The Book of Old English Ballads Part 9

The second shoote had the wightye yeoman, He shote within the garlande; But Robin he shott far better than hee, For he clave the good p.r.i.c.ke-wande.

"A blessing upon thy heart," he sayd, "Good fellowe, thy shooting is goode For an thy hart be as good as thy hand, Thou wert better then Robin Hoode.

Now tell me thy name, good fellowe," sayd he, "Under the leaves of lyne."

"Nay, by my faith," quoth bolde Robin, "Till thou have told me thine."

"I dwell by dale and downe," quoth hee, "And Robin to take Ime sworne; And when I am called by my right name, I am Guy of good Gisbrne."

"My dwelling is in this wood," sayes Robin, "By thee I set right nought: I am Robin Hood of Barnesdale, Whom thou so long hast sought."

He that had neither beene kithe nor kin, Might have seen a full fayre sight, To see how together these yeomen went With blades both browne and bright:

To see how these yeomen together they fought Two howres of a summers day, Yett neither Robin Hood nor Sir Guy Them fettled to flye away.

Robin was reachles on a roote, And stumbled at that tyde; And Guy was quicke and nimble with-all, And hitt him ore the left side.

"Ah, deere Lady," sayd Robin Hood tho, "Thou art but mother and may'; I think it was never mans destinye To dye before his day."

Robin thought on Our Ladye deere, And soone leapt up againe, And strait he came with a 'backward' stroke, And he Sir Guy hath slayne.

He took Sir Guy's head by the hayre, And stuck itt upon his bowes end: "Thou hast beene a traytor all thy liffe, Which thing must have an end."

Robin pulled forth an Irish kniffe, And nicked Sir Guy in the face, That he was never on woman born Cold tell whose head it was.

Sayes, "Lye there, lye there now, Sir Guy, And with me be not wrothe; Iff thou have had the worst strokes at my hand, Thou shalt have the better clothe."

Robin did off his gowne of greene, And on Sir Guy did throwe, And hee put on that capull hyde, That cladd him topp to toe.

"The bowe, the arrowes, and litle horne, Now with me I will beare; For I will away to Barnesdale, To see how my men doe fare."

Robin Hood sett Guy's horne to his mouth, And a loud blast in it did blow: That beheard the sheriffe of Nottingham, As he leaned under a lowe.

"Hearken, hearken," sayd the sheriffe, "I heare nowe tydings good, For yonder I heare Sir Guy's horne blowe, And he hath slaine Robin Hoode.

"Yonder I heare Sir Guy's horne blowe, Itt blowes soe well in tyde, And yonder comes that wightye yeoman, Cladd in his capull hyde.

"Come hyther, come hyther, thou good Sir Guy, Aske what thou wilt of mee."

"O I will none of thy gold," sayd Robin, "Nor I will none of thy fee.

"But now I have slaine the master," he sayes, "Let me goe strike the knave; For this is all the rewarde I aske.

Nor noe other will I have."

"Thou art a madman," said the sheriffe, "Thou sholdst have had a knightes fee; But seeing thy asking hath beene soe bad, Well granted it shale be."

When Little John heard his master speake, Well knewe he it was his steven; "Now shall I be looset," quoth Little John, "With Christ his might in heaven."

Fast Robin hee hyed him to Little John, He thought to loose him belive: The sheriffe and all his companye Fast after him can drive.

"Stand abacke, stand abacke," sayd Robin; "Why draw you mee so neere?

Itt was never the use in our countrye, Ones shrift another shold heere."

But Robin pulled forth an Irysh knife, And losed John hand and foote, And gave him Sir Guy's bow into his hand, And bade it be his boote.

Then John he took Guy's bow in his hand, His boltes and arrowes eche one: When the sheriffe saw Little John bend his bow, He fettled him to be gone.

Towards his house in Nottingham towne He fled full fast away, And soe did all the companye, Not one behind wold stay.

But he cold neither runne soe fast, Nor away soe fast cold ryde, But Little John with an arrowe soe broad He shott him into the 'backe'-syde.

Robin Hood's Death and Burial

When Robin Hood and Little John Down a down, a down, a down, Went o'er yon bank of broom, Said Robin Hood to Little John, "We have shot for many a pound: Hey down, a down, a down.

"But I am not able to shoot one shot more, My arrows will not flee; But I have a cousin lives down below, Please G.o.d, she will bleed me."

Now Robin is to fair Kirkley gone, As fast as he can win; But before he came there, as we do hear, He was taken very ill.

And when that he came to fair Kirkley-hall, He knocked all at the ring, But none was so ready as his cousin herself For to let bold Robin in.

"Will you please to sit down, cousin Robin," she said, "And drink some beer with me?"

"No, I will neither eat nor drink, Till I am blooded by thee."

"Well, I have a room, cousin Robin," she said, "Which you did never see; And if you please to walk therein, You blooded by me shall be."

She took him by the lily-white hand, And led him to a private room; And there she blooded bold Robin Hood, Whilst one drop of blood would run.

She blooded him in the vein of the arm, And locked him up in the room; There did he bleed all the live-long day, Until the next day at noon.

He then bethought him of a cas.e.m.e.nt door, Thinking for to begone; He was so weak he could not leap, Nor he could not get down.

He then bethought him of his bugle-horn, Which hung low down to his knee, He set his horn unto his mouth, And blew out weak blasts three.

Then Little John, when hearing him, As he sat under the tree, "I fear my master is near dead, He blows so wearily."

Then Little John to Fair Kirkley is gone, As fast as he can dree; But when he came to Kirkley-hall, He broke locks two or three;

Until he came bold Robin to, Then he fell on his knee; "A boon, a boon," cries Little John, "Master, I beg of thee."

"What is that boon," quoth Robin Hood, "Little John, thou begst of me?"

"It is to burn fair Kirkley-hall, And all their nunnery."

"Now nay, now nay," quoth Robin Hood, "That boon I'll not grant thee; I never hurt woman in all my life, Nor man in woman's company.