Ballads of Robin Hood and other Outlaws Part 5

73.

And at every handfull that he met He leped fotes three; 'What devylles drapar,' sayd litell Much, 'Thynkest thou for to be?'

74.

Scarlok stode full stil and loughe, And sayd, 'By G.o.d Almyght, Johnn may gyve hym G.o.de mesure, For it costeth hym but lyght.'

75.

'Mayster,' than said Litell Johnn To gentill Robyn Hode, 'Ye must give the knight a hors To lede home al this G.o.de.'

76.

'Take him a gray coursar,' sayde Robyn, 'And a saydle newe; He is Oure Ladye's messangere; G.o.d graunt that he be true.'

77.

'And a G.o.de palfray,' sayde lytell Much, 'To mayntene hym in his right'; 'And a peyre of botes,' sayde Scarlok, 'For he is a gentyll knight.'

78.

'What shalt thou gyve him, Litell John?'

'Sir, a peyre of gilt sporis clene, To pray for all this company; G.o.d bringe hym oute of tene.'

79.

'Whan shal mi day be,' said the knight, 'Sir, and your wyll be?'

'This day twelve moneth,' saide Robyn, 'Under this grene-wode tre.

80.

'It were great shame,' said Robyn, 'A knight alone to ryde, Withoute squyre, yoman, or page, To walke by his syde.

81.

'I shal thee lende Litell Johnn, my man, For he shalbe thy knave; In a yeman's stede he may thee stande, If thou greate nede have.'

[Annotations: 1.1: 'Lythe and listin,' hearken and listen: a very common opening.

1.2: 'frebore,' free-born.

2.2,3: 'Whyles . . . outlaw': supplied from the Wynkyn de Worde text.

4.4: _i.e._, worthy of a groom, or young man.

5.3: 'and,' if.

6.4: 'unkouth,' unknown.

7.1: Wanting in all versions.

7.3: 'som,' supplied from Wynken de Worde's text.

8.4: 'messis,' ma.s.ses.

9.4: 'allther moste,' most of all.

10.2: 'dout,' fear.

12.3: 'reve,' pillage.

13.1: 'no force,' no matter.

16.2: 'lere,' learn.

16.3: 'fer dayes,' late in the day: 'gest,' exploit.

18.1: The Sayles, a small part of the manor of Pontefract.

18.2: Watling Street = the great North Road.

18.4: 'Up chaunce,' in case.

19.4: 'dight,' prepared.

21.2: 'derne strete,' hidden or obscure path.

23.1: 'iyn,' eyes.

25.2: 'Hende,' n.o.ble.

27.2: 'in fere,' in company.

28.2: 'carefull chere,' sorrowful face.

28.4: 'lere,' cheek.

31.4: 'meyne,' company.

32.4: 'noumbles,' entrails.

34.1: 'Do gladly' = make yourself at home; a hospitable expression.

Cp. 103.1 and 232.1.

37.1: 'or ye wende,' before you go.

38.4: 'let not,' leave nothing undone.

39.2,4: 'have parte of,' perhaps means 'protect,' or 'take my part.'

45.3: This refers to 'distraint of knighthood,' inst.i.tuted in 1224, compelling military tenants to receive knighthood or pay a composition.

46.3: 'okerer,' usurer.

48.2: 'disgrate,' unfortunate.

49.4: From the rhyme it is obvious the verses have here been confused, especially as all copies print 50.3 before 50.2.

52.4: 'just,' joust, tilt.

53.4, 54.1: 'beth' (in another version 'both'), are.

54.1: 'sette to wedde,' put in pledge.

56.1: 'lese,' lose.

57.1: 'quyke' = quick, alive.

59.4: 'blowe,' utter.

60.2: 'on a rowe,' in file.

61.1: 'ruthe,' pity.

61.4: 'chere,' entertainment.

62.2: 'borrowe,' security.

64.2: 'shope,' shaped.

65.4: 'or,' before.

66.3: 'pay,' liking.

72.2: 'mete,' measured. So 73.1 'met' = measured.

74.1: 'loughe,' laughed.

78.4: 'tene,' trouble.

81.2: 'knave,' servant.

81.3: _i.e._, he shall stand for thee instead of a yeoman.]

THE SECOND FYTTE (82-143)

+Argument.+--The knight goes to York to pay down his four hundred pounds to the abbot of St. Mary Abbey, who has retained the services of the high justice of England 'with cloth and fee,' an offence defined as conspiracy by statutes of the first three Edwards (see _Notes and Queries_, First Series, vol. vi. p. 479). The knight, pretending he has not brought the money, requests an extension of time; but the abbot will not hear of it, and is supported in his refusal by the justice: the knight's lands will be forfeited. The justice advises the abbot (117, etc.) to give the knight a sum to 'make a release' and prevent subsequent legal difficulties. The knight brings the matter to an end by paying down the four hundred pounds, saying that had the abbot been more courteous, he should have had interest on the loan.

The knight returns to his home in Wyresdale, and saves up the sum to be repaid to Robin Hood. As he sets out for Barnsdale with a goodly company, he finds a great wrestling-match taking place at Wentbridge,[1]

which delays him a while.

The word 'frembde' (138.3) is now obsolete except in Scots and north-country dialect, and is spelled in various ways. It occurs more than once in Chaucer, and twice in Sidney's _Arcadia_. 'Fremit,' the common Scots form, may be found in Burns. More recently, it appears in books of Westmoreland, c.u.mberland, or Northumberland dialect. Cp. Mrs.

Gaskell, _Sylvia's Lovers_: 'There's a fremd man i' t' house.' It means 'foreign' or 'strange.'

[Footnote 2: Wentbridge is mentioned in _Robin Hood and the Potter_, 6.1. The river Went is the northern boundary of Barnsdale.]

THE SECOND FYTTE