Part 6

[Annotations: 421.1: ‘kest of’ = cast off: ‘colë,’ frock (cp. 372.1). 423.1: ‘bente,’ took. 423.2: ‘in fere,’ in company. 424.3: ‘plucke-buffet,’ the game of giving one another alternate buffets, as described in stt. 403-9. In the _Romance of Richard Cœur de Lion_, Richard even kills his opponent at this ‘game.’ ‘Shote plucke-buffet’ implies that the buffeting was punishment for missing the mark at shooting. 428.2: ‘slone,’ slain. 429.4: ‘hypped,’ hopped. 433.4: ‘fe,’ pay. 434.2: ‘layde downe,’ spent, laid out. 438.4: ‘sloo,’ slay. 442.3: ‘wolwarde,’ with wool against skin, _i.e._ with a sheepskin turned inwards: ‘hyght,’ promised, vowed. 446.3: ‘Me lyste,’ I should like. 446.4: ‘donne,’ dun (cf. 417.3). 448.2: ‘throwe,’ space of time. 448.4: See 306.4, etc. 452.3: ‘speciall,’ lover. 452.4: Cp. 234.2, 349.2. 453.4: ‘banis,’ murderers.]

ROBIN AND GANDELEYN

+The Text+ is modernised from the only known version, in Sloane MS. 2593, in the British Museum (c. 1450); the minstrel’s song-book which contains the famous carols: ‘I sing of a maiden,’ and ‘Adam lay i-bounden.’ This ballad was first printed by Ritson in his _Ancient Songs_ (1790); but he misunderstood the phrase ‘Robyn lyth’ in the burden for the name ‘Robin Lyth,’ and ingeniously found a cave on Flamborough Head called Robin Lyth’s Hole.

+The Story+ is similar to those told of Robin Hood and Little John; but there is no ground for identifying this Robin with Robin Hood. Wright, in printing the Sloane MS., notes that ‘Gandeleyn’ resembles Gamelyn, whose ‘tale’ belongs to the pseudo-Chaucerian literature. But we can only take this ballad to be, like so many others, an unrelated ‘relique.’

ROBIN AND GANDELEYN

1. I heard a carping of a clerk All at yon woodës end, Of good Robin and Gandeleyn, Was there none other thing.

_Robin lieth in greenwood bounden._

2. Strong thievës wern tho children none, But bowmen good and hend; They wenten to wood to getten them flesh If God would it them send.

3. All day wenten tho children two, And flesh founden they none, Till it were again even, The children would gone home.

4. Half a hundred of fat fallow deer They comen ayon, And all they wern fair and fat enow, But markëd was there none. ‘By dear God,’ said good Robin, ‘Hereof we shall have one.’

5. Robin bent his jolly bow, Therein he set a flo; The fattest deer of all. The heart he cleft a-two.

6. He had not the deer i-flaw Ne half out of the hide, There came a shrewd arrow out of the west That felled Robert’s pride.

7. Gandeleyn looked him east and west, By every side: ‘Who hath my master slain? Who hath done this deed? Shall I never out of greenwood go Till I see his sidës bleed.’

8. Gandeleyn looked him east and west, And sought under the sun; He saw a little boy. They clepen Wrennok of Donne.

9. A good bow in his hand, A broad arrow therein, And four and twenty good arrows Trussèd in a thrum. ‘Beware thee, ware thee, Gandeleyn, Hereof thou shalt have some.

10. ‘Beware thee, ware thee, Gandeleyn, Hereof thou gettest plenty.’ ‘Ever one for another,’ said Gandeleyn; ‘Misaunter have they shall flee.

11. ‘Whereat shall our mark be?’ Saidë Gandeleyn. ‘Everich at otherës heart,’ Said Wrennok again.

12. ‘Who shall give the first shot?’ Saidë Gandeleyn. ‘And I shall give thee one before,’ Said Wrennok again.

13. Wrennok shot a full good shot, And he shot not too high; Through the sanchothës of his breek, It touchëd neither thigh.

