Away then the sheriff and Robin did ride, To the forrest of merry Sherwood, Then the sheriff did say, God bless us this day, From a man they call Robin Hood ! But when a little farther they came, Bold Robin he chanced to spy A hundred head of good red deer, Come tripping the sheriff full nigh. “How like you my horn’d beasts, good master sheriff ? They be fat and fair for to see.” “I tell thee, good fellow, I would I were gone, For I like not thy company.” Then Robin set his horn to his mouth, And blew but blasts three ; Then quickly anon there came Little John, And all his company. {180} What is your will, master ? then said Little John, Good master, come tell unto me. “I have brought hither the sheriff of Nottingham This day to dine with thee.” He is welcome to me, then said Little John, I hope he will honestly pay ; I know he has gold, if it be but well told, Will serve us to drink a whole day. Then Robin took his mantle from his back, And laid it upon the ground ; And out of the sheriffs portmantle He told three hundred pound. Then Robin he brought him thorow the wood, And set him on his dapple gray ; “O have me commended to your wife at home :” So Robin went laughing away. [Illustration] {181} [Illustration] VI. ROBIN HOOD AND THE TANNER; OR, ROBIN HOOD MET WITH HIS MATCH: “A merry and pleasant song relating the gallant and fierce combat fought between Arthur Bland, a tanner of Nottingham, and Robin Hood, the greatest and most noblest archer of England. Tune is, Robin Hood and the Stranger.” From an old black letter copy in the collection of Anthony a Wood. In Nottingham there lives a jolly tannèr, _With a hey down, down, a down, down_, His name is Arthur-a-Bland ; There is nere a squire in Nottinghamshire Dare bid bold Arthur stand. {182} With a long pike-staff upon his shouldèr, So well he can clear his way ; By two and by three he makes them to flee, For he hath no list to stay. And as he went forth, in a summers morning, Into the ‘forrest of merry’ Sherwood, To view the red deer, that range here and there, There met he with bold Robin Hood. As soon as bold Robin ‘he did’[293] espy, He thought some sport he would make, Therefore out of hand he bid him to stand, And thus to him ‘he’ spake : Why, what art thou, thou bold fellòw, That ranges so boldly here ? In sooth, to be brief, thou lookst like a thief, That comes to steal our kings deer. For I am a keeper in this forrest, The king puts me in trust To look to his deer, that range here and there ; Therefore stay thee I must. “If thou beest a keeper in this forrèst, And hast such a great command, ‘Yet’ thou must have more partakers in store, Before thou make me to stand.” {183} “Nay, I have no more partakers in store, Or any that I do not need ; But I have a staff of another oke graff, I know it will do the deed.