Fifteenth Century Prose and Verse Part 7

+-- Here beginneth a little geste of Robin Hood and his meiny: and of the proud Sheriff of Nottingham.+

=FIRST PRINTED _ROBIN HOOD_ BALLAD.=

=Printed by W. de Worde, about 1510.=

Lithe and listen, Gentlemen That be of free-born blood!

I shall you tell of a good yeoman: His name was ROBIN HOOD.

ROBIN was a proud outlaw, Whiles he walked on ground, So courteous an outlaw as he was one, Was never none yfound.

ROBIN stood in Bernysdale, And leaned him to a tree; And by him stood Little JOHN, A good yeoman was he: And also did good SCATHELOCK, And MUCH the miller's son, There was no inch of his body But it was worth a groom.

Then bespake him Little JOHN, All unto ROBIN HOOD, "Master, if ye would dine betime, It would do you much good!"

Then bespake good ROBIN, "To dine I have no l.u.s.t, Till I have some bold Baron, Or some unketh guest, That may pay for the best, Or some Knight or some Squire That dwelleth here by West."

A good manner then had ROBIN, In land where that he were, Every day or he would dine, Three _Ma.s.ses_ would he hear.

The one in the worship of the Father The other of the Holy Ghost, The third was of our dear Lady That he loved, aldermost.

ROBIN loved our dear Lady; For doubt of deadly sin, Would he never do company harm That any woman was in.

"Master!" then said Little JOHN, "And we our board shall spread, Tell us, Whither we shall gone, And what life we shall lead?

Where we shall take? Where we shall leave?

Where we shall abide behind?

Where shall we rob? where shall we 'reave?

Where we shall beat and bind?"

"Thereof no force!" said ROBIN, "We shall do well enough!

But look, ye do no husband harm, That tilleth with his plough!

No more ye shall no good yeoman That walketh by green-wood shaw!

Ne no Knight, ne no Squire That would be a good fellaw!

These Bishops and these Archbishops, Ye shall them beat and bind!

The High Sheriff of NOTTINGHAM, Him hold ye in your mind!"

"This word shall be held," saith Little JOHN, "And this lesson shall we lere!

It is far day, G.o.d send us a guest, That we were at our dinner!"

"Take thy good bow in thy hand," said ROBIN, "Let MUCH wend with thee!

And so shall WILLIAM SCATHELOCK!

And no man abide with me.

And walk up to the Sayles, And so to Watling street, And wait after some unketh guest, Upchance, ye may them meet: Be he Earl or any Baron, Abbot or any Knight, Bring him to lodge to me!

His dinner shall be dight!"

They went unto the Sayles, These yeomen all three; They looked East, they looked West, They might no man see.

But as they looked in Bernysdale, By a derne street, Then came there a Knight riding: Full soon they 'gan him meet.

All dreary then was his semblante, And little was his pride, His one foot in the stirrup stood, That other waved beside.

His hood hanged in his eyen two, He rode in simple array; A sorrier man than he was one, Rode never in summer's day.

Little JOHN was full curteys, And set him on his knee, "Welcome be ye, gentle Knight!

Welcome are ye to me!

Welcome be thou to green wood, Hende Knight and free!

My master hath abiden you fasting, Sir! all these hours three!"

"Who is your master?" said the Knight.

JOHN said, "ROBIN HOOD!"

"He is a good yeoman," said the Knight; "Of him I have heard much good!

I grant," he said, "with you to wend, My brethren all in-fere: My purpose was to have dined to-day At Blyth or Doncaster."

Forth then went that gentle Knight, With a careful cheer; The tears out of his eyen ran, And fell down by his leer.

They brought him unto the lodge door: When ROBIN 'gan him see, Full courteously did off his hood, And set him on his knee.

"Welcome, Sir Knight!" then said ROBIN, "Welcome thou art to me; I have abide you fasting, Sir, All these hours three!"