14. ‘Now hast thou given me one before’; All thus to Wrennok said he; ‘And through the might of our Lady A better I shall give thee.’

15. Gandeleyn bent his good bow, And set therein a flo; He shot through his green kirtle, His heart he cleft on two.

16. ‘Now shalt thou never yelp, Wrennok, At ale ne at wine, That thou hast slaw good Robin And his knave Gandeleyn.

17. ‘Now shalt thou never yelp, Wrennok, At wine ne at ale, That thou hast slaw good Robin And Gandeleyn his knave.’

[Annotations: 1.1: ‘carping’ = talking, tale. 1.5: This line is the burden: it is repeated at the end in the MS. 2.1: ‘wern’ = were (plural termination as in ‘wenten,’ etc.); ‘children,’ young fellows, as in ‘Child Roland,’ etc. 5.2: ‘flo,’ arrow. 6.1: ‘i-flaw’ = flayed. Cp. ‘slaw,’ 16.3. 8.1: MS. reads ‘and lokyd west.’ 8.4: ‘clepen,’ name, call. 9.4: _i.e._, laced in a thrum, or warp. 10.4: ‘Misaunter [= misadventure] have’ was used in imprecations: cf. in the _Merlin_ romance, ‘Mysauenture haue that it kepeth eny counseile.’ 11.3: ‘Each at the other’s heart.’ 13.3: ‘sanchothes’: unexplained; but it obviously means that the arrow struck between his legs. 16.1: ‘yelp,’ boast. 16.3: ‘slaw,’ slain.]

ROBIN HOOD AND THE MONK

+The Text+ is modernised from a MS. in the University Library, Cambridge (MS. Ff. v. 48), which belongs to the middle of the fifteenth century. We have also a single leaf of another MS. version, of about the same date, preserved amongst the Bagford Ballads in the British Museum, but this contains a bare half-dozen stanzas.

+The Story+ might be called a counterpart to _Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne_, inasmuch as it has Little John for its hero, and relates how he set his master free, although Robin had lost his temper with him in the morning. A most unfortunate hiatus after 30.2 prevents us from learning how Robin’s fate was reported to his men; but as it stands it is a perfect ballad, straightforward, lively, and picturesque. The first five stanzas, which make a delightful little lyric in themselves, breathe the whole spirit of the greenwood.

ROBIN HOOD AND THE MONK

1. In summer, when the shaws be sheen And leaves be large and long, It is full merry in fair forest To hear the fowlës song,

2. To see the deer draw to the dale, And leave the hillës hee, And shadow them in the leavës green, Under the greenwood tree.

3. It befel on Whitsuntide, Early in a May morning, The sun up fair can shine, And the briddës merry can sing.

4. ‘This is a merry morning,’ said Little John, ‘By him that died on tree; A more merry man than I am one Lives not in Christiantë.

5. ‘Pluck up thy heart, my dear master,’ Little John can say, ‘And think it is a full fair time In a morning of May.’

6. ‘Yea, one thing grieves me,’ said Robin, ‘And does my heart much woe; That I may not no solemn day To mass nor matins go.

7. ‘It is a fortnight and more,’ said he, ‘Syn I my Saviour see; To-day will I to Nottingham, With the might of mild Marie.’

8. Then spake Much the milner son, Ever more well him betide! ‘Take twelve of thy wight yeomen, Well weapon’d by thy side. Such one would thyselfë slon, That twelve dare not abide.’

9. ‘Of all my merry men,’ said Robin, ‘By my faith I will none have, But Little John shall bear my bow, Till that me list to draw.’

10. ‘Thou shall bear thine own,’ said Little John, ‘Master, and I will bear mine, And we will shoot a penny,’ said Little John, ‘Under the greenwood lyne.’

11. ‘I will not shoot a penny,’ said Robin Hood, ‘In faith, Little John, with thee, But ever for one as thou shootës,’ said Robin, ‘In faith I hold thee three.’

