Chapter 7

15. Robin out with a sword bent, A buckler in his hand; The potter to Robin he went And said, ‘Fellow, let my horse go.’

16. Together then went these two yeomen, It was a good sight to see; Thereof low Robin his men, There they stood under a tree.

17. Little John to his fellows said, ‘Yon potter will stiffly stand’: The potter, with an ackward stroke, Smote the buckler out of his hand.

18. And ere Robin might get it again His buckler at his feet, The potter in the neck him took, To the ground soon he yede.

19. That saw Robin his men As they stood under a bough; ‘Let us help our master,’ said Little John, ‘Yonder potter else will him slo.’

20. These yeomen went with a breyde, To their master they came. Little John to his master said ‘Who hath the wager won?’

21. ‘Shall I have your forty shillings,’ said Little John, ‘Or ye, master, shall have mine?’ ‘If they were a hundred,’ said Robin, ‘I’ faith, they been all thine.’

22. ‘It is full little courtesy,’ said the potter, ‘As I have heard wise men say, If a poor yeoman come driving on the way To let him of his journey.’

23. ‘By my troth, thou says sooth,’ said Robin, ‘Thou says good yeomanry; And thou drive forth every day, Thou shalt never be let for me.

24. ‘I will pray thee, good potter, A fellowship will thou have? Give me thy clothing, and thou shalt have mine; I will go to Nottingham.’

25. ‘I grant thereto,’ said the potter; ‘Thou shalt find me a fellow good; But thou can sell my pottës well, Come again as thou yode.’

26. ‘Nay, by my troth,’ said Robin, ‘And then I beshrew my head, If I bring any pottës again, And any wife will them chepe.’

27. Then spake Little John, And all his fellows hend; ‘Master, be well ware of the sheriff of Nottingham, For he is little our friend.’

28. ‘Heyt war howt,’ said Robin; ‘Fellows, let me alone; Through the help of Our Lady, To Nottingham will I gone.’

29. Robin went to Nottingham, These pottës for to sell; The potter abode with Robin’s men, There he fared not ill.

30. Though Robin drove on his way, So merry over the land: Here is more, and after is to say The best is behind.

31. When Robin came to Nottingham, The sooth if I should say, He set up his horse anon, And gave him oats and hay.

32. In the midst of the town, There he showed his ware; ‘Pottës, pottës,’ he gan cry full soon, ‘Have hansel for the mare!’

33. Full often against the sheriff’s gate Showëd he his chaffare; Wives and widows about him drew And chepëd fast of his ware.

34. Yet, ‘Pottës, great chepe!’ cried Robin, ‘I love evil thus to stand.’ And all that saw him sell Said he had be no potter long.

35. The pottës that were worth pence five, He sold them for pence three; Privily said man and wife, ‘Yonder potter shall never thee.’

36. Thus Robin sold full fast, Till he had pottës but five; Up he them took off his car And sent them to the sheriff’s wife.

37. Thereof she was full fain; ‘Gramercy, sir,’ then said she; ‘When ye come to this country again I shall buy of thy pottës, so mote I thee.’

38. ‘Ye shall have of the best,’ said Robin, And sware by the Trinity; Full courteously she gan him call, ‘Come dine with the sheriff and me.’

39. ‘God amercy,’ said Robin, ‘Your bidding shall be done.’ A maiden in the pottës gan bear, Robin and the sheriff wife followed anon.

40. When Robin into the hall came, The sheriff soon he met; The potter could of courtesy, And soon the sheriff he gret.

41. ‘Lo, sir, what this potter hath give you and me; Five pottës small and great!’ ‘He is full welcome,’ said the sheriff, ‘Let us wash, and go to meat.’

42. As they sat at their meat, With a noble cheer, Two of the sheriff’s men gan speak Of a great wager;

43. Of a shooting was good and fine, Was made the other day, Of forty shillings, the sooth to say, Who should this wager win.

