{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch118.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch118.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch118.htm","text":"118A.1 WHEN shawes beene sheene, and shradds full fayre,\nAnd leeues both large and longe,\nItt is merrry, walking in the fayre forrest,\nTo heare the small birds songe.\n118A.2 The woodweele sang, and wold not cease,\nAmongst the leaues a lyne:\nAnd it is by two wight yeomen,\nBy deare God, that I meane.\n* * * * *\n118A.3 \u2018Me thought they did mee beate and binde,\nAnd tooke my bow mee froe;\nIf I bee Robin a-liue in this lande,\nI\u2019le be wrocken on both them towe.\u2019\n118A.4 \u2018Sweauens are swift, master,\u2019 quoth Iohn,\n\u2018As the wind that blowes ore a hill;\nFfor if itt be neuer soe lowde this night,\nTo-morrow it may be still.\u2019\n118A.5 \u2018Buske yee, bowne yee, my merry men all,\nFfor Iohn shall goe with mee;\nFor I\u2019le goe seeke yond wight yeomen\nIn greenwood where the bee.\u2019\n118A.6 Th cast on their gowne of greene,\nA shooting gone are they,\nVntill they came to the merry greenwood,\nWhere they had gladdest bee;\nThere were the ware of [a] wight yeoman,\nHis body leaned to a tree.\n118A.7 A sword and a dagger he wore by his side,\nHad beene many a mans bane,\nAnd he was cladd in his capull-hyde,\nTopp, and tayle, and mayne.\n118A.8 \u2018Stand you still, master,\u2019 quoth Litle Iohn,\n\u2018Vnder this trusty tree,\nAnd I will goe to yond wight yeoman,\nTo know his meaning trulye.\u2019\n118A.9 \u2018A Iohn, by me thou setts noe store,\nAnd that\u2019s a farley thinge;\nHow offt send I my men beffore,\nAnd tarry my-selfe behinde?\n118A.10 \u2018It is noe cunning a knaue to ken,\nAnd a man but heare him speake;\nAnd itt were not for bursting of my bowe,\nIohn, I wolde thy head breake.\u2019\n118A.11 But often words they breeden bale,\nThat parted Robin and Iohn;\nIohn is gone to Barn[e]sdale,\nThe gates he knowes eche one.\n118A.12 And when hee came to Barnesdale,\nGreat heauinesse there hee hadd;\nHe found two of his fellowes\nWere slaine both in a slade,\n118A.13 And Scarlett a foote flyinge was,\nOuer stockes and stone,\nFor the sheriffe with seuen score men\nFast after him is gone.\n118A.14 \u2018Yett one shoote I\u2019le shoote,\u2019 sayes Litle Iohn,\n\u2018With Crist his might and mayne;\nI\u2019le make yond fellow that flyes so fast\nTo be both glad and faine.\n118A.15 Iohn bent vp a good veiwe bow,\nAnd fetteled him to shoote;\nThe bow was made of a tender boughe,\nAnd fell downe to his foote.\n118A.16 \u2018Woe worth thee, wicked wood,\u2019 sayd Litle Iohn,\n\u2018That ere thou grew on a tree!\nFfor this day thou art my bale,\nMy boote when thou shold bee!\u2019\n118A.17 This shoote it was but loosely shott,\nThe arrowe flew in vaine,\nAnd it mett one of tne sheriffes men;\nGood William a Trent was slaine.\n118A.18 It had beene better for William a Trent\nTo hange vpon a gallowe\nThen for to lye in the greenwoode,\nThere slaine with an arrowe.\n118A.19 And it is sayd, when men be mett,\nSix can doe more then three:\nAnd they haue tane Litle Iohn,\nAnd bound him fast to a tree.