English Literature for Boys and GirlsMarshall, H. E. (Henrietta Elizabeth)
History
English Literature for Boys and Girls
Marshall, H. E. (Henrietta Elizabeth)
English literature -- History and criticism
Meanwhile the real Maid Marian discovers that the venison has
been sent away to Mother Maudlin's. With tears in her eyes she
declares that she gave no such orders, and Scathlock is sent to
bring it back.
When Mother Maudlin comes to thank Maid Marian for her present,
she is told that no such present was ever intended, and so she in
anger curses the cook, casting spells upon him:
"The spit stand still, no broches turn
Before the fire, but let it burn.
Both sides and haunches, till the whole
Converted be into one coal.
The pain we call St. Anton's fire,
The gout, or what we can desire,
To cramp a cook in every limb,
Before they dine yet, seize on him."
Soon Friar Tuck comes in. "Hear you how," he says,
"Poor Tom the cook is taken! all his joints
Do crack, as if his limbs were tied with points.
His whole frame slackens; and a kind of rack,
Runs down along the spindils of his back;
A gout, or cramp, now seizeth on his head,
Then falls into his feet; his knees are lead;
And he can stir his either hand no more
Than a dead stump, to his office, as before."
He is bewitched, that is certain. And certain too it is that
Mother Maudlin has done it. So Robin and his men set out to hunt
for her, while Friar Tuck and Much the Miller's son stay to look
after the dinner in the poor cook's stead. Robin soon meets
Mother Maudlin who has again taken the form of Maid Marian. But
this time Robin suspects her. He seizes the witch by her
enchanted belt. It breaks, and she comes back to her own shape,
and Robin goes off, leaving her cursing.
Mother Maudlin then calls for Puck-hairy, her goblin. He
appears, crying:
"At your beck, madam."
"O Puck my goblin! I have lost my belt,
The strong thief, Robin Outlaw, forced it from me,"
wails Mother Maudlin. But Puck-hairy pays little attention to
her complaints.
"They are other clouds and blacker threat you, dame;
You must be wary, and pull in your sails,
And yield unto the weather of the tempest.
You think your power's infinite as your malice,
And would do all your anger prompts you to;
But you must wait occasions, and obey them:
Sail in an egg-shell, make a straw your mast,
A cobweb all your cloth, and pass unseen,
Till you have 'scaped the rocks that are about you.
MAUDLIN. What rocks about me?
PUCK. I do love, madam,
To show you all your dangers--when you're past them!
Come, follow me, I'll once more be your pilot,
And you shall thank me.
MAUDLIN. Lucky, my loved Goblin!"
And here the play breaks off suddenly, for Jonson died and left
it so. It was finished by another writer* later on, but with
none of Jonson's skill, and reading the continuation we feel that
all the interest is gone. However, you will be glad to know that
everything comes right. The good people get happily married and
all the bad people become good, even the wicked old witch, Mother
Maudlin.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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