1605 - Breton, Nicholas - Poste with Mad Packet of Letters (pt 2) (2)

By Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2013-08-02. Revised by Henrik Thiil Nielsen, 2018-07-28.

Allusion

8. An answer to the newes.
[...]
I will hope shortly of your amendment: in the meane time let me aduise you to take patience in your vnderstanding, to direct you in a better course: for when you waked out of your dreame, you saw no body, but the man that you thought was runne to our towne, and he was putting you on a Coat with foure Elboes: for Maid Marrian, shée, I thinke, is troubled with you in her Creame-pot: but for the Hobbie-horse, alas, he hath forgot your turne [...]

IRHB comments

The primary sense of 'cream-pot' is, of course, 'a vessel for holding milk while the cream is forming; a vessel for keeping cream'. Thus Maid Marian is here identified as a dairy maid.

Lists

• Not included in Dobson, R. B., ed.; Taylor, J., ed. Rymes of Robyn Hood: an Introduction to the English Outlaw (London, 1976), pp. 315-19.
• Outside scope of Sussex, Lucy, compil. 'References to Robin Hood up to 1600', in: Knight, Stephen. Robin Hood: A Complete Study of the English Outlaw (Oxford, UK; Cambridge, Massachusetts: Blackwell, 1994), pp. 262-88.

Sources

• Breton, Nicholas; Grosart, Alexander B., ed. The Works in Verse and Prose of Nicholas Breton (Chertsey Worthies' Library) (St George's, Blackburn, Lancashire, 1879), vol. II, p. 33.

Notes