{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch149.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch149.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch149.htm","text":"149A: Robin Hood\u2019s Birth, Breeding, Valor and Marriage\n149A.1 KIND gentlemen, will you be patient awhile?\nAy, and then you shall hear anon\nA very good ballad of bold Robin Hood,\nAnd of his man, brave Little John.\n149A.2 In Locksly town, in Nottinghamshire,\nIn merry sweet Locksly town,\nThere bold Robin Hood he was born and was bred,\nBold Robin of famous renown.\n149A.3 The father of Robin a forester was,\nAnd he shot in a lusty long bow,\nTwo north country miles and an inch at a shot,\nAs the Pinder of Wakefield does know.\n149A.4 For he brought Adam Bell, and Clim of the Clugh,\nAnd William a Clowdesle\nTo shoot with our forrester for forty mark,\nAnd the forrester beat them all three.\n149A.5 His mother was neece to the Coventry knight,\nWhich Warwickshire men call Sir Guy;\nFor he slew the blue bore that hangs up at the gate,\nOr mine host of The Bull tells a lye.\n149A.6 Her brother was Gamwel, of Great Gamwel Hall,\nAnd a noble house-keeper was he,\nAy, as ever broke bread in sweet Nottinghamshire,\nAnd a squire of famous degree.\n149A.7 The mother of Robin said to her husband,\nMy honey, my love, and my dear,\nLet Robin and I ride this morning to Gamwel,\nTo taste of my brothers good cheer.\n149A.8 And he said, I grant thee thy boon, gentle Joan,\nTake one of my horses, I pray;\nThe sun is a rising, and therefore make haste,\nFor to-morrow is Christmas-day.\n149A.9 Then Robin Hoods fathers grey gelding was brought,\nAnd sadled and bridled was he;\nGod wot, a blew bonnet, his new suit of cloaths,\nAnd a cloak that did reach to his knee.\n149A.10 She got on her holiday kirtle and gown,\nThey were of a light Lincoln green;\nThe cloath was homespun, but for colour and make\nIt might a beseemed our queen.\n149A.11 And then Robin got on his basket-hilt sword,\nAnd his dagger on his tother side,\nAnd said, My dear mother, let\u2019s haste to be gone,\nWe have forty long miles to ride.\n149A.12 When Robin had mounted his gelding so grey,\nHis father, without any trouble,\nSet her up behind him, and bad her not fear,\nFor his gelding had oft carried double.\n149A.13 And when she was settled, they rode to their neighbours,\nAnd drank and shook hands with them all;\nAnd then Robin gallopt, and never gave ore,\nTill they lighted at Gamwel Hall.\n149A.14 And now you may think the right worshipful squire\nWas joyful his sister to see;\nFor he kist her and kist her, and swore a great oath,\nThou art welcome, kind sister, to me.\n149A.15 To-morrow, when mass had been said in the chappel,\nSix tables were coverd in the hall,\nAnd in comes the squire, and makes a short speech,\nIt was, Neighbours, you\u2019re welcome all.\n149A.16 But not a man here shall taste my March beer,\nTill a Christmas carrol he sing:\nThen all clapt their hands, and they shouted and sung,\nTill the hall and the parlour did ring.\n149A.17 Now mustard and braun, roast beef and plumb pies,\nWere set upon every table:\nAnd noble George Gamwel said, Eat and be merry,\nAnd drink too, as long as you\u2019re able.\n149A.18 When dinner was ended, his chaplain said grace,\nAnd, \u2018Be merry, my friends,\u2019 said the squire;\n\u2018It rains, and it blows, but call for more ale,\nAnd lay some more wood on the fire.\n149A.19 \u2018And now call ye Little John hither to me,\nFor Little John is a fine lad\nAt gambols and juggling, and twenty such tricks\nAs shall make you merry and glad.\u2019\n149A.20 When Little John came, to gambols they went,\nBoth gentleman, yeoman and clown;\nAnd what do you think? Why, as true as I live,\nBold Robin Hood put them all down.\n149A.21 And now you may think the right worshipful squire\nWas joyful this sight for to see;\nFor he said, Cousin Robin, thou\u2019st go no more home,\nBut tarry and dwell here with me.\n149A.22 Thou shalt have my land when I dye, and till then\nThou shalt be the staff of my age;\n\u2018Then grant me my boon, dear uncle,\u2019 said Robin,\n\u2018That Little John may be my page.\u2019\n149A.23 And he said, Kind cousin, I grant thee thy boon;\nWith all my heart, so let it be;\n\u2018Then come hither, Little John,\u2019 said Robin Hood,\n\u2018Come hither, my page, unto me.\n149A.24 \u2018Go fetch my bow, my longest long bow,\nAnd broad arrows, one, two, or three;\nFor when it is fair weather we\u2019ll into Sherwood,\nSome merry pastime to see.\u2019\n149A.25 When Robin Hood came into merry Sherwood,\nHe winded his bugle so clear,\nAnd twice five and twenty good yeomen and bold\nBefore Robin Hood did appear.\n149A.26 \u2018Where are your companions all?\u2019 said Robin Hood,\n\u2018For still I want forty and three;\u2019\nThen said a bold yeoman, Lo, yonder they stand,\nAll under a green-wood tree.\n149A.27 As that word was spoke, Clorinda came by;\nThe queen of the shepherds was she;\nAnd her gown was of velvet as green as the grass,\nAnd her buskin did reach to her knee.