Fifteenth Century Prose and Verse Part 11

And if I find more," said ROBIN, "Iwis, thou shalt it forgo; For of thy spending silver, Monk!

Thereof will I right none."

"Go now forth, Little JOHN, And the truth, tell thou me!

If there be no more but twenty marks No penny [of] that I see!"

Little JOHN spread his mantle down, As he had done before, And he told out of the Monk's mail Eight hundred pound and more.

Little JOHN let it lie full still, And went to his Master in haste; "Sir!" he said, "the Monk is true enough; Our Lady hath doubled your cast!"

"I make mine avow to G.o.d!" said ROBIN, "Monk, what told I thee!

Our Lady is the truest woman That ever yet found I me!

By dear worthy G.o.d!" said ROBIN, "To seek all England through; Yet found I never to my pay, A much better borrow.

Fill of the best wine, and do him drink!" said ROBIN; "And greet well thy Lady hend; And if she have need to ROBIN HOOD, A friend she shall him find: And if she needeth any more silver, 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 land, To reckon with our Reeves That have done much wrong."

"Come now forth, Little JOHN!

And hearken to my tale!

A better yeoman, I know none To seek a Monk's mail.

How much is in yonder other corser?" said ROBIN, "The sooth must we see!"

"By our Lady!" then said the Monk, "That were no courtesy; To bid a man to dinner, And sith him beat and bind!"

"It is our old manner!" said ROBIN, "To leave but little behind."

The Monk took the horse with spur, No longer would he abide!

"Ask to drink!" then said ROBIN, "Or that ye further ride?"

"Nay, for G.o.d!" said the Monk, "Me rueth I came so near!

For better cheap, I might have dined In Blyth or in Doncaster!"

"Greet well, your Abbot!" said ROBIN, "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 the Knight!

Yet he came to hold his day While that it was light.

He did him strait to Bernysdale, Under the green-wood tree.

And he found there ROBIN HOOD And all his merry meiny.

The Knight light down off his good palfrey.

ROBIN when he 'gan see; So courteously he did adown his hood And set him on his knee.

"G.o.d thee save, ROBIN HOOD, And all this company!"

"Welcome, be thou, gentle Knight!

And right welcome 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 been so long?"

"For the Abbot and high Justice Would have had my land?"

"Hast thou thy land again?" said ROBIN, "Truth then tell thou me!"

"Yea, for G.o.d!" said the Knight, "And that I thank G.o.d and thee!

But take not a grief," said the Knight, "That I have been so long, I came by a wrestling, And there I helped a poor yeoman, Who with wrong was put behind."

"Nay, for G.o.d!" said ROBIN, "Sir Knight, that thank I thee!

What man that helpeth a good yeoman, His friend then will I be."

"Have here four hundred pounds!" then said the Knight "The which ye lent me, And here is also twenty marks for your courtesy!"

"Nay, for G.o.d!" 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, Welcome art thou to me!"

When ROBIN 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 ROBIN, "Thou gentle Knight so free!

And welcome be thou, gentle Knight, Under my trystel tree!

But what shall these bows do?" said ROBIN, "And these arrows yfeathered free?"

"By G.o.d!" then said the Knight, "A poor present to thee!"

"Come now forth, Little JOHN, And go to my treasure, And bring me there four hundred pounds The Monk overtold it me.

Have here four hundred pounds, Thou gentle Knight and true!

And buy horse and harness good, And gilt thy spurs all new!

And if thou fail any spending, Come to ROBIN HOOD!

And, by my troth, thou shalt none fail The whiles I have any good; And brook well thy four hundred pounds Which I lent to thee!

And make thyself no more so bare; By the counsel of me."

Thus then helped him, good ROBIN, The Knight all of his care: G.o.d that sits in heaven high Grant us well to fare!

+The fifth fytte.+

Now hath the Knight his leave ytake, And went him on his way.

ROBIN HOOD and his merry men Dwelled still full many a day.

Lithe and listen, Gentlemen!

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 he that shooteth alder best, The game shall bear away!

He that shooteth alder best Furthest, fair, and low, At a pair of finely b.u.t.ts, Under the green-wood shaw, A right good arrow he shall have, The shaft of silver white, The head and feathers of rich red gold, In England is none like.

This then heard good ROBIN, Under his trystel tree.

"Make you ready, ye wight young men, That shooting will I see!

Busk you, my merry young men, Ye shall go with me!

And I will wit the Sheriff's faith; True and if be he!"

When they had their bows ybent, Their tackles feathered free, Seven score of wight young men Stood by ROBIN's knee.

When they came to Nottingham, The b.u.t.ts were fair and long, Many were the bold archers That shooted with bowes strong.

"There shall but six shoot with me, The others shall keep my head, And stand with good bows bent That I be not deceived."

The fourth outlaw, his bow 'gan bend, And that was ROBIN HOOD: And that beheld the proud Sheriff, All by the b.u.t.t he stood.

Thrice ROBIN shot about, And always sliced the wand; And so did good "GILBERT With the white 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: Ever more was the best, Forsooth, ROBIN HOOD.

Him was delivered the good arrow, For best worthy was he: He took the gift so courteously; To green wood would he!

They cried out on ROBIN HOOD, And great horns 'gan they blow!

"Woe worth the treason!" said ROBIN; "Full evil thou art to know!

And woe be thou, thou proud Sheriff!

Thus gladding thy guest, Otherwise thou behote me In yonder wild forest, But had I thee in green wood, Under my trystel tree, Thou shouldst leave me a better wed, Than thy true lewte."

Full many a bow there was bent, And arrows let they glide!

Many a kirtle there was rent, And hurt many a side!

The outlaws' shot was so strong That no man might them drive, And the proud Sheriff's men They fled away full blyve.

ROBIN saw the [am]bushment to broke, In green wood he would have been; Many an arrow there was shot Among that company.

Little JOHN was hurt full sore, With an arrow in his knee, That he might neither go nor ride: It was full great pity!

"Master!" then said Little JOHN, "If ever thou lovest me; And for that ilk Lord's love That died upon a tree!

And for the meeds of my service, That I have served thee: Let never the proud Sheriff Alive now find me!

But take out thy brown sword And smite all off my head!

And give me wounds dead and wide, No life on me be left!"

"I would not that," said ROBIN, "JOHN! that thou be slo, For all the gold in merry England, Though it lay now on a row!"

"G.o.d forbid!" said Little MUCH, "That died on a tree!

That thou shouldst, Little JOHN!