A Bundle of Ballads Part 16

Have here four hundred pound, Thou gentle knight and true, And buy horse and harness good, And gild thy spurs all new: And if thou fail an-y spend-ing, Come to Robin Hood, And by my troth thou shalt none fail The whiles I have any good.

And brook well thy four hundred pound, Which I lent to thee, And make thyself no more so bare, By the counsel of me."

Thus then holp him good Rob-in, The knight of all his care.

G.o.d, that sitteth in heaven high, Grant us well to fare.

THE FIFTH FYTTE.

Now hath the knight his leave i-take, And went him on his way; Robin Hood and his merry men Dwelled still full many a day.

Lithe and listen, gentle men, And hearken what I shall say, How the proud sheriff of Nottingham Did cry a full fair play; That all the best archers of the north Should come upon a day, And they that shoot all of the best The game shall bear away.

'He that shooteth all of the best Furthest fair and law, At a pair of fynly b.u.t.ts, Under the green wood shaw, A right good arrow he shall have, The shaft of silver white, The head and the feathers of rich red gold, In England is none like.'

This then heard good Rob-in, Under his trystell tree: "Make you ready, ye wight young men, That shooting will I see.

Busk you, my merr-y young men, Ye shall go with me; And I will wete the sheriff's faith, True an if he be."

When they had their bows i-bent, Their tackles feathered free, Seven score of wight young men Stood by Robin's knee.

When they came to Nottingham, The b.u.t.ts were fair and long, Many was the bold arch-er That shooted with bow-es strong.

"There shall but six shoot with me, The other shall keep my head, And stand with good bow-es bent That I be not deceived."

The fourth outlaw his bow gan bend, And that was Robin Hood, And that beheld the proud sher-iff, All by the b.u.t.t he stood.

Thri-es Robin shot about, And alway he cleft the wand, And so did good Gilbert, With the whit-e hand.

Little John and good Scathelock Were archers good and free; Little Much and good Reynold, The worst would they not be.

When they had shot about, These archers fair and good, Evermore was the best, For sooth, Robin Hood.

Him was delivered the good arr-ow, For best worthy was he; He took the gift so courteysly To green wood wold-e he.

They cri-ed out on Robin Hood, And great horns gan they blow.

"Wo worth thee! treason!" said Rob-in, "Full evil thou art to know!

And woe be thou, thou proud sher-iff, Thus gladding thy guest, Otherwise thou behot-e me In yonder wild for-est; But had I thee in green wood, Under my trystell tree, Thou shouldest leave me a better wed Than thy true lewt-e."

Full many a bow there was bent, And arrows let they glide, Many a kirtle there was rent, And hurt man-y a side.

The outlaw-es shot was so strong, That no man might them drive, And the proud sherif-es men They fled away full blive.

Robin saw the busshement to-broke, In green wood he would have be, Many an arrow there was shot Among that company.

Little John was hurt full sore, With an arrow in his knee, That he might neither go nor ride: It was full great pit-e.

"Master," then said Little John, "If ever thou lovest me, And for that ilk-e Lord-es love, That died upon a tree, And for the meeds of my serv-ice, That I have serv-ed thee, Let nev-er the proud sher-iff Aliv-e now find me; But take out thy brown sword, And smite all off my head, And give me wound-es dead and wide, That I after eat no bread."

"I wold-e not that," said Rob-in, "John, that thou wer-e slawe, For all the gold in merry England, Though it lay now on a rawe."

"G.o.d forbid," said Little Much, "That died on a tree, That thou shouldest, Little John, Part our company!"

Up he took him on his back, And bare him well a mile, Many a time he laid him down, And shot another while.

Then was there a fair cast-ell, A little within the wood, Double-ditched it was about, And wall-ed, by the rood; And there dwelled that gentle knight, Sir Richard at the Lee, That Rob-in had lent his good, Under the green wood tree.