44. Still then sat this proud potter, Thus then thought he; ‘As I am a true Christian man, This shooting will I see.’

45. When they had fared of the best, With bread, and ale, and wine, To the butts they made them prest, With bows and bolts full fine.

46. The sheriff’s men shot full fast, As archers that were good; There came none near nigh the mark By half a good archer’s bow.

47. Still then stood the proud potter, Thus then said he; ‘And I had a bow, by the rood, One shot should ye see.’

48. ‘Thou shall have a bow,’ said the sheriff, ‘The best that thou will choose of three; Thou seemest a stalwart and a strong, Assay[ed] shall thou be.’

49. The sheriff commanded a yeoman that stood them by, After bows to wend; The best bow that the yeoman brought, Robin set on a string.

50. ‘Now shall I wot and thou be good, And pull it up to thine ear.’ ‘So God me help,’ said the proud potter, ‘This is but right weak gear.’

51. To a quiver Robin went, A good bolt out he took; So nigh unto the mark he went, He failëd not a foot.

52. All they shot about again, The sheriff’s men and he; Of the mark he would not fail, He cleft the prick in three.

53. The sheriff’s men thought great shame The potter the mastery won; The sheriff laughed and made good game, And said, ‘Potter, thou art a man.

54. ... ... ... ... ... ... ‘Thou art worthy to bear a bow In what place that thou go.’

55. ‘In my cart I have a bow, Forsooth,’ he said, ‘and that a good; In my cart is the bow That gave me Robin Hood.’

56. ‘Knowest thou Robin Hood?’ said the sheriff; ‘Potter, I pray thee tell thou me.’ ‘A hundred turn I have shot with him, Under his trystell-tree.’

57. ‘I had liefer nor a hundred pound,’ said the sheriff, And sware by the Trinity, ‘ ... ... ... That the false outlaw stood by me.’

58. ‘And ye will do after my rede,’ said the potter, ‘And boldly go with me, And tomorrow, ere we eat bread, Robin Hood will we see.’

59. ‘I will quite thee,’ quoth the sheriff, ‘I swear by God of might.’ Shooting they left and home they went, Their supper was ready dight.

60. Upon the morrow, when it was day, He busked him forth to ride; The potter his cart forth gan ray, And would not leave behind.

61. He took leave of the sherriff’s wife, And thanked her of all thing: ‘Dame, for my love and you will this wear, I give you here a gold ring.’

62. ‘Gramercy,’ said the wife, ‘Sir, God yield it thee.’ The sheriff’s heart was never so light, The fair forest to see.

63. And when he came into the forest, Under the leavës green, Birdës there sang on boughës prest, It was great joy to see.

64. ‘Here it is merry to be,’ said Robin, ‘For a man that had ought to spend; By my horn I shall awit If Robin Hood be here.’

65. Robin set his horn to his mouth, And blew a blast that was full good; That heard his men that there stood, Far down in the wood.

66. ‘I hear my master blow,’ said Little John, ... ... ... ... ... ... They ran as they were wood.

67. When they to their master came, Little John would not spare; ‘Master, how have you fare in Nottingham? How have you sold your ware?’

68. ‘Yea, by my troth, Little John, Look thou take no care; I have brought the sheriff of Nottingham, For all our chaffare.’

69. ‘He is full welcome,’ said Little John, ‘This tiding is full good.’ The sheriff had liefer nor a hundred pound He had never seen Robin Hood.

70. ‘Had I wist that before, At Nottingham when we were, Thou should not come in fair forest Of all this thousand year.’

71. ‘That wot I well,’ said Robin, ‘I thank God that ye be here; Therefore shall ye leave your horse with us And all your other gear.’

72. ‘That fend I god’s forbode,’ quoth the sheriff, So to loose my good; ... ... ... ... ... ...

73. ‘Hither ye came on horse full high, And home shall ye go on foot; And greet well thy wife at home, The woman is full good.