\n118A.20 \u2018Thou shalt be drawen by dale and downe,\u2019 quoth the sheriffe,\n\u2018And hanged hye on a hill:\u2019\n\u2018But thou may fayle,\u2019 quoth Litle Iohn,\n\u2018If itt be Christs owne will.\u2019\n118A.21 Let vs leaue talking of Litle Iohn,\nFor hee is bound fast to a tree,\nAnd talke of Guy and Robin Hood,\nIn the green woode where they bee.\n118A.22 How these two yeomen together they mett,\nVnder the leaues of lyne,\nTo see what marchandise they made\nEuen at that same time.\n118A.23 \u2018Good morrow, good fellow,\u2019 quoth Sir Guy;\n\u2018Good morrow, good fellow,\u2019 quoth hee;\n\u2018Methinkes by this bow thou beares in thy hand,\nA good archer thou seems to bee.\u2019\n118A.24 \u2018I am wilfull of my way,\u2019 quoth Sir Guye,\n\u2018And of my morning tyde:\u2019\n\u2018I\u2019le lead thee through the wood,\u2019 quoth Robin,\n\u2018Good fellow, I\u2019le be thy guide.\u2019\n118A.25 \u2018I seeke an outlaw,\u2019 quoth Sir Guye,\n\u2018Men call him Robin Hood;\nI had rather meet with him vpon a day\nThen forty pound of golde.\u2019\n118A.26 \u2018If you tow mett, itt wold be seene whether were better\nAfore yee did part awaye;\nLet vs some other pastime find,\nGood fellow, I thee pray.\n118A.27 Let vs some other masteryes make,\nAnd wee will walke in the woods euen;\nWee may chance mee[t] with Robin Hoode\nAtt some vnsett steven.\u2019\n118A.28 They cutt them downe the summer shroggs\nWhich grew both vnder a bryar,\nAnd sett them three score rood on twinn,\nTo shoote the prickes full neare.\n118A.29 \u2018Leade on, good fellow,\u2019 sayd Sir Guye,\n\u2018Lead on, I doe bidd thee:\u2019\n\u2018Nay, by my faith,\u2019 quoth Robin Hood,\n\u2018The leader thou shalt bee.\u2019\n118A.30 The first good shoot that Robin ledd\nDid not shoote an inch the pricke froe;\nGuy was an archer good enoughe,\nBut he cold neere shoote soe.\n118A.31 The second shoote Sir Guy shott,\nHe shott within the garlande;\nBut Robin Hoode shott it better then hee,\nFor he cloue the good pricke-wande.\n118A.32 \u2018Gods blessing on thy heart!\u2019 sayes Guye,\n\u2018Goode fellow, thy shooting is goode;\nFor an thy hart be as good as thy hands,\nThou were better then Robin Hood.\n118A.33 \u2018Tell me thy name, good fellow,\u2019 quoth Guy,\nRR\u2019rrvnder the leaues of lyne:\u2019\n\u2018Nay, by my faith,\u2019 quoth good Robin,\n\u2018Till thou haue told me thine.\u2019\n118A.34 \u2018I dwell by dale and downe,\u2019 quoth Guye,\n\u2018And I haue done many a curst turne;\nAnd he that calles me by my right name\nCalles me Guye of good Gysborne.\u2019\n118A.35 \u2018My dwelling is in the wood,\u2019 sayes Robin;\n\u2018By thee I set right nought;\nMy name is Robin Hood of Barnesdale,\nA fellow thou has long sought.\u2019\n118A.36 He that had neither beene a kithe nor kin\nMight haue seene a full fayre sight,\nTo see how together these yeomen went,\nWith blades both browne and bright.\n118A.37 To haue seene how these yeomen together foug[ht],\nTwo howers of a summers day;\nItt was neither Guy nor Robin Hood\nThat fettled them to flye away.\n118A.38 Robin was reacheles on a roote,\nAnd stumbled at that tyde,\nAnd Guy was quicke and nimble with-all,\nAnd hitt him ore the left side.\n118A.39 \u2018Ah, deere Lady!