"This ballad," says Ritson, "from the York edition of _Robin Hood's Garland_,[29] is probably one of the oldest extant of which he is the subject. The circumstance of Robin's changing clothes with the palmer, is, possibly, taken from an old romance, entitled _The noble hystory of the moost excellent and myghty prynce and hygh renowmed knyght kynge Ponthus of Galyce and of lytell Brytayne_. Emprynted at London in Fletestrete, at the sygne of the sonne, by Wynken de Worde. In the yere of our lorde god 1511, 4to. bl. sig, L 6. 'And as he (Ponthus) rode, he met with a poore palmer, beggynge his brede, the whiche had his gowne all to-clouted and an olde pylled hatte: so he alyght, and sayd to the palmer, frende, we shall make a chaunge of all our garmentes, for ye shall have my gowne and I shall have yours and your hatte. A, syr, sayd the palmer, ye bourde you with me. In good fayth, sayd Ponthus, I do not; so he dyspoyled hym and cladde hym with all his rayment, and he put upon hym the poore mannes gowne, his gyrdell, his hosyn, his shone, his hatte and his bourden.'" "There is an allusion to this ballad," adds Gutch, "in Anthony Munday's play of _The Downfall of Robert Earl of Huntington_. Collier's _Old Plays_, p. 41." Another version of this piece is immediately subjoined. [29] The earliest known edition of _Robin Hood's Garland_ was formerly in the possession of Mr. Douce, and is now among the books bequeathed by him to the Bodleian Library. It is dated 1670, and contains sixteen ballads. In the later Garlands this number is increased to twenty four, and to twenty seven. There are twelve months in all the year, As I hear many say, But the merriest month in all the year Is the merry month of May. Now Robin Hood is to Nottingham gone, 5 _With a link a down and a day_, And there he met a silly old woman, Was weeping on the way. "What news? what news, thou silly old woman? What news hast thou for me?" 10 Said she, "There's three squires in Nottingham town, To-day is condemned to die." "O have they parishes burnt?" he said, "Or have they ministers slain? Or have they robbèd any virgin, 15 Or with other men's wives have lain?" "They have no parishes burnt, good sir, Nor yet have ministers slain, Nor have they robbèd any virgin, Nor with other men's wives have lain." 20 "O what have they done?" said Robin Hood, "I pray thee tell to me:" "It's for slaying of the king's fallow deer, Bearing their long bows with thee." "Dost thou not mind, old woman," he said, 25 "Since thou made me sup and dine? By the truth of my body," quoth bold Robin Hood, "You could not tell it in better time."