74. ‘I shall her send a white palfrey, It ambleth, by my fay, ... ... ... ... ... ...

75. ‘I shall her send a white palfrey, It ambleth as the wind; Nere for the love of your wife, Of more sorrow should you sing!’

76. Thus parted Robin Hood and the sheriff; To Nottingham he took the way; His wife fair welcomed him home, And to him gan she say:

77. ‘Sir, how have you fared in green forest? Have ye brought Robin home?’ ‘Dame, the devil speed him, both body and bone; I have had a full great scorn.

78. ‘Of all the good that I have led to green wood, He hath take it fro me; All but this fair palfrey, That he hath sent to thee.’

79. With that she took up a loud laughing, And sware by him that died on tree, ‘Now have you paid for all the pottës That Robin gave to me.

80. ‘Now ye be come home to Nottingham, Ye shall have good enow.’ Now speak we of Robin Hood, And of the potter under the green bough.

81. ‘Potter, what was thy pottës worth To Nottingham that I led with me?’ ‘They were worth two nobles,’ said he, ‘So mote I thrive or thee; So could I have had for them And I had there be.’

82. ‘Thou shalt have ten pound,’ said Robin, ‘Of money fair and free; And ever when thou comest to green wood, Welcome, potter, to me.’

83. Thus parted Robin, the sheriff, and the potter, Underneath the green wood tree; God have mercy on Robin Hood’s soul, And save all good yeomanry!

[Annotations: 5.4: ‘pavage,’ road-tax. 7.4: ‘wed,’ pledge, wager. 8.2: ‘and,’ if. 9.2: ‘toke,’ gave. 9.3: ‘breyde,’ rushed, leapt. 13.4: ‘tene,’ harm. 16.3: _i.e._ thereat laughed Robin’s men. 17.3: ‘ackward,’ back-handed (?). 18.4: ‘yede,’ went. 19.4: ‘slo,’ slay. 20.1: ‘a breyde,’ haste. 22.4: ‘let,’ stop, hinder. 23.3: ‘And,’ if. 25.3: ‘But,’ unless. 25.4: ‘yode,’ went. 26.4: ‘chepe,’ bargain for, buy. 28.1: ‘Heyt war howt,’ a call to horses while driving, like the modern ‘Gee up.’ 32.4: ‘hansel’ is a gift, especially an ‘earnest’ or instalment; ‘mare’ probably is ‘more’; but the meaning of the whole phrase is uncertain. 33.2: ‘chaffare,’ merchandise. 34.1: ‘great chepe’ = great bargain. 35.4: ‘thee,’ thrive. 37.1: ‘fain,’ glad. 40.3: ‘could of courtesy,’ knew how to be courteous. 40.4: ‘gret,’ greeted. 45.3: ‘prest,’ quickly. 47.3: ‘And,’ if. 54.1,2: Two lines missing in the MS.; so 57.3. 58.1: ‘rede,’ advice. 59.1: ‘quite’ = requite. 59.4: ‘dight,’ prepared. 60.2: ‘busked,’ made ready. 60.3: ‘ray’ = array. 62.2: ‘yield it thee,’ reward thee for it. 63.3: ‘prest,’ freely. 64.3: ‘awit’: either = wit, know, or = await. 66.2,3: Two lines omitted in the MS. 66.4: ‘wood,’ mad. 72.1: A duplicated deprecation: ‘I protest--God forbid!’ 72.3,4: Two lines omitted in the MS.; so 74.3,4. 75.3: ‘Nere’ = ne were, were it not.]

ROBIN HOOD AND GUY OF GISBORNE

+The Text.+--The only text of this ballad is in the Percy Folio, from which it is here rendered in modern spelling. Although the original is written continuously, it is almost impossible not to suspect an omission after 2.2. Child points out, however, that the abrupt transition is found in other ballads (see _Adam Bell_, 2.2), and Hales and Furnivall put 2.3,4 in inverted commas as part of Robin’s relation of his dream. Percy’s emendation was:

‘The woodweete sang, and wold not cese, Sitting upon the spraye, Soe lowde, he wakend Robin Hood In the greenwood where he lay.

