[Annotations: 208., 209.: A repetition of 17 and 18. 211.2: ‘tray and tene,’ grief and vexation. 213.: _i.e._ Benedictines. 214.3: ‘wedde,’ wager. 215.2: ‘frese’ occurs nowhere else, and its meaning is unknown. 215.3: ‘seker and sad,’ resolute and staunch. 216.2: ‘somers’ = sumpters, pack-horses. 218.2: ‘prese,’ crowd. 225.2: ‘lefe,’ pleased, willing. 225.4: ‘Maugre,’ in spite of. 227.3: ‘no force,’ no matter. 229.2: ‘felaushyp’ = our fellows. 230.2: ‘raye,’ striped cloth. 232.4: ‘avowë,’ patron. 234.2: A common form of asseveration = ‘upon my life’; ‘the’ = thrive. Cf. 243.4. 237.1: ‘borowe,’ security. 239.2: ‘chere,’ countenance. 243.4: See 234.2 and note. 244.3: ‘myster,’ need. 247.3: ‘male,’ trunk. See 134.2 and 374.1. 250.3: ‘pay,’ liking. 251.2: ‘hende,’ gracious. 253.2: ‘mote,’ meeting. 254.3: ‘reves,’ bailiffs. 256.1: ‘corser,’ coffer (?). 271.2: ‘broke,’ enjoy. Cf. 274.3 and 279.3. 273.2: ‘leugh,’ laughed. 275.2: ‘ifedred,’ feathered.] THE FIFTH FYTTE (281-316) +Argument.+--The story now returns to the Sheriff of Nottingham, and relates how he offered a prize for the best archer in the north. Robin Hood, hearing of this match, determines to go to it, and to test the sheriff’s faith to his oath (see the Third Fytte, stt. 202-4). Robin wins the prize, and is starting home to the greenwood, when the sheriff recognises and attacks him, but is beaten off by a shower of arrows. Robin and his men retire, shooting as they go, until they come to a castle. Here dwells the knight to whom Robin had lent the money--‘Sir Richard at the Lee.’ He takes in Robin and his men, and defies the sheriff; Robin, he says, shall spend forty days with him. This fytte is no doubt based on some single lost ballad of a shooting-match at which Robin was victorious, and at which the Sheriff of Nottingham attempted in vain to arrest him. But the compiler of the _Gest_ has carefully linked it to the preceding fyttes by such references as Robin’s determination to try the sheriff’s faith (st. 287), which is made clear in stt. 296-8; and the identification of the knight whose castle protects Robin and his men with the knight to whom the money had been lent (stt. 310-312). THE FIFTH FYTTE 281. Now hath the knyght his leve i-take, And wente hym on his way; Robyn Hode and his mery men Dwelled styll full many a day. 282. Lyth and listen, gentil men, And herken what I shall say, How the proud sheryfe of Notyngham Dyde crye a full fayre play; 283. That all the best archers of the north Sholde come upon a day, And he that shoteth allther best The game shall bere away. 284. He that shoteth allther best, Furthest fayre and lowe, At a payre of fynly buttes, Under the grene wode shawe,