_Deus hic, deus hic_, god be here! Is not this a holy worde for a frere? God save all this company! But am not I a jolly fryer? For I can shote both farre and nere, And handle the sworde and bucklèr, And this quarter-staffe also. If I mete with a gentylman or yemàn, I am not afrayde to loke hym upon, 30 Nor boldly with him to carpe; If he speake any wordes to me, He shall have strypes two or thre, That shal make his body smarte. But, maisters, to shew you the matter,[L35] Wherfore and why I am come hither, In fayth I wyl not spare. I am come to seke a good yeman, In Bernisdale men sai is his habitacion, His name is Robyn Hode. 40 And if that he be better man than I, His servaunt wyll I be, and serve him truely; But if that I be better man than he, By my truth my knave shall he be, And leade these dogges all three. ROBYN HODE. Yelde the, fryer, in thy long cote. FRYER TUCKE. I beshrew thy hart, knave, thou hurtest my throt. ROBYN HODE. I trowe, fryer, thou beginnest to dote; Who made the so malapert and so bolde, To come into this forest here, 50 Amonge my falowe dere? FRYER. Go louse the, ragged knave. If thou make mani wordes, I will geve the on the eare, Though I be but a poore fryer. To seke Robyn Hode I am com here, And to him my hart to breke. ROBYN HODE. Thou lousy frer, what wouldest thou with hym? He never loved fryer, nor none of freiers kyn. FRYER. Avaunt, ye ragged knave! Or ye shall have on the skynne. 60 ROBYN HODE. Of all the men in the morning thou art the worst, To mete with the I have no lust; For he that meteth a frere or a fox in the morning, To spede ill that day he standeth in jeoperdy.[L64] Therfore I had lever mete with the devil of hell, (Fryer, I tell the as I thinke,) Then mete with a fryer or a fox In a mornyng, or I drynk. FRYER. Avaunt, thou ragged knave, this is but a mock; If thou make mani words thou shal have a knock.[L70] 70 ROBYN HODE. Harke, frere, what I say here: Over this water thou shalt me bere, The brydge is borne away. FRYER. To say naye I wyll not: To let the of thine oth it were great pitie and sin, But up on a fryers backe, and have even in. ROBYN HODE. Nay, have over. FRYER. Now am I, frere, within, and thou, Robin, without, To lay the here I have no great doubt. Now art thou, Robyn, without, and I, frere, within, 80 Lye ther, knave; chose whether thou wilte sinke or swym. ROBYN HODE. Why, thou lowsy frere, what hast thou done?[L82] FRYER. Mary, set a knave over the shone. ROBYN HODE. Therfore thou shalt abye. FRYER. Why, wylt thou fyght a plucke? ROBYN HODE. And god send me good lucke. FRYER. Than have a stroke for fryer Tucke. ROBYN HODE.