369. ‘And I wyll be your ledes-man, And lede you the way, And or ye come to Notyngham, Myn hede then dare I lay, 370. ‘That ye shall mete with good Robyn, On lyve yf that he be; Or ye come to Notyngham, With eyen ye shall hym se.’ 371. Full hastely our kynge was dyght, were his knyghtës fyve, Everych of them in monkës wede, And hasted them thyder blyve. 372. Our kynge was grete above his cole, A brode hat on his crowne, Ryght as he were abbot-lyke, They rode up into the towne. 373. Styf botës our kynge had on, Forsoth as I you say; He rode syngynge to grenë wode; The covent was clothed in graye. 374. His male-hors and his grete somers Folowed our kynge behynde, Tyll they came to grene wode, A myle under the lynde. 375. There they met with good Robyn, Stondynge on the waye, And so dyde many a bolde archere, For soth as I you say. 376. Robyn toke the kyngës hors, Hastely in that stede, And sayd, ‘Syr abbot, by your leve, A whyle ye must abyde. 377. ‘We be yemen of this foreste, Under the grene-wode tre; We lyve by our kyngës dere, Other shyft have not we. 378. ‘And ye have chyrches and rentës both, And gold full grete plentë; Gyve us some of your spendynge, For saynt charytë.’ 379. Than bespake our cumly kynge, Anone than sayd he; ‘I brought no more to grene-wode But forty pounde with me. 380. ‘I have layne at Notyngham, This fourtynyght with our kynge, And spent I have full moche good On many a grete lordynge. 381. ‘And I have but forty pounde, No more than have I me: But if I had an hondred pounde, I wolde vouch it safe on thee.’ 382. Robyn toke the forty pounde, And departed it in two partye; Halfendell he gave his mery men, And bad them mery to be. 383. Full curteysly Robyn gan say; ‘Syr, have this for your spendyng; We shall mete another day’; ‘Gramercy,’ than sayd our kynge. 384. ‘But well thee greteth Edwarde our kynge, And sent to thee his seale, And byddeth thee com to Notyngham, Both to mete and mele.’ 385. He toke out the brode targe, And sone he lete hym se; Robyn coud his courteysy, And set hym on his kne. 386. ‘I love no man in all the worlde So well as I do my kynge; Welcome is my lordës seale; And, monke, for thy tydynge, 387. ‘Syr abbot, for thy tydynges, To day thou shalt dyne with me, For the love of my kynge, Under my trystell-tre.’ 388. Forth he lad our comly kynge, Full fayre by the honde; Many a dere there was slayne, And full fast dyghtande. 389. Robyn toke a full grete home, And loude he gan blowe; Seven score of wyght yonge men Came redy on a rowe. 390. All they kneled on theyr kne, Full fayre before Robyn: The kynge sayd hymselfe untyll, And swore by Saynt Austyn,