Ballads of Robin Hood and other Outlaws Part 19

'Robyn,' sayd our kynge, 'Now pray I thee, Sell me some of that cloth To me and my meyne.'

420.

'Yes, for G.o.d,' then sayd Robyn, 'Or elles I were a fole; Another day ye wyll me clothe, I trowe, ayenst the Yole.'

421.

The kynge kest of his cole then, A grene garment he dyde on, And every knyght also, i-wys, Another had full sone.

422.

When they were clothed in Lyncolne grene, They keste away theyr graye.

'Now we shall to Notyngham,'

All thus our kynge gan say.

423.

They bente theyr bowes, and forth they went, Shotynge all in fere, Towarde the towne of Notyngham, Outlawes as they were.

424.

Our kynge and Robyn rode togyder, For soth as I you say; And they shote plucke-buffet, As they went by the way.

425.

And many a buffet our kynge wan Of Robyn Hode that day, And nothynge spared good Robyn Our kynge in his pay.

426.

'So G.o.d me helpe,' sayd our kynge, 'Thy game is nought to lere; I sholde not get a shote of thee, Though I shote all this yere.'

427.

All the people of Notyngham They stode and behelde; They sawe nothynge but mantels of grene That covered all the felde.

428.

Than every man to other gan say, 'I drede our kynge be slone; Come Robyn Hode to the towne, i-wys On lyve he lefte never one.'

429.

Full hastely they began to fle, Both yemen and knaves, And olde wyves that myght evyll goo, They hypped on theyr staves.

430.

The kynge loughe full fast, And commaunded theym agayne; When they se our comly kynge, I-wys they were full fayne.

431.

They ete and dranke, and made them glad, And sange with notes hye; Than bespake our comly kynge To Syr Richarde at the Lee.

432.

He gave hym there his londe agayne, A good man he bad hym be; Robyn thanked our comly kynge, And set hym on his kne.

433.

Had Robyn dwelled in the kynges courte But twelve monethes and thre, That he had spent an hondred pounde, And all his mennes fe.

434.

In every place where Robyn came Ever more he layde downe, Both for knyghtes and for squyres, To gete hym grete renowne.

435.

By than the yere was all agone He had no man but twayne, Lytell Johan and good Scathelocke, With hym all for to gone.

436.

Robyn sawe yonge men shote Full fayre upon a day; 'Alas!' than sayd good Robyn, 'My welthe is went away.

437.

'Somtyme I was an archere good, A styffe and eke a stronge; I was compted the best archere That was in mery Englonde.

438.

'Alas!' then sayd good Robyn, 'Alas and well a woo!

Yf I dwele lenger with the kynge, Sorowe wyll me sloo.'

439.

Forth than went Robyn Hode Tyll he came to our kynge: 'My lorde the kynge of Englonde, Graunte me myn askynge.

440.

'I made a chapell in Bernysdale, That semely is to se, It is of Mary Magdaleyne, And thereto wolde I be.

441.

'I myght never in this seven nyght No tyme to slepe ne wynke, Nother all these seven dayes Nother ete ne drynke.

442.

'Me longeth sore to Bernysdale, I may not be therfro; Barefote and wolwarde I have hyght Thyder for to go.'

443.

'Yf it be so,' than sayd our kynge, 'It may no better be; Seven nyght I gyve thee leve, No lengre, to dwell fro me.'

444.

'Gramercy, lorde,' then sayd Robyn, And set hym on his kne; He toke his leve full courteysly, To grene wode then went he.

445.

When he came to grene wode, In a mery mornynge, There he herde the notes small Of byrdes mery syngynge.

446.

'It is ferre gone,' sayd Robyn, 'That I was last here; Me lyste a lytell for to shote At the donne dere.'

447.

Robyn slewe a full grete harte; His horne than gan he blow, That all the outlawes of that forest That horne coud they knowe,

448.

And gadred them togyder, In a lytell throwe.

Seven score of wyght yonge men Came redy on a rowe,

449.

And fayre dyde of theyr hodes, And set them on theyr kne: 'Welcome,' they sayd, 'our dere mayster, Under this grene-wode tre.'

450.

Robyn dwelled in grene wode Twenty yere and two; For all drede of Edwarde our kynge, Agayne wolde he not goo.

451.