In he took good Rob-in, And all his compan-y:

"Welcome be thou, Robin Hood, Welc-ome art thou me; And much thank thee of thy comf-ort, And of thy courtesy, And of thy great kind-eness, Under the green wood tree; I love no man in all this world So much as I do thee; For all the proud sheriff of Nottingham, Right here shalt thou be.

Shut the gates, and draw the bridge, And let no man come in; And arm you well, and make you read-y, And to the wall ye win.

For one thing, Rob-in, I thee behote, I swear by Saint Quin-tin, These twelve days thou wonest with me, To sup, eat, and dine."

Boards were laid, and cloth-es spread, Readily and anon; Robin Hood and his merry men To meat gan they gon.

THE SIXTH FYTTE.

Lithe and listen, gentle men, And hearken unto your song; How the proud sheriff of Nottingham, And men of arm-es strong, Full fast came to the high sher-iff, The country up to rout, And they beset the knight's cast-ell, The wall-es all about.

The proud sher-iff loud-e gan cry, And said, "Thou traitor knight, Thou keepest here the king's enemy, Against the laws and right!"

"Sir, I will avow that I have done, The deeds that here be dight, Upon all the land-es that I have, As I am a true knight.

Wend-e forth, sirs, on your way, And doth no more to me, Till ye wite our king-es will What he will say to thee."

The sheriff thus had his answ-er, Without an-y leas-ing, Forth he yode to London town, All for to tell our king.

There he told him of that knight, And eke of Robin Hood, And also of the bold arch-ers, That n.o.ble were and good.

"He would avow that he had done, To maintain the outlaws strong; He would be lord, and set you at nought, In all the north lond."

"I will be at Nottingham," said the king, "Within this fortnight, And take I will Robin Hood, And so I will that knight.

Go home, thou proud sher-iff, And do as I bid thee, And ordain good arch-ers enow, Of all the wide countree."

The sheriff had his leave i-take, And went him on his way; And Robin Hood to green wood Upon a certain day; And Little John was whole of the arrow, That shot was in his knee, And did him straight to Robin Hood, Under the green wood tree.

Robin Hood walked in the for-est, Under the leav-es green, The proud sher-iff of Nottingham, Therefore he had great teen.

The sheriff there failed of Robin Hood, He might not have his prey, Then he awaited that gentle knight, Both by night and by day.

Ever he awaited that gentle knight, Sir Richard at the Lee.

As he went on hawking by the river side, And let his hawk-es flee, Took he there this gentle knight, With men of arm-es strong, And led him home to Nottingham ward, I-bound both foot and hond.

The sheriff swore a full great oath, By him that died on a tree, He had liever than an hundred pound, That Robin Hood had he.

Then the lad-y, the knight-es wife, A fair lad-y and free, She set her on a good palfr-ey, To green wood anon rode she.

When she came to the for-est, Under the green wood tree, Found-e she there Robin Hood, And all his fair meyn-e.

"G.o.d thee save, good Robin Hood, And all thy compan-y; For our deare Ladyes love, A boon grant thou to me.

Let thou never my wedded lord Shamefully slain to be; He is fast i-bounde to Nottingham ward, For the love of thee."

Anon then said good Rob-in, To that lad-ye free, "What man hath your lord i-take?"

"The proud sheriff," then said she.

"Forsooth as I thee say; He is not yet three mil-es Pa.s.s-ed on your way."

Up then stert-e good Rob-in, As a man that had be wode: "Busk you, my merr-y young men, For him that died on a rode; And he that this sorrow forsaketh, By him that died on a tree, Shall he never in green wood be, Nor longer dwell with me."

Soon there were good bows i-bent, More than seven score, Hedge ne ditch spar-ed they none, That was them before.

"I make mine avow," said Robin, "The knight would I fain see, And if I ma-y him take, Iquit then shall he be."

And when they came to Nottingham, They walk-ed in the street, And with the proud sheriff, i-wis, Soon-e gan they meet.