the constant and uninterrupted tradition from father to son, they have retain'd of him to this day in the north, and more especially in the place of his nativity, is no small proof of it.

Indeed, I do not find the Pindar's name mention'd in any of our chronicles, but those of Robin Hood and Little John, who were George's cotemporaries being recorded in Hollingshead, and there being some of the descendants of Little John, who bore, and they from him, the surname of Nailor, still, or at least very lately, in being in the kingdom, I cannot conceive this makes against, but rather for our present history, the actions of the other two, in all probability, happening to become more cognizable to that chronicler, upon account of their being outlaws, and the depredations they committed, than those of George's who, as he continued stedfast in his loyalty to his prince, follow'd also an honest and lawfully calling its true, he was as conspicuous, and rather more for his valour, than any of them all; which must needs recommend him to the good opinion of the brave and generous; and 'tis not to be imagined that any should value him the less, because he was more vertuous than the other.

I confess, it pleases me not a little, that George is taken notice of by Mr. Butler, the famous author of Hudibras, an immortal piece; and the same seems to

be a confirmation upon the main of the truth of this history for in his first canto of the second part, having brought Hudibras to promise his mistress he would suffer a whipping, on condition she would have him, and being not able to perswade his man Ralpho to undergo the punishment for him, he fell to threats, as if he would beat him, saying,

to which the other answer'd,

Y' had best (quoth Ralpho) as the ancients
Say wisely, have a care' th' main chance,
And look before you, e're you leap;

For as you sow, y' are like to reap.

And were y' as good as George A Green,
I shall make bold to turn agen;

Nor am I doubtful of the issue

In a just quarrel and mine is so.

As for the history it self, its very easie to observe by its phraseology and manner of writing, that 'tis not very modern, but that the manuscript must at least have been as old as the days of Queen Elizabeth. Its lodged in a public library in the city of London, from which a copy was taken, and is now made publick, with no other alteration, than such as were necessary to make the sense tolerably congruous.

We do not pretend to vouch for the truth of this history in every particular: it was the practice of the times, upon such occasions as these, to imbellish truth (as the writers imagined) with some of their inventions, but it not being easie at such a distance nicely to distinguish the one from the other, we chose rather to put it entire into the hands of the gentle reader, to whose censure and determination we do wholly submit it.

However, to pleasure him so far as it lay in our power, and to set George forth in as conspicuous a manner as the circumstances of things would admit: we have added several cutts to the Work, one of which represents the Pindar's person, and the rest the most memorable transactions of his life, especially his Acts of Valour, wherein he excelled, and for which he is justly celebrated to this day, and the publication of this his history is design'd for the perpetuating of fame to all future generations.

* These Cuts not being deemed sufficiently curious to warrant their being re-engraved have been omitted, with this exception, however, the whole of the manner and matter of the original Edition have been observed. Ed.

THE

HISTORY OF GEORGE A GREEN,

PINDAR OF THE TOWN OF

WAKEFIELD, &c.

CHAPTER I.

Of the Parentage and Birth of George A Green; and of some Accidents that happen'd to him in his Childhood, before he could hardly write Man, which gave great hopes of his farther Strength and Valour. THAT this history may gain the greater credit and countenance, and not incur the imputation of a vain and fabulous discourse (of which number this age hath already been abused with too many) I thought it the best course, both for the reputation of the work, and the encouragement of the reader, to follow and observe an exact computation of time; as also, all the series of such circumstances, as are not only known, but very remarkable in our best and most approv'd chronicles.

Thus therefore it followeth :

The reign of Henry the Second of that name, king of England, the son of Geoffrey Plantagenet, earl of Anjou, and Maud the empress, daughter of Henry the First, and younger son to William the Conqueror, began

B.

in the month of October, in the year after our blessed Saviour's Incarnation, 1155, and in the nineteenth year of Lewis the Eighth, king of France. He was a prince of so great valour and courage, that he was often heard to say, That the world was not sufficient to contain or limit a valiant and magnanimous spirit. Neither did his words come much short of his heroical attempts, for he subdued Ireland by the sword, and surpriz'd William, king of Scots, in battle, joining and annexing the kingdom unto his own. He comprehended all the land and continent from the south ocean to the north islands of the Orcades, under due principality and government, now spaciously extending his empires more than any of his progenitors: for not any king of England before his time held so many countries and provinces under their dominion and government; for, besides his own kingdom and crown, of which he was immediate and apparent heir, and unto which he was lineally descended: he had under his rule and command, the entire dukedoms of Normandy, Gascoigne and Guyenne, Anjou and Chinon: besides, he subjected unto him Auvergne; with divers other lands and territories. Moreover, by his wife Eleanor (who had been before divorced from Lewis the Eighth, king of France) he had in dower the Montes Pyrenæi, the Pyrenean mountains that divide France and Spain. He had by this queen a fair and hopeful issue, namely five sons and three daughters. His sons were William, Henry, Richard, Godfrey, and John, of which two only succeeded him in the