Ballads of Robin Hood and other Outlaws Part 14

291.

The fourth outlawe his bowe gan bende, And that was Robyn Hode, And that behelde the proud sheryfe, All by the but as he stode.

292.

Thryes Robyn shot about, And alway he slist the wand, And so dyde good Gylberte With the whyte hande.

293.

Lytell Johan and good Scatheloke Were archers good and fre; Lytell Much and good Reynolde, The worste wolde they not be.

294.

Whan they had shot aboute, These archours fayre and good, Evermore was the best, For soth, Robyn Hode.

295.

Hym was delyvred the good arowe, For best worthy was he; He toke the yeft so curteysly; To grene-wode wolde he.

296.

They cryed out on Robyn Hode, And grete hornes gan they blowe: 'Wo worth the, treason!' sayd Robyn, 'Full evyl thou art to knowe.

297.

'And wo be thou, thou proude sheryf, Thus gladdynge thy gest!

Other wyse thou behote me In yonder wylde forest.

298.

'But had I thee in grene-wode, Under my trystell-tre, Thou sholdest leve me a better wedde Than thy trewe lewte.'

299.

Full many a bowe there was bent, And arowes let they glyde; Many a kyrtell there was rent, And hurt many a syde.

300.

The outlawes shot was so stronge That no man might them dryve, And the proud sheryfes men, They fled away full blyve.

301.

Robyn sawe the busshement to-broke, In grene wode he wolde have be; Many an arowe there was shot Amonge that company.

302.

Lytell Johan was hurte full sore, With an arowe in his kne, That he myght neyther go nor ryde; It was full grete pyte.

303.

'Mayster,' then sayd Lytell Johan, 'If ever thou lovedst me, And for that ylke lordes love That dyed upon a tre,

304.

'And for the medes of my servyce, That I have served thee, Lete never the proude sheryf Alyve now fynde me.

305.

'But take out thy browne swerde, And smyte all of my hede, And gyve me woundes depe and wyde; No lyfe on me be lefte.'

306.

'I wolde not that,' sayd Robyn, 'Johan, that thou were slawe, For all the golde in mery Englonde, Though it lay now on a rawe.'

307.

'G.o.d forbede,' sayd Lytell Much, 'That dyed on a tre, That thou sholdest, Lytell Johan, Parte our company.'

308.

Up he toke hym on his backe, And bare hym well a myle; Many a tyme he layd him downe, And shot another whyle.

309.

Then was there a fayre castell, A lytell within the wode; Double-dyched it was about, And walled, by the rode.

310.

And there dwelled that gentyll knyght, Syr Rychard at the Lee, That Robyn had lent his good, Under the grene-wode tree.

311.

In he toke good Robyn, And all his company: 'Welcome be thou, Robyn Hode, Welcome arte thou to me;

312.

'And moche I thanke thee of thy comfort, And of thy curteysye, And of thy grete kyndenesse, Under the grene-wode tre.

313.

'I love no man in all this worlde So much as I do thee; For all the proud sheryf of Notyngham, Ryght here shalt thou be.

314.

'Shyt the gates, and drawe the brydge, And let no man come in, And arme you well, and make you redy, And to the walles ye wynne.

315.

'For one thynge, Robyn, I the behote; I swere by Saynt Quyntyne, These forty dayes thou wonnest with me, To soupe, ete, and dyne.'

316.

Bordes were layde, and clothes were spredde, Redely and anone; Robyn Hode and his mery men To mete can they gone.

[Annotations: 282.4: 'dyde' = caused to: cf. 'do you to wit.' --Gummere.

283.3: 'allther best,' best of all: cp. 9.4.

284.3: 'fynly,' goodly.

287.3: 'wete,' know.

287.4: 'and yf' = [*]

288.2: 'fedred fre,' fully feathered.

290.2: 'hevede' = head, _i.e._ life.

292.2: 'slist,' sliced, split.

295.3: 'yeft,' gift, prize.

297.3: 'behote,' didst promise.

298.3: 'wedde,' forfeit.

298.4: 'lewte,' loyalty, faith.

300.4: 'blyve,' quickly.

301.1: 'busshement,' ambuscade: 'to-broke,' broken up.

304.1: 'medes,' wages.

306.4: 'on a rawe,' in a row; cf. 60.2.

315.1: 'behote,' promise; cf. 297.3.

315.3: 'wonnest,' dwellest.]