And every holliday through the yeere, Changed shall thy garment be, If thou wilt goe to faire Nottinghàm, And there remaine with me.” This curtall fryer had kept Fountaines-dale Seven long yeeres and more, There was neither knight, lord, nor earle, Could make him yeeld before. [Illustration] {217} [Illustration] XI. ROBIN HOOD AND THE STRANGER. From an old black letter copy in the collection of Anthony a Wood. The title now given to this ballad is that which it seems to have originally borne, having been foolishly altered to “Robin Hood newly revived.” The circumstances attending the second part will be explained in a note. The tune is already inserted, at the end of “Rood Hood and the Tanner.” Come listen awhile, you gentlemen all, _With a hey down, down, a down, down_, That are this bower within, For a story of gallant bold Robin Hood, I purpose now to begin. {218} What time of day ? quod Robin Hood then. Quoth Little John, ’Tis in the prime. “Why then we will to the green wood gang, For we have no vittles to dine.” As Robin Hood walkt the forrest along, It was in the mid of the day, There he was met of a deft young man, As ever walkt on the way. His doublet was of silk ‘’tis’ said, His stockings like scarlet shone ; And he walked on along the way, To Robin Hood then unknown. A herd of deer was in the bend, All feeding before his face : “Now the best of you ile have to my dinner, And that in a little space.” Now the stranger he made no mickle adoe, But he bends and a right good bow, And the best of all the herd he slew, Forty good yards him froe.[298] Well shot, well shot, quod Robin Hood then, That shot it was shot in time ; And if thou wilt accept of the place, Thou shalt be a bold yeoman of mine. {219} Go play the chiven, the stranger said, Make haste and quickly go, Or with my fist, be sure of this, Ile give thee buffets sto’. Thou had’st not best buffet me, quod Robin Hood, For though I seem forlorn, Yet I have those will take my part, If I but blow my horn. Thou wast not best wind thy horn, the stranger said, Beest thou never so much in haste, For I can draw out a good broad sword, And quickly cut the blast. Then Robin Hood bent a very good bow, To shoot, and that he would fain ; The stranger he bent a very good bow, To shoot at bold Robin again. Hold thy hand, hold thy hand, quod Robin Hood, To shoot it would be in vain ; For if we should shoot the one at the other, The one of us may be slain. But let’s take our swords and our broad bucklèrs, And gang under yonder tree, As I hope to be sav’d, the stranger he said, One foot I will not flee. {220} Then Robin Hood lent the stranger a blow, ’Most scar’d him out of his wit : Thou never felt blow, the stranger he said, That shall be better quit.