12. Thus shot they forth, these yeomen two, Both at bush and broom, Till Little John won of his master Five shillings to hose and shoon.

13. A ferly strife fell them between, As they went by the way, Little John said he had won five shillings And Robin Hood said shortly nay.

14. With that Robin Hood lied Little John, And smote him with his hand; Little John waxëd wroth therewith, And pulled out his bright brand.

15. ‘Were thou not my master,’ said Little John, ‘Thou shouldest by it full sore; Get thee a man where thou wilt, For thou gettest me no more.’

16. Then Robin goes to Nottingham, Himself mourning alone, And Little John to merry Sherwood, The paths he knew ilkone.

17. When Robin came to Nottingham, Certainly withouten layn, He prayed to God and mild Mary To bring him out safe again.

18. He goes into Saint Mary church, And kneeled down before the rood; All that ever were the church within, Beheld well Robin Hood.

19. Beside him stood a great-headed monk, I pray to God woe he be! Full soon he knew good Robin, As soon as he him see.

20. Out at the door he ran, Full soon and anon; All the gates of Nottingham, He made to be sparred everychone.

21. ‘Rise up,’ he said, ‘thou proud sheriff, Busk thee, and make thee bown; I have spied the kingës felon, For sooth he is in this town.

22. ‘I have spied the false felon, As he standës at his mass; It is long of thee,’ said the monk, ‘And ever he fro us pass.

23. ‘This traitor name is Robin Hood, Under the greenwood lynd; He robbëd me once of a hundred pound, It shall never out of my mind.’

24. Up then rose this proud sheriff, And radly made him yare; Many was the mother son, To the kirk with him can fare.

25. In at the doors they throly thrast, With stavës full good wone; ‘Alas, alas!’ said Robin Hood, ‘Now miss I Little John.’

26. But Robin took out a two-hand sword That hangëd down by his knee; Thereas the sheriff and his men stood thickest, Thitherward would he.

27. Thrice throughout them he ran then For sooth as I you say, And wounded many a mother son, And twelve he slew that day.

28. His sword upon the sheriff head Certainly he brake in two; ‘The smith that thee made,’ said Robin, ‘I pray God work him woe.’

29. ‘For now am I weaponless,’ said Robin, ‘Alas! against my will; But if I may flee these traitors fro, I wot they will me kill.’

30. Robin into the churchë ran, Throughout them everilkone, ... ... ... ... ... ...

31. Some fell in swooning as they were dead, And lay still as any stone; None of them were in their mind But only Little John.

32. ‘Let be your rule,’ said Little John, ‘For his love that died on tree; Ye that should be doughty men; It is great shame to see.

33. ‘Our master has been hard bestood, And yet scapëd away; Pluck up your hearts and leave this moan, And hearken what I shall say.

34. ‘He has servëd Our Lady many a day, And yet will, securly; Therefore I trust her specially No wicked death shall he die.

35. ‘Therefore be glad,’ said Little John, ‘And let this mourning be; And I shall be the monkës guide, With the might of mild Marie.’

36. ... ... ... ‘We will go but we two; And I meet him,’ said Little John, ... ... ...

37. ‘Look that ye keep well our tristel-tree, Under the leavës smale, And spare none of this venison That goës in this vale.’

38. Forth then went these yeomen two, Little John and Much on fere, And lookëd on Much emës house, The highway lay full near.

39. Little John stood at a window in the morning, And lookëd forth at a stage; He was ware where the monk came riding, And with him a little page.

40. ‘By my faith,’ said Little John to Much, ‘I can thee tell tidingës good; I see where the monkë comës riding, I know him by his wide hood.’

41. They went into the way, these yeomen both, As curteis men and hend; They spyrrëd tidingës at the monk, As they had been his friende.

42. ‘Fro whence come ye?’ said Little John, ‘Tell us tidingës, I you pray, Of a false outlaw, called Robin Hood, Was taken yesterday.

43. ‘He robbed me and my fellows both Of twenty mark in certain; If that false outlaw be taken; For sooth we would be fain.’

