Thus longe taryed this gentyll knyght, 245 Tyll that playe was done, So longe abode Robyn fastynge, Thre houres after the none. 1, Ritson, this way. 2, hym, _sic_ Ch. & M. 25. The prior, in an abbey, was the officer immediately under the abbot; in priories and conventual cathedrals he was the superior.--RITSON. 101, 2. I.e., the Chief Justice had been retained for the abbot by robe and fee. A writer in _Notes and Queries_, (vol. vi. p. 479,) quotes statutes of Edward I. and Edward III. against maintenance, in which the abuse of robes and fees is mentioned, and cites the following clause from the oath required to be taken by justices: "And that ye will take no _fee_ so long as ye shall be justices, nor _robes_, of any man great or small, except of the king himself." 122, leue, W. Lende us, C. 126, loke (for call), W. C. 148, grete, W. get, C. 150, thou. PCC. 180. This is a place unknown. There is a forest in Lancashire, observes Ritson, of the name of Wierysdale, but it appears subsequently that the knight's castle was in Nottinghamshire. 207, sute, C. 218, I up pyght, W. up ypyght, C. 234, fere, W. in fere, C. THE THYRDE FYTTE. Lyth and lysten, gentyll men, All that now be here, Of Lytell Johan, that was the knyghtes man, Good myrthe ye shall here. It was upon a mery day, 5 That yonge men wolde go shete,[L6] Lytell Johan fet his bowe anone, And sayd he wolde them mete. Thre tymes Lytell Johan shot about, And always cleft the wande;[L10] 10 The proude sheryf of Notyngham By the markes gan stande. The sheryf swore a full grete othe, By hym that dyed on a tre, This man is the best archere 15 That yet sawe I me. "Say me now, wyght yonge man, What is now thy name? In what countre were thou born,[L19] And where is thy wonnynge wane?"[L20] 20 "In Holdernesse I was bore, I-wys all of my dame; Men call me Reynolde Grenelefe, Whan I am at hame." "Say me, Reynaud Grenelefe, 25 Wolte thou dwell with me? And every yere I wyll the gyve Twenty marke to thy fee." "I have a mayster," sayd Lytell Johan, "A curteys knight is he; 30 May ye gete leve of hym, The better may it bee." The sheryfe gate Lytell Johan Twelve monethes of the knyght; Therfore he gave him ryght anone 35 A good hors and a wyght. Now is Lytel Johan the sheryffes man, God gyve us well to spede, But alway thought Lytell Johan To quyte hym well his mede. 40