

Fitz.

Yet show, sirs, of your country wit,
But of your best. Let all the steel
Of back and brains fall to the heel;
And all the quicksilver in the mine
Run in the foot-veins, and refine
Your firk-hum jerk-hum to a dance,
Shall fetch the fiddles out of France,
To wonder at the horn-pipes here,
Of Nottingham and Derbyshire.
With the phant'sies of hey-troll,
Troll about the bridal bowl,

And divide the broad bride cake,
Round about the bride's-stake.

With, Here is to the fruit of Pem,
Grafted upon Stub his stem,

Ассі.

Fitz.

Acci.

With the Peakish nicety,

Fitz.

And old Sherewood's vicety.

The last of which words were set to a tune, and sung to the bagpipe, and measure of their dance; the clowns and company of spectators drinking and eating the while.

SONG.

Let's sing about, and say, Hey troll,
Troll to me the bridal bowl,

And divide the broad bride-cake,

Round about the bride's-stake.

With, Here is to the fruit of Pem,

Grafted upon Stub his stem,
With the Peakish nicety,
And old Sherewood's vicety.
But well danced Pem upon record,
Above thy yeoman, or May-lord.