44. ‘So did he me,’ said the monk, ‘Of a hundred pound and more; I laid first hand him upon, Ye may thank me therefore.’

45. ‘I pray God thank you,’ said Little John, ‘And we will when we may; We will go with you, with your leave, And bring you on your way.

46. ‘For Robin Hood has many a wild fellow, I tell you in certain; If they wist you rode this way, In faith ye should be slain.’

47. As they went talking by the way, The monk and Little John, John took the monkës horse by the head, Full soon and anon.

48. John took the monkës horse by the head, Forsooth as I you say; So did Much the little page, For he should not scape away.

49. By the gullet of the hood John pulled the monkë down; John was nothing of him agast, He let him fall on his crown.

50. Little John was sore aggrieved, And drew out his sword on high; This monkë saw he should be dead, Loud mercy can he cry.

51. ‘He was my master,’ said Little John, ‘That thou hast brought in bale; Shall thou never come at our king, For to tell him tale.’

52. John smote off the monkës head, No longer would he dwell; So did Much the little page, For fear lest he would tell.

53. There they buriëd them both, In neither moss nor ling, And Little John and Much in fere Bare the letters to our king.

54. ... ... ... He kneelëd down upon his knee: ‘God you save, my liegë lord, Jesus you save and see!

55. ‘God you save, my liegë king!’ To speak John was full bold; He gave him the letters in his hand, The king did it unfold.

56. The king read the letters anon, And said, ‘So mote I the, There was never yeoman in merry England I longëd so sore to see.

57. ‘Where is the monk that these should have brought?’ Our king can say: ‘By my troth,’ said Little John, ‘He died after the way.’

58. The king gave Much and Little John Twenty pound in certain, And made them yeomen of the crown, And bade them go again.

59. He gave John the seal in hand, The sheriff for to bear, To bring Robin him to, And no man do him dere.

60. John took his leave at our king, The sooth as I you say; The next way to Nottingham To take, he yede the way.

61. When John came to Nottingham The gatës were sparred each one; John callëd up the porter, He answerëd soon anon.

62. ‘What is the cause,’ said Little John, ‘Thou sparrës the gates so fast?’ ‘Because of Robin Hood,’ said the porter, ‘In deep prison is cast.

63. ‘John and Much and Will Scathlock, For sooth as I you say, They slew our men upon our wallës, And sauten us every day.’

64. Little John spyrred after the sheriff, And soon he him found; He opened the kingës privy seal And gave him in his hond.

65. When the sheriff saw the kingës seal, He did off his hood anon; ‘Where is the monk that bare the letters?’ He said to Little John.

66. ‘He is so fain of him,’ said Little John, ‘For sooth as I you say, He has made him abbot of Westminster, A lord of that abbay.’

67. The sheriff made John good cheer, And gave him wine of the best; At night they went to their bed, And every man to his rest.

68. When the sheriff was on sleep, Drunken of wine and ale, Little John and Much for sooth Took the way unto the jail.

69. Little John callëd up the jailor; And bade him rise anon; He said Robin Hood had broken prison, And out of it was gone.

70. The porter rose anon certain, As soon as he heard John call; Little John was ready with a sword, And bare him to the wall.

71. ‘Now will I be porter,’ said Little John, ‘And take the keys in hond’; He took the way to Robin Hood, And soon he him unbound.

72. He gave him a good sword in his hand, His head therewith for to keep, And thereas the wall was lowest Anon down can they leap.

73. By that the cock began to crow, The day began to spring; The sheriff found the jailor dead, The comyn bell made he ring.

74. He made a cry throughout all the town, Whether he be yeoman or knave, That could bring him Robin Hood, His warison he should have.

75. ‘For I dare never,’ said the sheriff, ‘Come before our king; For if I do, I wot certain For sooth he will me hing.’

76. The sheriff made to seek Nottingham, Both by street and sty, And Robin was in merry Sherwood, As light as leaf on lynd.

