For in a short time after that The kings receivers went Towards London with the coyn they got For’s highness northern rent : {134} Bold Robin Hood and Little John, With the rest of their train, Not dreading law, set them upon, And did their gold obtain. The king much moved at the same, And the abbots talk also, In this his anger did proclaim, And sent word to and fro, That whosoever alive or dead Could bring bold Robin Hood, Should have one thousand marks well paid In gold and silver good. This promise of the king did make Full many yeomen bold Attempt stout Robin Hood to take With all the force they could. But still when any came to him Within the gay green wood, He entertainment gave to them With venison fat and good ; And shew’d to them such martial sport With his long bow and arrow, That they of him did give report, How that it was great sorow {135} That such a worthy man as he Should thus be put to shift, Being a late lord of high degree, Of living quite bereft. The king to take him more and more Sent men of mickle might ; But he and his still beat them sore, And conquered them in fight : Or else with love and courtesie, To him he won their hearts. Thus still he liv’d by robbery Throughout the northern parts ; And all the country stood in dread Of Robin Hood and’s men : For stouter lads ne’r liv’d by bread In those days, nor since then. The abbot, which before i nam’d, Sought all the means he could To have by force this rebel ta’n, And his adherents bold. Therefore he arm’d five hundred men, With furniture compleat ; But the outlaws slew half of them, And made the rest retreat, {136} The long bow and the arrow keen They were so us’d unto That still he kept the forrest green In spight o’ th’ proudest foe. Twelve of the abbots men he took, Who came to have him ta’n, When all the rest the field forsook, These he did entertain With banqueting and merriment, And, having us’d them well, He to their lord them safely sent, And will’d them him to tell, That if he would be pleas’d at last To beg of our good king, That he might pardon what was past, And him to favour bring, He would surrender back again The mony which before Was taken by him ‘and his’ men From him and many more. Poor men might safely pass by him, And some that way would chuse, For well they knew that to help them He evermore did use. {137} But where he knew a miser rich That did the poor oppress, To feel his coyn his hands did itch, He’d have it, more or less : And sometimes, when the high-way fail’d, Then he his courage rouzes, He and his men have oft assaild Such rich men in their houses : So that, through dread of Robin then, And his adventurous crew, The misers kept great store of men, Which else maintain’d but few.