THE ELIZABETHAN FAIRIES

ROBIN GOODFELLOW 231
Samuel Rowlands. In the masque of Love Restored of
the former, he boasts himself " the honest plain country
spirit, and harmless; Robin Goodfellow, he that sweeps
the hearth and the house clean, riddles for the country
maids, and does all their other drudgery," and con-
tinually shows himself full of good humor and jokes and
honest m~rality.~' In More Knaues Yet? The Knnues
of Spades and Diamonds of the latter, he becomes
. . . . . . a good fellow deuill,
So called in kindnes, cause he did no euill,
Knowne by the name of Robin (as we heare)
And that his eyes as bigge as sawcers were,
Who came a nights, & would make Kitchins cleane
And in the bed bepinch a lazie queane.
Was much in Milles about the grinding Meale,
(And sure I take it, taught the Miller steale,)
Amongst the creame bowles, & milke pans would be
And with the country wenches, who but hee.
To wash their Dishes for some fresh-cheese hier:
Or set their Pots and Kettles bout the fier.
T'was a mad Robin, that did diuers prancks,
For which with some good Cheere, they gaue him thanks
And that was all the kindnes he expected,
With gaine (it seems) he was not much infected.s0
The Anatomy of Melancholy, treating hobgoblins and
Robin Goodfellows as identical spirits, defines them as a
" bigger kind " of terrestrial devils, " called with us
49 Morley ed., 1890, pp. 167 and 168.
50 Vol. 11, pp. 40-41. Cf. also Fletcher, The Night-Walker, 111, 2:
" My aunt has turned me out a-doors; she has,
At this unchristian hour; and I do walk
Methinks like Guido Faux, with my dark lanthorn,
Stealing to set the town a-fire; i' th' country
I should be ta'en for William o' the Wisp,
Or Robin Goodfellow."