"I make mine avow to God," said Robin, "Thou art a stalworthy frere; There is pith in thine arm," said Rob-in, "I trow thou canst well shoot!" Thus our king and Robin Hood Together then they met. Robin beheld our comely king Wistly in the face, So did Sir Richard at the Lee, And kneeled down in that place; And so did all the wild outl-aws, When they see them kneel. "My lord the king of Engl-and, Now I know you well. Merc-y," then Robin said to our king, "Under your trystal tree, Of thy goodness and thy grace, For my men and me! Yes, fore God," said Robin, "And also God me save; I ask merc-y, my lord the king, And for my men I crave." "Yes, fore God," then said our king, "Thy petition I grant thee, With that thou leave the green wood, And all thy compan-y; And come home, sir, to my court, And there dwell with me." "I make mine avow," said Rob-in, "And right so shall it be; I will come to your court, Your service for to see, And bring with me of my men Seven score and three. But me like well your serv-ice, I come again full soon, And shoot at the donn-e deer, As I am wont to doon." THE EIGHTH FYTTE. "Hast thou any green cloth," said our king, "That thou wilt sell now to me?" "Yea, fore God," said Robin. "Thirty yards and three." "Robin," said our king, "Now pray I thee, To sell me some of that cloth, To me and my meyn-e." "Yes, fore God," then said Rob-in, "Or else I were a fool; Another day ye will me clothe, I trow, against the Yule." The king cast off his cot-e then, A green garment he did on, And every knight had so, i-wis, They cloth-ed them full soon. When they were clothed in Lincoln green, They cast away their gray. Now we shall to Nottingham, All thus our king gan say. Their bows they bent and forth they went, Shooting all in-fere, Toward the town of Nottingham, Outlaws as they were. Our king and Robin rode together, For sooth as I you say, And they shot pluck-buffet, As they went by the way; And many a buffet our king wan, Of Robin Hood that day: And nothing spar-ed good Rob-in Our king in his pay. "So God me help-e," said our king, "Thy name is nought to lere, I should not get a shot of thee, Though I shot all this year."