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Robin Hood: A collection of all the ancient poems, songs, and ballads, now extant, relative to that celebrated English outlaw. To which are prefixed historical anecdotes of his life.

General

Robin Hood: A collection of all the ancient poems, songs, and ballads, now extant, relative to that celebrated English outlaw. To which are prefixed historical anecdotes of his life.

Ballads, English -- England -- Texts; Outlaws -- Poetry; Robin Hood (Legendary character) -- Poetry; Songs, English -- England -- Texts

Yonder comet a prod potter, seyde[216] Roben,
   That long hayt hantyd this wey,
 He was never so corteys a man
   On peney of pawage to pay. {83}

 Y met hem bot at Wentbreg, seyde[217] Lytyll John,
   And therfor yeffell mot he the,
 Seche thre strokes he me gafe,
   Yet they cleffe by my seydys.

 Y ley forty shillings, seyde Lytyll John,
   To pay het thes same day,
 Ther ys nat a man among hus[218] all
   A wed schall make hem ley.[219]

 Her ys forty shillings, seyde Robèn,
   Mor, and thow dar say,
 That y schall make that prowde pottèr,
   A wed to me schall he ley.

 Ther thes money they leyde,
   They toke het a yeman to kepe ;
 Roben befor the potter he breyde,
   ‘And up to hem can lepe.’[220]

 Handys apon hes horse he leyde,
   And bad ‘hem’[221] stonde foll stell.
 The potter schorteley to hem seyde,
   Felow, what ys they well ?

 All thes thre yer, and mor, potter, he seyde,
   Thow hast hantyd thes wey,
 Yet wer tow never so cortys a man
   One peney of pauage to pay. {84}

 What ys they name, seyde the potter,
   For pauage thow aske of me ?
 “Roben Hod ys mey name,
   A wed schall thow leffe me.”

 Wed well y non leffe, seyde the potter,
   Nor pavag well y non pay ;
 Awey they honde fro mey horse,
   Y well the tene eyls, be mey fay.

 The potter to hes cart he went,
   He was not to seke,
 A god to-hande staffe therowt he hent,
   Befor Roben he ‘lepe.’[222]

 Roben howt with a swerd bent,
   A bokeler on hes honde [therto] ;
 The potter to Roben he went,
   And seyde, Felow, let mey horse go.

 Togeder then went thes two yemen,
   Het was a god seyt to se ;
 Therof low Robyn hes men,
   Ther they stod onder a tre.

 Leytell John to hes felowhes[223] seyde,
   Yend potter welle steffeley stonde.
 The potter, with a caward stroke,
   Smot the bokeler owt of hes honde ; {85}

 And[224] ar Roben meyt get hen agen,
   Hes bokeler at hes fette,
 The potter yn the neke hem toke,
   To the gronde sone he yede.

 That saw Roben hes men,
   As thay stode ender a bow ;
 Let us helpe owr master, seyed Lytell John,
   Yonder potter els well[225] hem sclo.

 These yemen went[226] with a breyde,
   To ‘ther’[227] master they cam.
 Leytell John to hes master seyde,
   Ho haet the wager won ?

 Schall y haff yowr forty shillings, seyde Lytel[228] John,
   Or ye, master, schall haffe myne ?
 Yeff they wer a hundred, seyde Robèn,
   Y feythe, they ben all theyne.

 Het ys fol leytell cortesey, seyde the potter,
   As y haffe harde weyse men saye,
 Yeff a por yeman com drywyng ower the wey,
   To let hem of hes gorney.

 Be mey trowet, thow seys soyt, seyde Roben,
   Thow seys god yemenrey ;[229]
 And thow dreyffe forthe yevery day,
   Thow schalt never be let for me. {86}

 Y well prey the, god potter,
   A felischepe well thow haffe ?
 Geffe me they clothyng, and thow schalt hafe myne ;
   Y well go to Notynggam.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

General

Robin Hood: A collection of all the ancient poems, songs, and ballads, now extant, relative to that celebrated English outlaw. To which are prefixed historical anecdotes of his life.