Then answered the gentle Knight With words fair and free, "G.o.d thee save, good ROBIN!

And all thy fair meiny!"

They washed together, and wiped both; And set till their dinner: Bread and wine they had enough, And nombles of the deer; Swans and pheasants they had full good, And fowls of the river.

There failed never so little a bird That ever was bred on brere.

"Do gladly, Sir Knight!" said ROBIN.

"Grammercy, Sir!" said he, "Such a dinner had I not Of all these weekes three: If I come again, ROBIN, Here by this country, As good a dinner, I shall thee make As thou hast made to me!"

"Grammercy, Knight!" said ROBIN, "My dinner when I have I was never so greedy, by dear-worthy G.o.d!

My dinner for to crave: But pay ere ye wend!" said ROBIN; "Methinketh it is good right, It was never the manner, by dear-worthy G.o.d!

A yeoman pay for a Knight!"

"I have nought in my coffers," said the Knight, "That I may proffer, for shame!"

"Little JOHN! go look!" said ROBIN HOOD, "Ne let not, for no blame, Tell me truth!" said ROBIN, "So G.o.d have part of thee!"

"I have no more but ten shillings," said the Knight, "So G.o.d have part of me!"

"If thou have no more," said ROBIN, "I will not one penny!

And if thou have need of any more; More shall I lend thee!

Go now forth, Little JOHN, The truth, tell thou me!

If there be no more but ten shillings, Not one penny that I see!"

Little JOHN spread down his mantle Full fair upon the ground; And there he found, in the Knight's coffer, But even half a pound.

Little JOHN let it lie full still, And went to his master full low.

"What tidings, JOHN?" said ROBIN.

"Sir, the Knight is true enow!"

"Fill of the best wine!" said ROBIN, "The Knight shall begin!

Much wonder thinketh me Thy clothing is so thin!

Tell me one word," said ROBIN, "And counsel shall it be: I trow thou wert made a Knight, of force, Or else of yeomanry!

Or else thou hast been a sorry husband And lived in stroke and strife, And okerer or else a lecher," said ROBIN, "With wrong hast thou led thy life!"

"I am none of them," said the Knight, "By G.o.d that made me!

A hundred winters herebefore, My ancestors Knights have be But oft it hath befallen, ROBIN!

A man hath been disgrate, But G.o.d that sitteth in heaven above, May amend his state!

Within this two year, ROBIN!" he said, "(My neighbours well it know!) Four hundred pounds of good money Full well then might I spend.

Now, have I no goods," said the Knight; "G.o.d hath shapen such an end,-- But my children and my wife, Till G.o.d it may amend!"

"In what manner," said ROBIN, "Hast thou lost thy riches?"

"For my great folly," he said, "And for my kindness!

I had a son, forsooth, ROBIN!

That should have been my heir: When he was twenty winters old, In field would joust full fair.

He slew a Knight of Lancashire And a Squire bold.

For to save him in his right My goods be set and sold, My lands be set to wed, ROBIN!

Until a certain day To a rich Abbot here besides, Of Saint MARY'S Abbey."

"What is the sum?" said ROBIN; "Truth then tell thou me!"

"Sir," he said, "four hundred pounds, The Abbot told it to me!"

"Now, and thou lose thy land!" said ROBIN, "What shall 'fall of thee?"

"Hastily I will me busk," said the Knight, "Over the salt sea, And see where CHRIST was quick and dead On the Mount of Calvary!

Farewell, friend! and have good day!

It may not better be!"

Tears fell out of his eyen two, He would have gone his way.

"Farewell, friends, and have good day!

I ne have more to pay!"

"Where be thy friends?" said ROBIN.

"Sir! never one will know me!

While I was rich enough at home Great boast then would they blow; And now they run away from me As beasts in a row, They take no more heed of me Than they me never saw!"

For ruth then wept Little JOHN, SCATHELOCK and MUCH also.

"Fill of the best wine!" said ROBIN, "For here is a simple cheer.