M. Mery. Yea malkyn, I warrant you as muche as they dare.

And ye will not beleve what they say in the streete, When your mashyp passeth by all suche as I meete That sometimes I can scarce fynde what aunswere to make. Who is this (sayth one) sir Lancelot du lake ? Who is this, great Guy of Warwike, sayth an other ? No (say I) it is the thirtenth Hercules brother. Who is this ? noble Hector of Troy^ sayth the thirde ? No, but of the same nest (say I) it is a birde. . . . Who is this? greate Alexander? or Charle le Maigne?^ No, it is the tenth Worthie, say I to them agayne : . . . To some others, the thirde Cato I do you call. And so as well as I can I aunswere them all. Sir I pray you, what lorde or great gentleman is this ? Maister Ralph Royster Doyster, dame, say I, ywis. O Lorde (sayth she than) what a goodly man it is, Woulde Christ I had such a husbande as he is. O Lorde (say some) that the sight of his face we lacke : It is inough for you (say I) to see his backe.
^ Charlemagne.
158 SHAKSPERE AND HIS FORERUNNERS
His face is for ladies of high and noble parages. With whom he hardly scapeth great manages.
In the third scene Royster Doyster comes upon Mage MuMBLECRUST, Spinning on the distaffe^ Tibet Talkapace, sowyngy Annot Alyface, knittyng ; and after a lot of ser- vant-maids' talk, Royster Doyster offers them the com- mon salutation of the time — a kiss. The old nurse Mumblecrust takes hers without ado ; but when he comes to Tib Talkapace, she draws back and chaffs him merci- lessly, as by the following specimen :
R. Royster, I would faine kisse you too, good maiden, if I
myght — Tib. Talk. What shold that nccde ? R. Royster. But to honor you, by this light. I use to kisse all them that I love ... I vowe.
Tib. Talk. Yea, sir ? I pray you when dyd ye last kiss your
cowe.
And so finally Royster Doyster gets the old nurse Mum- blecrust alone, and begins to curry her good ofiices with her mistress.
R. Royster. Ah good sweet nourse.