Now by my faye, said jollye Robin, A sweaven[1] I had this night; I dreamt me of tow mighty yemen That fast with me can fight.’

+The Story.+--Whether verses have been lost or not, the story has become confused, as there is nothing to show how Robin knows that the Sheriff of Nottingham holds Little John captive; yet he makes careful preparations to pass himself off as Sir Guy, in order to set John free.

There has come down to us a fragment of a play of Robin Hood and the Sheriff.[2] In this dramatic fragment, an unnamed knight is promised a reward by the sheriff if he takes Robin Hood. The knight and Robin shoot and wrestle and fight; Robin wins, cuts off the knight’s head, puts on his clothes, and takes the head away with him. A second scene shows how the sheriff takes prisoner the other outlaws, amongst whom is Friar Tuck; but the allocation of the parts in the dialogue is mostly conjectural.

[Footnote 1: _sweaven_, dream.]

[Footnote 2: See Introduction, p. xxii.]

ROBIN HOOD AND GUY OF GISBORNE

1. When shaws been sheen, and shradds full fair, And leaves both large and long, It is merry, walking in the fair forest, To hear the small bird’s song.

2. The woodweel sang, and would not cease, Amongst the leaves o’ lyne, And it is by two wight yeomen, By dear God, that I mean.

*** *** ***

3. ‘Methought they did me beat and bind, And took my bow me fro; If I be Robin alive in this land, I’ll be wroken on both them two.’

4. ‘Swevens are swift, master,’ quoth John, ‘As the wind that blows o’er a hill; For if it be never so loud this night, Tomorrow it may be still.’

5. ‘Busk ye, bown ye, my merry men all, For John shall go with me; For I’ll go seek yond wight yeomen In greenwood where they be.’

6. They cast on their gown of green, A shooting gone are they, Until they came to the merry greenwood, Where they had gladdest be; There were they ‘ware of a wight yeoman, His body leaned to a tree.

7. A sword and a dagger he wore by his side, Had been many a man’s bane, And he was clad in his capul-hide, Top and tail and mane.

8. ‘Stand you still, master,’ quoth Little John, ‘Under this trusty tree, And I will go to yond wight yeoman, To know his meaning truly.’

9. ‘Ah, John, by me thou sets no store, And that’s a ferly thing; How oft send I my men before, And tarry myself behind?

10. ‘It is no cunning a knave to ken, And a man but hear him speak; And it were not for bursting of my bow, John, I would thy head break.’

11. But often words they breeden bale; That parted Robin and John; John is gone to Barnësdale, The gates he knows each one.

12. And when he came to Barnësdale, Great heaviness there he had; He found two of his fellows Were slain both in a slade,

13. And Scarlet afoot flying was, Over stocks and stone, For the sheriff with seven score men Fast after him is gone.

14. ‘Yet one shot I’ll shoot,’ says Little John, ‘With Christ his might and main; I’ll make yond fellow that flies so fast To be both glad and fain.’

15. John bent up a good yew bow, And fettled him to shoot; The bow was made of a tender bough, And fell down to his foot.

16. ‘Woe worth thee, wicked wood,’ said Little John, ‘That e’er thou grew on a tree! For this day thou art my bale, My boot when thou should be.’

17. This shot it was but loosely shot, The arrow flew in vain, And it met one of the sheriff’s men; Good William a Trent was slain.

18. It had been better for William a Trent To hang upon a gallow Than for to lie in the greenwood, There slain with an arrow.

19. And it is said, when men be met, Six can do more than three: And they have ta’en Little John, And bound him fast to a tree.

20. ‘Thou shalt be drawn by dale and down, And hanged high on a hill.’ ‘But thou may fail,’ quoth Little John, ‘If it be Christ’s own will.’

