The Sad Shepherd
Sad Shepherd, The, or A Tale of Robin Hood,the last and unfinished play of Jonson , a pastoral tragi-comedy written c. 1635 , printed 1641 .
Robin Hood invites the shepherds and shepherdesses of the Vale of Belvoir to a feast in Sherwood Forest, but the feast is marred by the arts of the witch Maudlin, aided by her familiar, Puck-Hairy. Aeglamour, the Sad Shepherd, relates the loss of his beloved Earine, whom he believes drowned in the Trent. In reality Maudlin has stripped her of her garments to adorn her daughter and shut her up in an oak as a prey for her son, the uncouth swineherd Lorel. The witch assumes the form of Maid Marian, sends away the venison prepared for the feast, abuses Robin Hood, and throws his guests into confusion. Lorel tries to win Earine but fails. The wiles of Maudlin are detected, and Robin's huntsmen pursue her. Only the first three acts of the play exist; there are continuations by Francis...
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