Robyn toke the kynges hors, Hastely in that stede, 90 And sayd, "Syr abbot, by your leve, A whyle ye must abyde. "We be yemen of this foreste, Under the grene wode tre; We lyve by our kynges dere, 95 Other shyft have not we.[L96] "And ye have chyrches and rentes both, And gold full grete plentè; Gyve us some of your spendynge, For saynt Charytè." 100 Than bespake our cumly kynge, Anone than sayd he, "I brought no more to grene wode, But forty pounde with me. "I have layne at Notyngham, 105 This fourtynyght with our kynge, And spent I have full moche good, On many a grete lordynge. "And I have but forty pounde, No more than have I me; 110 But yf I had an hondred pounde, I would geve it to the."[L112] Robyn toke the forty pounde, And departed it in two partye, Halfendell he gave his mery men, 115 And bad them mery to be. Full curteysly Robyn gan say, "Syr, have this for your spendyng; We shall mete another day." "Gramercy," than sayd our kynge; 120 "But well the greteth Edwarde our kynge, And sent to the his seale, And byddeth the com to Notyngham, Both to mete and mele." He toke out the brode tarpe,[L125] 125 And sone he lete hym se; Robyn coud his courteysy, And set hym on his kne. "I love no man in all the worlde So well as I do my kynge. 130 Welcome is my lordes seale; And, monke, for thy tydynge, "Syr abbot, for thy tydynges, To day thou shalt dyne with me, For the love of my kynge, 135 Under my trystell tre." Forth he lad our comly kynge, Full fayre by the honde; Many a dere there was slayne, And full fast dyghtande. 140 Robyn toke a full grete horne, And loude he gan blowe; Seven score of wyght yonge men Came redy on a rowe. All they kneeled on theyr kne, 145 Full fayre before Robyn: The kynge sayd hymselfe untyll, And swore by saynt Austyn, "Here is a wonder semely syght; Me thynketh, by goddes pyne, 150 His men are more at his byddynge, Then my men be at myn." Full hastly was theyr dyner idyght, And therto gan they gone; They served our kynge with al theyr myght, 155 Both Robyn and Lytell Johan. Anone before our kynge was set The fatte venyson, The good whyte brede, the good red wyne, And therto the fyne ale browne.[L160] 160