"And greet well thy Lady hend,And if she have need of Robin Hood,A friend she shall him find;
And if she needeth any more silv-er,Come thou again to me,And,by this token she hath me sent,She shall have such three!"
The monk was going to London ward,There to hold great mote,The knight that rode so high on horse,To bring him under foot.
"Whither be ye away?"said Robin.
"Sir,to manors in this lond,To reckon with our rev-es,That have done much wrong."
"Come now forth,Little John,And hearken to my tale,A better yeoman I know none,To search a monk-es mail.
How much is in yonder other courser?"said Robin,"The sooth must we see."
"By our Lady,"then said the monk,"That were no courtes-y To bid a man to dinner,And sith him beat and bind."
"It is our old manner,"said Rob-in,"To leave but little behind."
The monk took the horse with spur,No longer would he abide.
"Ask to drink,"then said Rob-in,"Ere that ye further ride."
"Nay,fore God,"then said the monk,"Me reweth I came so near,For better cheap I might have dined,In Blyth or in Doncastere."
"Greet well your abbot,"said Rob-in,"And your prior,I you pray,And bid him send me such a monk To dinner every day!"
Now let we that monk be still,And speak we of that knight,Yet he came to hold his day While that it was light.
He did him straight to Barnisdale,Under the green wood tree,And he found there Robin Hood,And all his merry meyn-e.
The knight light downe of his good palfr-ey,Rob-in when he gan see.
So courteysly he did adown his hood,And set him on his knee.
"God thee save,good Robin Hood,And all this company."
"Welcome be thou,gentle knight,And right welc-ome to me."
Then bespake him Robin Hood,To that knight so free,"What need driveth thee to green wood?
I pray thee,sir knight,tell me.
And welcome be thou,gentle knight,Why hast thou be so long?"
"For the abbot and the high justice Would have had my lond."
"Hast thou thy land again?"said Robin,"Truth then tell thou me."
"Yea,fore God,"said the knight,"And that thank I God and thee.
But take not a grief,"said the knight,"That I have been so long;
I came by a wresteling,And there I did help a poor yeom-an,With wrong was put behind."
"Nay,fore God,"said Rob-in,"Sir knight,that thank I thee;
What man that helpeth a good yeom-an,His friend then will I be."
"Have here four hundred pound,"then said the knight,"The which ye lent to me;
And here is also twenty mark For your courtes-y."
"Nay,fore God,"then said Robin,"Thou brook it well for aye,For our Lady,by her cellarer,Hath sent to me my pay;
And if I took it twice,A shame it were to me:
But truly,gentle knight,Welc-ome art thou to me."
When Rob-in had told his tale,He laughed and had good cheer.
"By my troth,"then said the knight,"Your money is ready here."
"Brook it well,"said Rob-in,"Thou gentle knight so free;
And welcome be thou,gentle knight,Under my trystell tree.
But what shall these bows do?"said Robin,"And these arrows i-feathered free?"
"It is,"then said the knight,"A poor pres-ent to thee."
"Come now forth,Little John,And go to my treasur-y,And bring me there four hundred pound,The monk over-told it to me.
Have here four hundred pound,Thou gentle knight and true,And buy horse and harness good,And gild thy spurs all new:
And if thou fail an-y spend-ing,Come to Robin Hood,And by my troth thou shalt none fail The whiles I have any good.
And brook well thy four hundred pound,Which I lent to thee,And make thyself no more so bare,By the counsel of me."
Thus then holp him good Rob-in,The knight of all his care.
God,that sitteth in heaven high,Grant us well to fare.
THE FIFTH FYTTE.
Now hath the knight his leave i-take,And went him on his way;
Robin Hood and his merry men Dwelled still full many a day.
Lithe and listen,gentle men,And hearken what I shall say,How the proud sheriff of Nottingham Did cry a full fair play;
That all the best archers of the north Should come upon a day,And they that shoot all of the best The game shall bear away.
'He that shooteth all of the best Furthest fair and law,At a pair of fynly butts,Under the green wood shaw,A right good arrow he shall have,The shaft of silver white,The head and the feathers of rich red gold,In England is none like.'
This then heard good Rob-in,Under his trystell tree:
"Make you ready,ye wight young men,That shooting will I see.
Busk you,my merr-y young men,Ye shall go with me;
And I will wete the sheriff's faith,True an if he be."
When they had their bows i-bent,Their tackles feathered free,Seven score of wight young men Stood by Robin's knee.
When they came to Nottingham,The butts were fair and long,Many was the bold arch-er That shooted with bow-es strong.
"There shall but six shoot with me,The other shall keep my head,And stand with good bow-es bent That I be not deceived."
The fourth outlaw his bow gan bend,And that was Robin Hood,And that beheld the proud sher-iff,All by the butt he stood.
Thri-es Robin shot about,And alway he cleft the wand,And so did good Gilbert,With the whit-e hand.
Little John and good Scathelock Were archers good and free;
Little Much and good Reynold,The worst would they not be.
When they had shot about,These archers fair and good,Evermore was the best,For sooth,Robin Hood.
Him was delivered the good arr-ow,For best worthy was he;
He took the gift so courteysly To green wood wold-e he.
They cri-ed out on Robin Hood,And great horns gan they blow.
"Wo worth thee!treason!"said Rob-in,"Full evil thou art to know!
And woe be thou,thou proud sher-iff,Thus gladding thy guest,Otherwise thou behot-e me In yonder wild for-est;
But had I thee in green wood,Under my trystell tree,Thou shouldest leave me a better wed Than thy true lewt-e."
Full many a bow there was bent,And arrows let they glide,Many a kirtle there was rent,And hurt man-y a side.
The outlaw-es shot was so strong,That no man might them drive,And the proud sherif-es men They fled away full blive.
Robin saw the busshement to-broke,In green wood he would have be,Many an arrow there was shot Among that company.