77. Then bespake good Little John, To Robin Hood can he say, ‘I have done thee a good turn for an evil; Quite thee when thou may.

78. ‘I have done thee a good turn,’ said Little John, ‘For sooth as I you say; I have brought thee under green wood lyne; Farewell, and have good day.’

79. ‘Nay, by my troth,’ said Robin Hood, ‘So shall it never be: I make thee master,’ said Robin Hood, ‘Of all my men and me.’

80. ‘Nay, by my troth,’ said Little John, ‘So shall it never be; But let me be a fellow,’ said Little John, ‘No nother keep I be.’

81. Thus John gat Robin Hood out of prison, Certain withouten layn; When his men saw him whole and sound, For sooth they were full fain.

82. They filled in wine, and made them glad, Under the leavës smale, And gat pasties of venison, That goodë was with ale.

83. Then wordë came to our king How Robin Hood was gone, And how the sheriff of Nottingham Durst never look him upon.

84. Then bespake our comely king, In an anger hee: ‘Little John has beguiled the sheriff, In faith so has he me.

85. ‘Little John has beguiled us both, And that full well I see; Or else the sheriff of Nottingham High hangëd should he be.

86. ‘I made them yeomen of the crown, And gave them fee with my hand; I gave them grith,’ said our king; ‘Throughout all merry England.

87. ‘I gave them grith,’ then said our king; ‘I say, so mote I the, Forsooth such a yeoman as he is one In all England are not three.

88. ‘He is true to his master,’ said our king; ‘I say, by sweet Saint John, He lovës better Robin Hood Than he does us each one.

89. ‘Robin Hood is ever bound to him, Both in street and stall; Speak no more of this matter,’ said our king; ‘But John has beguiled us all.’

90. Thus ends the talking of the monk, And Robin Hood i-wis; God, that is ever a crownëd king, Bring us all to his bliss!

[Annotations: 1.1: ‘shaws,’ woods, thickets: ‘sheen,’ beautiful. 2.2: ‘hee,’ high. Cf. 84.2. 3.3: ‘can,’ did. 7.2: _i.e._, since I took the sacrament. 8.1: ‘milner son,’ = miller’s son: cp. 24.3. 8.5: ‘slon,’ slay. 10.4: ‘lyne,’ tree: so ‘lynd’ in 23.2. Cf. 76.4, 78.3, etc. 11.4: _i.e._, I will give you odds of three to one. 13.1: ‘ferly,’ strange. 14.1: ‘lied,’ gave the lie to. 15.2: ‘by,’ aby, atone for. 16.4: ‘ilkone’ = each one: cf. 30.2. 17.2: Another form of ‘certain without leasing’ = forsooth without lying. Cf. 81.2. 20.4: ‘sparred,’ shut: ‘everychone,’ every one (cf. 16.4). 21.2: _i.e._, make ready: cf. _Guy of Gisborne_, 5.1. 22.4: ‘And’ = if: ‘it will be your fault if he escapes us.’ 23.1: ‘traitor’ is genitive: cf. ‘milner son,’ 8.1, and ‘mother son,’ 24.3. 24.2: ‘radly,’ quickly: ‘yare,’ ready. 24.3: See notes 8.1, 23.1. 25.1: ‘throly thrast,’ strenuously pressed. 25.2: ‘wone,’ plenty. 26.3: ‘Thereas’ = where. Cf. 72.3. 29.3: ‘But if’ = unless. 30.2: Cf. 16.4. Probably six stanzas are lost here. 32.1: ‘rule,’ behaviour, conduct. 34.2: ‘securly’ = surely. 37.1: ‘tristel-tree,’ trysting-tree. 38.2: ‘on fere,’ in company. 38.3: ‘Much emës house,’ the house of Much’s uncle. 39.2: ‘at a stage’: ? from an upper story. 41.2: ‘hand,’ gallant. 41.3: ‘spyrrëd . . . at,’ asked . . . of. (Cf. Scottish ‘speir.’) 41.4: ‘friende’ is plural. 48.4: ‘For’ = for the purpose that. Cp. ‘for’ in _Child Waters_, 28.6, First Series, p. 41. 49.3: ‘of him agast,’ afraid of the consequences to him. 51.2: ‘bale,’ trouble. 54.4: ‘see,’ protect. 56.2: Cf. _Gest_, 234.2. 57.4: ‘after’: ‘by,’ as we should say. 59.4: ‘dere,’ injury. 60.4: ‘yede’ ( = gaed), went. 61.2: ‘sparred’: cp. 20.4. 63.4: ‘sauten,’ assault. 64.1: Cp. 41.3. 73.4: ‘comyn’ = commons’: _i.e._ the town bell. 74.4: ‘warison,’ reward. 76.2: ‘sty,’ alley. 77.4: ‘Quite thee,’ acquit yoursle, _i.e._ reward me. But the Baford MS. reads ‘Quit me.’ 80.4: ‘keep I be,’ I care to be. 81.4: ‘fain,’ glad. 84.2: ‘hee’: see 2.2. 86.3: ‘grith,’ peace (Norse, ‘grið’). 87.2: See 56.2. 89.2: _i.e._ whether on the road, or housed.]