Ballads, English -- England -- Texts; Outlaws -- Poetry; Robin Hood (Legendary character) -- Poetry; Songs, English -- England -- Texts

Yonder comet a prod potter, seyde[216] Roben,
   That long hayt hantyd this wey,
 He was never so corteys a man
   On peney of pawage to pay. {83}

 Y met hem bot at Wentbreg, seyde[217] Lytyll John,
   And therfor yeffell mot he the,
 Seche thre strokes he me gafe,
   Yet they cleffe by my seydys.

 Y ley forty shillings, seyde Lytyll John,
   To pay het thes same day,
 Ther ys nat a man among hus[218] all
   A wed schall make hem ley.[219]

 Her ys forty shillings, seyde Robèn,
   Mor, and thow dar say,
 That y schall make that prowde pottèr,
   A wed to me schall he ley.

 Ther thes money they leyde,
   They toke het a yeman to kepe ;
 Roben befor the potter he breyde,
   ‘And up to hem can lepe.’[220]

 Handys apon hes horse he leyde,
   And bad ‘hem’[221] stonde foll stell.
 The potter schorteley to hem seyde,
   Felow, what ys they well ?

 All thes thre yer, and mor, potter, he seyde,
   Thow hast hantyd thes wey,
 Yet wer tow never so cortys a man
   One peney of pauage to pay. {84}

 What ys they name, seyde the potter,
   For pauage thow aske of me ?
 “Roben Hod ys mey name,
   A wed schall thow leffe me.”

 Wed well y non leffe, seyde the potter,
   Nor pavag well y non pay ;
 Awey they honde fro mey horse,
   Y well the tene eyls, be mey fay.

 The potter to hes cart he went,
   He was not to seke,
 A god to-hande staffe therowt he hent,
   Befor Roben he ‘lepe.’[222]

 Roben howt with a swerd bent,
   A bokeler on hes honde [therto] ;
 The potter to Roben he went,
   And seyde, Felow, let mey horse go.

 Togeder then went thes two yemen,
   Het was a god seyt to se ;
 Therof low Robyn hes men,
   Ther they stod onder a tre.

 Leytell John to hes felowhes[223] seyde,
   Yend potter welle steffeley stonde.
 The potter, with a caward stroke,
   Smot the bokeler owt of hes honde ; {85}

 And[224] ar Roben meyt get hen agen,
   Hes bokeler at hes fette,
 The potter yn the neke hem toke,
   To the gronde sone he yede.

 That saw Roben hes men,
   As thay stode ender a bow ;
 Let us helpe owr master, seyed Lytell John,
   Yonder potter els well[225] hem sclo.

 These yemen went[226] with a breyde,
   To ‘ther’[227] master they cam.
 Leytell John to hes master seyde,
   Ho haet the wager won ?

 Schall y haff yowr forty shillings, seyde Lytel[228] John,
   Or ye, master, schall haffe myne ?
 Yeff they wer a hundred, seyde Robèn,
   Y feythe, they ben all theyne.

 Het ys fol leytell cortesey, seyde the potter,
   As y haffe harde weyse men saye,
 Yeff a por yeman com drywyng ower the wey,
   To let hem of hes gorney.

 Be mey trowet, thow seys soyt, seyde Roben,
   Thow seys god yemenrey ;[229]
 And thow dreyffe forthe yevery day,
   Thow schalt never be let for me. {86}

 Y well prey the, god potter,
   A felischepe well thow haffe ?
 Geffe me they clothyng, and thow schalt hafe myne ;
   Y well go to Notynggam.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Robin Hood: A collection of all the ancient poems, songs, and ballads, now extant, relative to that celebrated English outlaw. To which are prefixed historical anecdotes of his life.

Robin Hood: A collection of all the ancient poems, songs, and ballads, now extant, relative to that celebrated English outlaw. To which are prefixed historical anecdotes of his life.

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