\n149A.28 Her gait it was graceful, her body was straight,\nAnd her countenance free from pride;\nA bow in her hand, and quiver and arrows\nHung dangling by her sweet side.\n149A.29 Her eye-brows were black, ay, and so was her hair,\nAnd her skin was as smooth as glass;\nHer visage spoke wisdom, and modesty too;\nSets with Robin Hood such a lass!\n149A.30 Said Robin Hood, Lady fair, whither away?\nO whither, fair lady, away?\nAnd she made him answer, To kill a fat buck;\nFor to-morrow is Titbury day.\n149A.31 Said Robin Hood, Lady fair, wander with me\nA little to yonder green bower;\nThere sit down to rest you, and you shall be sure\nOf a brace or a lease in an hour.\n149A.32 And as we were going towards the green bower,\nTwo hundred good bucks we espy\u2019d;\nShe chose out the fattest that was in the herd,\nAnd she shot him through side and side.\n149A.33 \u2018By the faith of my body,\u2019 said bold Robin Hood,\n\u2018I never saw woman like thee;\nAnd comst thou from east, ay, or comst thou from west,\nThou needst not beg venison of me.\n149A.34 \u2018However, along to my bower you shall go,\nAnd taste of a forresters meat:\u2019\nAnd when we come thither, we found as good cheer\nAs any man needs for to eat.\n149A.35 For there was hot venison, and warden pies cold,\nCream clouted, with honey-combs plenty;\nAnd the sarvitors they were, beside Little John,\nGood yeomen at least four and twenty.\n149A.36 Clorinda said, Tell me your name, gentle sir;\nAnd he said, \u2019Tis bold Robin Hood:\nSquire Gamwel\u2019s my uncle, but all my delight\nIs to dwell in the merry Sherwood.\n149A.37 For \u2019tis a fine life, and \u2019tis void of all strife.\n\u2018So \u2019tis, sir,\u2019 Clorinda reply\u2019d;\n\u2018But oh,\u2019 said bold Robin, \u2019How sweet would it be,\nIf Clorinda would be my bride!\u2019\n149A.38 She blusht at the motion; yet, after a pause\nSaid, Yes, sir, and with all my heart;\n\u2018Then let\u2019s send for a priest,\u2019 said Robin Hood,\n\u2018And be married before we do part.\u2019\n149A.39 But she said, It may not be so, gentle sir,\nFor I must be at Titbury feast;\nAnd if Robin Hood will go thither with me,\nI\u2019ll make him the most welcome guest.\n149A.40 Said Robin Hood, Reach me that buck, Little John,\nFor I\u2019ll go along with my dear;\nGo bid my yeomen kill six brace of bucks,\nAnd meet me to-morrow just here.\n149A.41 Before we had ridden five Staffordshire miles,\nEight yeomen, that were too bold,\nBid Robin Hood stand, and deliver his buck;\nA truer tale never was told.\n149A.42 \u2018I will not, faith!\u2019 said bold Robin: \u2019Come, John,\nStand to me, and we\u2019ll beat em all:\u2019\nThen both drew their swords, an so cut em and slasht em\nThat five of them did fall.\n149A.43 The three that remaind calld to Robin for quarter,\nAnd pitiful John beggd their lives;\nWhen John\u2019s boon was granted, he gave them good counsel,\nAnd so sent them home to their wives.\n149A.44 This battle was fought near to Titbury town,\nWhen the bagpipes bated the bull;\nI am king of the fidlers, and sware \u2019tis a truth,\nAnd I call him that doubts it a gull.\n149A.45 For I saw them fighting, and fidld the while,\nAnd Clorinda sung, Hey derry down!\nThe bumpkins are beaten, put up thy sword,Bob,\nAnd now let\u2019s dance into the town.\n149A.46 Before we came to it, we heard a strange shouting,\nAnd all that were in it lookd madly;\nFor some were a bull-back, some dancing a morris,\nAnd some singing Arthur-a-Bradly.\n149A.47 And there we see Thomas, our justices clerk,\nAnd Mary, to whom he was kind;\nFor Tom rode before her, and calld Mary, Madam,\nAnd kist her full sweetly behind.\n149A.48 And so may your worships. But we went to dinner,\nWith Thomas and Mary and Nan;\nThey all drank a health to Clorinda, and told her\nBold Robin Hood was a fine man.\n149A.49 When dinner was ended, Sir Roger, the parson\nOf Dubbridge, was sent for in haste;\nHe brought his mass-book, and he bade them take hands,\nAnd he joynd them in marriage full fast.\n149A.50 And then, as bold Robin Hood and his sweet bride\nWent hand in hand to the green bower,\nThe birds sung with pleasure in merry Sherwood,\nAnd \u2019twas a most joyful hour.\n149A.51 And when Robin came in the sight of the bower,\n\u2018Where are my yeomen?\u2019 said he;\nAnd Little John answered, Lo, yonder they stand,\nAll under the green-wood tree.\n149A.52 Then a garland they brought her, by two and by two,\nAnd plac\u2019d them upon the bride\u2019s head;\nThe music struck up, and we all fell to dance,\nTill the bride and the groom were a-bed.\n149A.53 And what they did there must be counsel to me,\nBecause they lay long the next day,\nAnd I had haste home, but I got a good piece\nOf the bride-cake, and so came away.\n149A.54 Now out, alas! I had forgotten to tell ye\nThat marryd they were with a ring;\nAnd so will Nan Knight, or be buried a maiden,\nAnd now let us pray for the king:\n149A.55 That he may get children, and they may get more,\nTo govern and do us some good;\nAnd then I\u2019ll make ballads in Robin Hood\u2019s bower,\nAnd sing em in merry Sherwood.","title":"The Child Ballads: 149. Robin Hood's Birth, Breeding, Val...","type":"page"}