ROBIN HOOD AND THE POTTER

+The Text+ is modernised, as far as is possible, from a MS. of about 1500 in the University Library at Cambridge (Ee. 4, 35). The ballad was first printed therefrom by Ritson in his _Robin Hood_ (1795), vol. i. p. 81, on the whole very accurately, and with a few necessary emendations. He notes that the scribe was evidently ‘a vulgar and illiterate person’ who ‘irremediably corrupted’ the ballad. In several places, however, a little ingenuity will restore a lost rhyme.

+The Story+, of an outlaw disguising himself in order to gain information from his enemies, is common to the legends of Hereward the Saxon, Wallace, Eustace the monk, and Fulk Fitz Warine, the first three of whom assumed the guise of a potter at one time or another.

The ballad of _Robin Hood and the Butcher_ is a tale similar to this; and part of the Play of Robin Hood is based on this ballad (see Introduction, p. xxiii.).

ROBIN HOOD AND THE POTTER

1. In summer, when the leavës spring, The blossoms on every bough, So merry doth the birdës sing In woodës merry now.

2. Hearken, good yeomen, Comely, courteous, and good; One of the best that ever bare bow, His name was Robin Hood.

3. Robin Hood was the yeoman’s name, That was both courteous and free; For the love of Our Lady All women worshipped he.

4. But as the good yeoman stood on a day, Among his merry meynë, He was ware of a proud potter Came driving over the lee.

5. ‘Yonder cometh a proud potter,’ said Robin, ‘That long hath haunted this way; He was never so courteous a man One penny of pavage to pay.’

6. ‘I met him but at Wentbridge,’ said Little John, ‘And therefore evil mote he thee! Such three strokës he me gave, That by my sides cleft they.

7. ‘I lay forty shillings,’ said Little John, ‘To pay it this same day, There is not a man among us all A wed shall make him lay.’

8. ‘Here is forty shillings,’ said Robin, ‘More, and thou dare say, That I shall make that proud potter, A wed to me shall he lay.’

9. There this money they laid, They toke it a yeoman to keep. Robin before the potter he breyde And bade him stand still.

10. Hands upon his horse he laid, And bade the potter stand full still; The potter shortly to him said, ‘Fellow, what is thy will?’

11. ‘All this three year and more, potter,’ he said, ‘Thou hast haunted this way, Yet were thou never so courteous a man One penny of pavage to pay.’

12. ‘What is thy name,’ said the potter, ‘’Fore pavage thou ask of me?’ ‘Robin Hood is my name, A wed shall thou leave me.’

13. ‘Wed will I none leave,’ said the potter, ‘Nor pavage will I none pay; Away thy hand fro my horse! I will thee tene else, by my fay.’

14. The potter to his cart he went, He was not to seek; A good two-hand staff he hent, Before Robin he leaped.