21. Let us leave talking of Little John, For he is bound fast to a tree, And talk of Guy and Robin Hood In the greenwood where they be;

22. How these two yeomen together they met, Under the leaves of lyne, To see what merchandise they made Even at that same time.

23. ‘Good morrow, good fellow,’ quoth Sir Guy; ‘Good morrow, good fellow,’ quoth he; ‘Methinks by this bow thou bears in thy hand, A good archer thou seems to be.

24. ‘I am wilful of my way,’ quoth Sir Guy, ‘And of my morning tide.’ ‘I’ll lead thee through the wood,’ quoth Robin, ‘Good fellow, I’ll be thy guide.’

25. ‘I seek an outlaw,’ quoth Sir Guy, ‘Men call him Robin Hood; I had rathèr meet with him upon a day Than forty pound of gold.’

26. ‘If you two met, it would be seen whether were better Afore ye did part away; Let us some other pastime find, Good fellow, I thee pray.

27. ‘Let us some other masteries make, And we will walk in the woods even; We may chance meet with Robin Hood At some unset steven.’

28. They cut them down the summer shroggs Which grew both under a briar, And set them three score rood in twain, To shoot the pricks full near.

29. ‘Lead on, good fellow,’ said Sir Guy, ‘Lead on, I do bid thee.’ ‘Nay by my faith,’ quoth Robin Hood, ‘The leader thou shalt be.’

30. The first good shot that Robin led, Did not shoot an inch the prick fro; Guy was an archer good enough, But he could ne’er shoot so.

31. The second shot Sir Guy shot, He shot within the garland; But Robin Hood shot it better than he, For he clove the good prick-wand.

32. ‘God’s blessing on thy heart!’ says Guy, ‘Good fellow, thy shooting is good; For an thy heart be as good as thy hands, Thou were better than Robin Hood.

33. ‘Tell me thy name, good fellow,’ quoth Guy, Under the leaves of lyne: ‘Nay, by my faith,’ quoth good Robin, ‘Till thou have told me thine.’

34. ‘I dwell by dale and down,’ quoth Guy, ‘And I have done many a curst turn; And he that calls me by my right name Calls me Guy of good Gisborne.’

35. ‘My dwelling is in the wood,’ says Robin; ‘By thee I set right nought; My name is Robin Hood of Barnesdale, A fellow thou hast long sought.’

36. He that had neither been kith nor kin Might have seen a full fair sight, To see how together these yeomen went, With blades both brown and bright;

37. To have seen how these yeomen together fought Two hours of a summer’s day; It, was neither Guy nor Robin Hood That fettled them to fly away.

38. Robin was reckless on a root, And stumbled at that tide, And Guy was quick and nimble withal, And hit him o’er the left side.

39. ‘Ah, dear Lady!’ said Robin Hood, ‘Thou art both mother and may! I think it was never man’s destiny To die before his day.’

40. Robin thought on Our Lady dear, And soon leapt up again, And thus he came with an awkward stroke; Good Sir Guy he has slain.

41. He took Sir Guy’s head by the hair, And sticked it on his bow’s end: ‘Thou hast been traitor all thy life, Which thing must have an end.’

42. Robin pulled forth an Irish knife, And nicked Sir Guy in the face, That he was never on a woman born Could tell who Sir Guy was.

43. Says, ‘Lie there, lie there, good Sir Guy, And with me be not wroth; If thou have had the worse strokes at my hand, Thou shalt have the better cloth.’

44. Robin did off his gown of green, Sir Guy he did it throw; And he put on that capul-hide That clad him top to toe.

45. ‘The bow, the arrows, and little horn, And with me now I’ll bear; For now I will go to Barnësdale, To see how my men do fare.’

46. Robin set Guy’s horn to his mouth, A loud blast in it he did blow; That beheard the sheriff of Nottingham, As he leaned under a low.

