twice; namely, in _Romeo and Juliet_, Act IV. Sc. 1., where Friar
Laurence addresses Juliet thus:

"My leisure serves me, pensive daughter, now."

and again, in the Third Part of _Henry VI_., Act IV. Sc. 1., where Clarence
is thus addressed by King Edward upon the subject of his marriage with the
Lady Grey:

"Now, brother Clarence, how like you our choice,
That you stand pensive, as half mal-content?"

I also find that, according to the stage directions (both ancient and
modern) of Act II. Sc 2. of _Henry VIII_. (see Collier's _Shakspeare_, vol.
v. p. 534., _note_), the king is described to be found "reading pensively,"
at a moment when he is meditating his divorce from Katharine of Arragon,
not "because the marriage of his brother's wife had crept too near his
conscience," but "because his conscience had crept too near another lady."

I might extend the argument by further observations upon the reference last
cited, but not without risk of losing all chance of a place in "NOTES AND
QUERIES."

Query, Whether pen_s_ive was ever written or printed pen_z_ive in
Shakspeare's time? If so, that word would bear a still closer resemblance
to "prenzie."

LEGES.

* * * * *

RHYMING LATIN VERSION OF THE SONG ON ROBIN GOODFELLOW.

In the same MS. from which I extracted Braithwait's Latin Drinking Song,
the following version {403} of the well-known song on Robin Goodfellow
occurs. It is apparently by the same hand. I give the English, as it
contains but six stanzas, and affords some variations from the copy printed
by Percy; and indeed one stanza not given by him. Peck attributes the song
to Ben Jonson, but we know not on what foundation. It must be confessed
that internal evidence is against it. The publication of Percy's _Reliques_
had a no less beneficial influence on the literature of Germany than it had
on our own; and Voss had given an admirable version of nine stanzas of this
song as early as the year 1793. The first stanza will afford some notion of
his manner:

"Von Oberon in Feenland,
Dem Koenige der Geister,
Komm' ich, Knecht Robert, abgesandt,
Von meinem Herrn und Meister.
Als Kobolt und Pux,
Wohlkundig des Spuks,
Durchschwarm' ich Nacht vor Nacht.
Jezt misch' ich mich ein
Zum polternden Reihn,
Wohlauf, ihr alle, gelacht, gelacht!"

Although the classic ear may be offended by the "barbarous adjunct of
rhyme," and by the