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ROBIN GOODFELLOW.

For the account which I am able to give of this rare and curious book, I am also indebted to the great kindness of Marquis Stafford. Its title is as follows: "Robin Goodfellow

His mad Pranks and merry Jests.

Full of honest Mirth; and is a fit Medicine for Melancholy."

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Small quarto. 1628. Black letter.

The copy in the Stafford library of this book is, I believe, unique. It is, as its title page represents, a book of tales and jests, of which I give the following specimen:

"How the Fairyes called Robin Goodfellow to dance with them, and how they shewed him their severall conditions.

"Robin Goodfellow being walking one night, heard the excellente musicke of Tom Thumb's brave bag pipe: he remembring the sound (according to the command of King Oberon) went toward them they for ioy that he was come, did circle him in, and in a ring did dance round about him. Robin Goodfellow, seeing their loue to him, danced in the midst of them, and sung then this song to the tune of To him Bun.

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"THE

THE SONG.

Round about little ones, quicke and nimble;
In & out wheele about, run, hop, or amble;
Joyne your hands louingly; well done, musition:
Mirth keepeth man in health like a physicion.
Elues, vrchins, goblins all, & little fairyes
That doe filch, blacke, & pinch mayds of the dairyes,
Make a ring on this grasse with your quicke measures:
Tom shall play, and Ile ting, for all your pleasures.
Pinch, & Patch, Gull, & Grim,
Goe you together;

For you change your shapes

Like to the weather:

Sib, & Tib, Licke, & Lull,

You all have trickes too :
Little Tom Thumb that pipes,
Shall goe betwixt you;
Tom, tickle vp thy pipes,
Till they bee weary;
I will laugh ho, ho, hoh,
And make me merry.
Make a ring on this grasse
With your quicke measures :
Tom shall play, I will sing,
For all your pleasures.

The moone shines faire & bright,

And the owle hollows:

Mortals now take their rests

Upon their pillows:

The bats abroad likewise,

And the night rauen,

Which doth use for to call

Men to deaths haven.

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Now

Now the mice peep abroad,

And the cats take them.

Now doe young wenches sleepe,
Till their dreams wake them.
Make a ring on the grasse
With your quicke measures:
Tom shall play, I will sing,
For all your pleasures.

"Thus danced they a good space: at last they left, and sat downe upon the grasse, &, to requite Robin Goodfellowe's kindnesse, they promised to tell him all the exploits that they were accustomed to doe. Robin thanked them, & listned to them," &c. &c.

GARRICK

GARRICK COLLECTION.

THE Garrick Collection is so deservedly an object of curiosity among those who are studious to mark the progress of English literature, from rudeness to refinement, that I consider myself as rendering an acceptable piece of service, in pointing out to attention, the more choice and valuable articles of which it is composed. I have been enabled to do this, through the kind assistance of my friend Mr. Kemble.

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Before I enter into the specification of any article in particular, I must intimate, as a preliminary observation, what is indeed known to the more curious Collector, though not to the general Reader, that all the quarto plays of the following writers are of increasing rarity and value; viz. Shakspeare, Middleton, Shirley, Massinger, Marston, Chapman, Ben Jonson, Thomas Heywood, Thomas Decker, Sir R. Davenant, John Lilly, and lastly, of Beaumont and Fletcher.

I shall proceed to specify the writers whose works are most rare, and which of them are to be found in the Garrick Collection,

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JOHN BALE.

The performance of John Bale, which is in the Garrick Collection, is one of its most rare and valuable articles, and to be found, I believe, neither in the Malone nor Kemble Collections. It is thus entitled, though the title page is mutilated:

"A TRAGEDYE, OR ENTERLUDE, manyfestyng the chefe Promyses of God unto Man, by all ages in the Olde Lawe, from the Fall of Adam to the incarnacyon of the Lorde Jesus Christ. Compyled by Johan Bale, Anno Domini, M. D. XXXVIII.".

HENRY BURNELL.

"LANDGARTHA, a Tragie-Comedy, as it was presented in the new Theatre in Dublin with good applause; being an ancient Story. Written by H. B. Dublin, 1641."

This play is exceedingly scarce, but it is also in the Kemble Collection. It is dedicated "To all faire, indifferent faire, vertuous that are not faire, and magnanimous ladies." The story of the play is borrowed from a memorable event in the History of Sweden.

LADY

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