Ballads of Robin Hood and other Outlaws Part 3

A G.o.de maner than had Robyn: In londe where that he were, Every day or he wold dyne Thre messis wolde he here.

9.

The one in the wors.h.i.+p of the Fader, And another of the Holy Gost, The thirde was of Our dere Lady That he loved allther moste.

10.

Robyn loved Oure dere Lady; For dout of dydly synne, Wolde he never do compani harme That any woman was in.

11.

'Maistar,' than sayde Lytil Johnn, 'And we our borde shal sprede, Tell us wheeler that we shall go And what life that we shall lede.

12.

'Where we shall take, where we shall leve, Where we shall abide behynde; Where we shall robbe, where we shall reve, Where we shall bete and bynde.'

13.

'Thereof no force,' than sayde Robyn; 'We shall do well inowe; But loke ye do no husbonde harme That tilleth with his ploughe.

14.

'No more ye shall no G.o.de yeman That walketh by grene-wode shawe; Ne no knyght ne no squyer That wol be a G.o.de felawe.

15.

'These bisshoppes and these archebishoppes, Ye shall them bete and bynde; The hye sherif of Notyingham, Hym holde ye in your mynde.'

16.

'This worde shalbe holde,' sayde Lytell Johnn, 'And this lesson we shall lere; It is fer dayes; G.o.d sende us a gest, That we were at our dynere.'

17.

'Take thy G.o.de bowe in thy honde,' sayde Robyn; 'Late Much wende with thee; And so shal w.i.l.l.yam Scarlok, And no man abyde with me.

18.

'And walke up to the Saylis And so to Watlinge Strete, And wayte after some unkuth gest, Up chaunce ye may them mete.

19.

'Be he erle, or ani baron, Abbot, or ani knyght, Bringhe hym to lodge to me; His dyner shall be dight.'

20.

They wente up to the Saylis, These yemen all three; They loked est, they loked weest, They myght no man see.

21.

But as they loked in to Bernysdale, Bi a derne strete, Than came a knyght ridinghe; Full sone they gan hym mete.

22.

All dreri was his semblaunce, And lytell was his pryde; His one fote in the styrop stode, That othere wavyd beside.

23.

His hode hanged in his iyn two; He rode in symple aray; A soriar man than he was one Rode never in somer day.

24.

Litell Johnn was full curteyes, And sette hym on his kne: 'Welcome be ye, gentyll knyght, Welcom ar ye to me.

25.

'Welcom be thou to grene wode, Hende knyght and fre; My maister hath abiden you fastinge, Syr, al these oures thre.'

26.

'Who is thy maister?' sayde the knyght; Johnn sayde, 'Robyn Hode'; 'He is a G.o.de yoman,' sayde the knyght, 'Of hym I have herde moche G.o.de.

27.

'I graunte,' he sayde, 'with you to wende, My bretherne, all in fere; My purpos was to have dyned to day At Blith or Dancastere.'

28.

Furth than went this gentyl knight, With a carefull chere; The teris oute of his iyen ran, And fell downe by his lere.

29.

They brought him to the lodge-dore; Whan Robyn gan hym see, Full curtesly dyd of his hode And sette hym on his knee.

30.

'Welcome, sir knight,' than sayde Robyn, 'Welcome art thou to me; I have abyden you fastinge, sir, All these ouris thre.'

31.

Than answered the gentyll knight, With wordes fayre and fre: 'G.o.d thee save, goode Robyn, And all thy fayre meyne.'

32.

They wa.s.shed togeder and wyped bothe, And sette to theyr dynere; Brede and wyne they had right ynoughe, And noumbles of the dere.

33.

Swannes and fessauntes they had full G.o.de, And foules of the ryvere; There fayled none so litell a birde That ever was bred on bryre.

34.

'Do gladly, sir knight,' sayde Robyn; 'Gramarcy, sir,' sayde he; 'Suche a dinere had I nat Of all these wekys thre.

35.

'If I come ageyne, Robyn, Here by thys contre, As G.o.de a dyner I shall thee make As thou haest made to me.'

36.

'Gramarcy, knyght,' sayde Robyn; 'My dyner whan that I it have, I was never so gredy, by dere worthy G.o.d, My dyner for to crave.

37.

'But pay or ye wende,' sayde Robyn; 'Me thynketh it is G.o.de ryght; It was never the maner, by dere worthi G.o.d, A yoman to pay for a knyght.'

38.

'I have nought in my coffers,' saide the knyght, 'That I may prefer for shame': 'Litell John, go loke,' sayde Robyn, 'Ne let not for no blame.

39.

'Tel me truth,' than saide Robyn, 'So G.o.d have parte of thee': 'I have no more but ten shelynges,' sayde the knyght, 'So G.o.d have parte of me.'

40.

'If thou have no more,' sayde Robyn, 'I woll nat one peny; And yf thou have nede of any more, More shall I lend the.

41.

'Go nowe furth, Littell Johnn, The truth tell thou me; If there be no more but ten shelinges, No peny that I se.'