ROB.  H. Now God preserve him! hie you back again,
And guide him, lest in bypaths he mistake. 
Much, fetch a richer garment for my father;
Good Friar Tuck, I prythee rouse thy wits: 
Warman, visit mine uncle and Sir Doncaster,
See if they can come forth to grace our show. 
God’s pity, Marian, let your Jenny wait. 
Thanks, my lord chancellor, you are well prepar’d;
And, good Prince John, since you are all in green,
Disdain not to attend on Robin Hood: 
Frolic, I pray; I trust to do ye good.

    Enter PRIOR and SIR DONCASTER.[244]

Welcome, good uncle, welcome, Sir Doncaster. 
Say, will ye sit; I fear ye cannot stand.

PRIOR.  Yes, very well.

ROB.  H. Why, cheerly, cheerly then. 
The trumpet sounds, the king is now at hand: 
Lords, yeomen, maids, in decent order stand.

The trumpets sound the while ROBIN HOOD places them.  Enter first, bareheaded, LITTLE JOHN and SCARLET; likewise CHESTER and LEICESTER, bearing the sword and sceptre; the KING follows, crowned, clad in green; after him QUEEN MOTHER; after her SALISBURY and RICHMOND.  SCARLET and SCATHLOCK turn to ROBIN HOOD, who with all his company kneel down and cry—­

ALL.  God save King Richard!  Lord preserve your grace!

KING.  Thanks all; but chiefly, Huntington, to thee. 
Arise, poor earl; stand up, my late-lost son. 
And on thy shoulders let me rest my arms,
That have been toiled long with heathen wars. 
True pillar of my state, right lord indeed,
Whose honour shineth in the den of need,
I am even full of joy and full of woe,
To see thee, glad; but sad to see thee so.

ROB.  H. O, that I could pour out my soul in prayers,
And praises for this kingly courtesy! 
Do not, dread lord, grieve at my low estate: 
Never so rich, never so fortunate,
Was Huntington as now himself he finds;
And to approve it, may it please your grace,
But to accept such presents at the hand
Of your poor servant as he hath prepar’d. 
You shall perceive the Emperor of the East,
Whom you contended with at Babylon,
Had not such presents to present you with.

KING.  Art thou so rich? swift,[245] let me see thy gifts.

ROB.  H. First, take again this jewel you had lost,
Aged Fitzwater, banished by John.

KING.  A gem indeed! no prince hath such a one. 
Good, good old man, as welcome unto me
As cool fresh air in heat’s extremity.

FITZ.  And I as glad to kiss my sovereign’s hand,
As the wreck’d swimmer, when he feels the land.

QUEEN.  Welcome, Fitzwater, I am glad to see you.

FITZ.  I thank your grace:  but let me hug these twain,
Leicester and Richmond, Christ’s sworn champions,
That follow’d Richard in his holy war.