Volume Viii Part 17 (2/2)

Why, goodman Tricks, who taught you thus to prate?

Your name, your name? Were you never christen'd?

RAL. My nomination Radulph is, or Ralph: Vulgars corruptly use to call me Rafe.

FRIAR. O foul corruption of base palliardize,[187]

When idiots, witless, travail to be wise.

Age barbarous, times impious, men vicious!

Able to upraise, Men dead many days, That wonted to praise The rhymes and the lays Of poets laureate: Whose verse did decorate, And their lines 'l.u.s.trate Both prince and potentate.

These from their graves See a.s.ses and knaves, Base idiot slaves, With boastings and braves Offer to upfly To the heavens high, With vain foolery And rude ribaldry.

Some of them write Of beastly delight, Suffering their lines To flatter these times With pandarism base, And l.u.s.t do uncase From the placket to the pap: G.o.d send them ill-hap!

Some like quaint pedants, Good wit's true recreants, Ye cannot beseech From pure Priscian speech.

Divers as nice, Like this odd vice, Are word-makers daily.

Others in courtesy, Whenever they meet ye, With new fas.h.i.+ons greet ye: Changing each congee, Sometime beneath knee, With, ”Good sir, pardon me,”

And much more foolery, Paltry and foppery, Dissembling knavery: Hands sometime kissing, But honesty missing.

G.o.d give no blessing To such base counterfeiting.

LIT. JOHN. Stop, Master Skelton! whither will you run?

FRIAR. G.o.d's pity! Sir John Eltham, Little John, I had forgot myself. But to our play.

Come, goodman Fas.h.i.+ons, let us go our way, Unto this hanging business. Would, for me, Some rescue or reprieve might set them free.

[_Exeunt_ FRIAR, RALPH.

ROB. H. Heard'st thou not, Little John, the friar's speech, Wis.h.i.+ng for rescue or a quick reprieve?

LIT. JOHN. He seems like a good fellow, my good lord.

ROB. H. He's a good fellow, John, upon my word.

Lend me thy horn, and get thee in to Much, And when I blow this horn, come both, and help me.

LIT. JOHN. Take heed, my lord: that villain Warman knows you, And ten to one he hath a writ against you.

ROB. H. Fear not.

Below the bridge a poor blind man doth dwell, With him I will change my habit, and disguise: Only be ready when I call for ye; For I will save their lives, if it may be.

LIT. JOHN. I will do what you would immediately.

_Enter_ WARMAN, SCARLET, _and_ SCATHLOCK, _bound_; FRIAR TUCK _as their confessor; officers with halberts_.

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