47. ‘Hearken! hearken!’ said the sheriff, ‘I heard no tidings but good; For yonder I hear Sir Guy’s horn blow, For he hath slain Robin Hood.’

48. ‘For yonder I hear Sir Guy’s horn blow, It blows so well in tide, For yonder comes that wighty yeoman, Clad in his capul-hide.

49. ‘Come hither, thou good Sir Guy, Ask of me what thou wilt have’: ‘I’ll none of thy gold,’ says Robin Hood, ‘Nor I’ll none of it have.’

50. ‘But now I have slain the master,’ he said, ‘Let me go strike the knave; This is all the reward I ask, Nor no other will I have.’

51. ‘Thou art a madman,’ said the sheriff, ‘Thou shouldest have had a knight’s fee; Seeing thy asking hath been so bad, Well granted it shall be.’

52. But Little John heard his master speak, Well he knew that was his steven; ‘Now shall I be loosed,’ quoth Little John, ‘With Christ’s might in heaven.’

53. But Robin he hied him towards Little John, He thought he would loose him belive; The sheriff and all his company Fast after him did drive.

54. ‘Stand aback! stand aback!’ said Robin; ‘Why draw you me so near? It was never the use in our country One’s shrift another should hear.’

55. But Robin pulled forth an Irish knife, And loosed John hand and foot, And gave him Sir Guy’s bow in his hand, And bade it be his boot.

56. But John took Guy’s bow in his hand (His arrows were rawsty by the root); The sheriff saw Little John draw a bow And fettle him to shoot.

57. Towards his house in Nottingham He fled full fast away, And so did all his company, Not one behind did stay.

58. But he could neither so fast go, Nor away so fast run, But Little John, with an arrow broad, Did cleave his heart in twain.

[Annotations: 1.1: ‘shaws,’ woods: ‘sheen,’ beautiful: ‘shradds,’ copses. 2.1: ‘woodweel,’ a small warbler. Percy, Ritson, Hazlitt, Halliwell, Child, Murray, Hales, and Furnivall, have variously identified it with the woodpecker, woodlark, redbreast, greenfinch, nuthatch, and ‘golden ouzle.’ 2.2: ‘lyne,’ tree. 3.4: ‘wroken,’ avenged. 4.1: ‘swevens,’ dreams. 5.1: ‘Busk ye, bown ye’ = get ready. 7.3: ‘capul-hide,’ horse-skin. 10.2: ‘And’ = if. So in next line. 12.4: ‘slade,’ valley, ravine. 15.2: ‘fettled,’ prepared. 16.3,4: ‘bale, boot,’ trouble, help. 20.1: ‘quoth the sheriff’ is added in the MS. 22.2: See 2.2 and 33.2, where it is obviously a commonplace. 24.1,2: Sir Guy means he has lost his way, and does not know the time of day. 26.1: ‘whether’ = which of the two. Robin, of course, is speaking. 27.1: ‘masteries,’ feats of skill. 27.4: ‘unset Steven,’ unfixed time: _i.e._ by chance. 28.1: ‘shroggy,’ wands, sticks. 28.4: ‘pricks,’ marks for shooting at. 31.2,4: The ‘garland’ was simply a circular wreath, hung upon the ‘prick-wand,’ or upright stick. 35.2: ‘set by’ = care for. 36.4: ‘brown’: see _Glossary of Ballad Commonplaces_, First Series, p. xlix. 38.1: ‘reckless on,’ heedless of. 40.3: ‘awkward,’ unexpected: another ballad-commonplace. 42.3: ‘That’ = so that. 45.4: We are not told how Robin knew what his men were doing. 46.4: ‘low,’ hill. 52.2: ‘steven,’ voice. 53.2: ‘belive,’ forthwith. 56.2: ‘rawsty by the root.’ It is suggested that this means rusty (_i.e._ with blood) at the root (tip, end).]

ROBIN HOOD’S DEATH