%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The mad-merry prankes of Robbin Good-fellow. Jonson, Ben University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1625 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 05/31/2008 20274

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Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

1.80-81 S126152 1 Dulcina Dulcina Dulcina FRom Obrion in Fairy Land / the King of Ghosts and shadowes there, And make good sport with ho ho ho. [with variations] VVHen house or harth doth sluttish lie, / I pinch the maids there blacke and blew attributed to Ben Jonson; original woodcut and type not heavily inked compared to facsimile Pepys 1.80-81 STC 12018.3 Printed at London for H. G[osson, c. 1625?]; Rollins (2) 1615 (Mch. 1, 1675, ii, 497). Woodblock 1: first half sheet, centered above two columns: In foreground, a man (presumably Robbin) standing atop a hill wearing nothing but a skimpy loin cloth. His righ hand points to a village castle or church in the background. Trees visible in background, and a river opening into the ocean.: 110 x 81 Woodblock 2: second half sheet, centered above two columns: Central figure of a man (presumably Robbin) dressed in a fur or feather outfit, which covers the arms and torso, extending to a short skirt. He has a long beard and unkempt hair. His left hand is touching his belt, which appears to be made of branches. His shoes also appear to be made of branches. A tree is visible on either side of his body.: 106 x 64 Pepys Library The Pepys ballads : facsimile volume Editor W.G. Day D.S. Brewer Cambridge [England] 1987 Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 80 1: 81 The mad-merry prankes of Robbin Good-fellow. The mad-merry prankes of Robbin Good-fellow. The Mad-Merry Pranks of Robin Goodfellow. The second prat. The second prat. The Second Part. Jonson, Ben 1/2 sheet folio, originally left part, 264 x 147 1/2 sheet folio, originally right part, 267 x 145 cropped right edge, torn left and bottom edges, uneven inking cropped and torn right edge, uneven inking cast fleurons cast fleurons 1625 Printed at London for H. G. H. G. [Henry Gosson] Weinstein: STC Weinstein lists I:80-81 under H. G. [Henry Gosson] and notes that STC conjectures H. G[osson]. BBTI and Plomer confirm Henry Gosson's activity ca. 1625.

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 Taxonomy used by Pepys to Organize Ballads in Albums A Small Promiscuous Supplement Devotion & Morality Drinking & Good Fellowship History - True & Fabulous Humour, Frollicks &c Love Pleasant Love Pleasant and Unfortunate Love Unfortunate Marriage Sea State & Times Tragedy Various Subjects Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/health alcohol animals/nature appearance Bible/biblical figures buildings/architecture catastrophe children class clothing/fashion country/nation crime death economics/trade entertainment family/procreation folklore gender historical figures & events holidays/seasons infidelity law London love maritime marriage military/war monstrosity mythology/Classical world news nobility/court politics/government punishment religious concepts religious figures religious types & sects royalty rural life servitude sex/sexuality supernatural/magic The New World travel trickery/deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgarities/crass humor Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 5/31/2008 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America History - True & Fabulous animals/nature folklore gender supernatural/magic vulgarities/crasshumor 05/31/2008 Checker Patrick Ludolph rechecked transcription, metadata, xml 07/16/2007 Checker Gordon Batchelor checked transcription, metadata added, xml created 07/13/2006 Transcriber Eric Nebeker original transcription 07/12/2004 Bibliographer Mac Test Bibliographic SQL Database Record Created; unclear to me who MT is.
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The mad-merry prankes of Robbin Good-fellow.</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To the tune of <hi rend="bold">Dulcina</hi></hi>.</seg>
FRom Obrion in Fairy Land the King of Ghosts and shadowes there, [M]ad Robin I at his command, am sent to view the night-sports here. What revell rout Is kept about [In] every corner where I goe, I will ore see, And merry be, And make good sport with ho ho ho. More swift then lightning can I flye, and round about this ayrie welkin soone, And in a minutes space descry each thing that's done beneath the Moone: There's not a Hag Nor Ghost shall wag, [Nor] cry Goblin where I doe goe, But Robin I [Th]eir feates will spye [And feare] them home with ho ho ho. [If any wan]derers I meet [that from t]heir night sports doe trudge home [With counter]faiting voyce I greet, [and cause t]hem on with me to roame [Through] woods, through lakes, [Through] bogs, through brakes [Ore bush and brier] with them I goe, [I call upon] [Them to come on] [And wend me laughing ho] ho ho
Sometimes I meet them like a man, sometimes an oxe, sometimes a hound, And to a horse I turne me can, to trip and trot about them round. But if to ride Me backe they stride, More swift then winde away I goe, Ore hedge and lands, Through pooles and ponds, I whirry laughing ho ho ho. When Ladds and Lasses merry be, With possets and with junkets fine, Unseene of all the Company, I eate their cates and sip their wine: and to make sport. I fart and snort, And out the candles I doe blow, The maids I kisse, They shrieke who's this I answer nought but ho ho ho. Yet now and then the maids to please, I card at midnight up their wool: And while they sleepe, snort, fart, and fease, with wheele to threds their flaxe I pull: I grind at Mill Their Malt up still. I dresse their hemp, I spin their towe If any wake, And would me take, I wend me laughing ho ho ho.
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The second prat. To the same tune.</hi></seg>
WHen house or harth doth sluttish lie, I pinch the maids there blacke and blew And from the bed the bed-cloathes I pull off, and lay them naked to view: twixt sleepe, and wake I doe them take And on the key cold floore them throw, If out they crie Then forth flye I, And loudly laugh ho ho ho. When any need to borrow ought, we lend them what they doe require, And for the use demaund we nought, our owne is all we doe desire: If to repay They doe delay Abroad amongst them then I goe, And night by night I them affright With pinching, dreames, and ho ho ho. When lazie queenes have nought to doe, but study how to cogge and lie, To make debate and mischiefe too twixt one another secretly: I marke their glose And doe disclose To them that they had wronged so, When I have done I get me gone And leaue them scolding ho ho ho. When men doe traps and engins set in loope-holes where the vermine creepe,
That from their foulds and houses set their ducks and geese, their lambs a[nd sheepe], I spy the gin And enter in, And seemes a vermin taken so: But when they there approach me neare I leape out laughing ho ho ho. By Wels and Gils in medowes greene we nightly dance our heyday guise, And to our fairy king and queene we chant our Moone-light harmonies When Larkes gin sing Away we fling, And babes new borne steale as we goe An elfe in bed We leave in stead, And wend us laughing ho ho ho. From Hag-bred Merlins time have I thus nightly reveld to and fro: And for my pranks men call me by the name of Robin Good-Fellow: Fiends, ghosts, and sprites That haunt the nights, The Hags and Goblins doe me know And Beldams old My feats have told, So Vale, Vale, ho ho ho.
FINIS
Printed at London for H.G.