\u2019 sayd Robin Hoode,\n\u2018Thou art both mother and may!\nI thinke it was neuer mans destinye\nTo dye before his day.\u2019\n118A.40 Robin thought on Our Lady deere,\nAnd soone leapt vp againe,\nAnd thus he came with an awkwarde stroke;\nGood Sir Guy hee has slayne.\n118A.41 He tooke Sir Guys head by the hayre,\nAnd sticked itt on his bowes end;\n\u2018Thou hast beene traytor all thy liffe,\nWhich thing must haue an ende.\u2019\n118A.42 Robin pulled forth an Irish kniffe,\nAnd nicked Sir Guy in the face,\nThat hee was neuer on a woman borne\nCold tell who Sir Guy was.\n118A.43 Saies, Lye there, lye there, good Sir Guye,\nAnd with me be not wrothe;\nIf thou haue had the worse stroakes at my hand,\nThou shalt haue the better cloathe.\n118A.44 Robin did off his gowne of greene,\nSir Guye hee did it throwe;\nAnd hee put on that capull-hyde,\nThat cladd him topp to toe.\n118A.45 \u2018The bowe, the arrowes, and litle horne,\nAnd with me now I\u2019le beare;\nFfor now I will goe to Barn[e]sdale,\nTo see how my men doe fare.\u2019\n118A.46 Robin sett Guyes horne to his mouth,\nA lowd blast in it he did blow;\nThat beheard the sheriffe of Nottingham,\nAs he leaned vnder a lowe.\n118A.47 \u2018Hearken! hearken!\u2019 sayd the sheriffe,\n\u2018I heard noe tydings but good;\nFor yonder I heare Sir Guyes horne blowe,\nFor he hath slaine Robin Hoode.\n118A.48 \u2018For yonder I heare Sir Guyes horne blow,\nItt blowes soe well in tyde,\nFor yonder comes that wighty yeoman,\nCladd in his capull-hyde.\n118A.49 \u2018Come hither, thou good Sir Guy,\nAske of mee what thou wilt haue:\u2019\n\u2018I\u2019le none of thy gold,\u2019 sayes Robin Hood,\n\u2018Nor I\u2019le none of itt haue.\n118A.50 \u2018But now I haue slaine the master,\u2019 he sayd,\n\u2018Let me goe strike the knaue;\nThis is all the reward I aske,\nNor noe other will I haue.\u2019\n118A.51 \u2018Thou art a madman,\u2019 said the shiriffe,\n\u2018Thou sholdest haue had a knights fee;\nSeeing thy asking [hath] beene soe badd,\nWell granted it shall be.\u2019\n118A.52 But Litle Iohn heard his master speake,\nWell he knew that was his steuen;\n\u2018Now shall I be loset,\u2019 quoth Litle Iohn,\n\u2018With Christs might in heauen.\u2019\n118A.53 Robin hee hyed him towards Litle Iohn,\nHee thought hee wold loose him beliue;\nThe sheriffe and all his companye\nFast after him did driue.\n118A.54 \u2018Stand abacke! stand abacke!\u2019 sayd Robin;\n\u2018Why draw you mee soe neere?\nItt was neuer the vse in our countrye\nOne\u2019s shrift another shold heere.\u2019\n118A.55 But Robin pulled forth an Irysh kniffe,\nAnd losed Iohn hand and foote,\nAnd gaue him Sir Guyes bow in his hand,\nAnd bade it be his boote.\n118A.56 But Iohn tooke Guyes bow in his hand-+--+-\nHis arrowes were rawstye by the roote-+--+-;\nThe sherriffe saw Litle Iohn draw a bow\nAnd fettle him to shoote.\n118A.57 Towards his house in Nottingam\nHe fled full fast away,\nAnd soe did all his companye,\nNot one behind did stay.\n118A.58 But he cold neither soe fast goe,\nNor away soe fast runn,\nBut Litle Iohn, with an arrow broade,\nDid cleaue his heart in twinn.","title":"The Child Ballads: 118. Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne","type":"page"}