Come hither to me, thou bishop of Herefordshire : For a noble priest was hee. By my silver miter, said the bishop then, Ile not bet one peny. {241} The king hath archers of his own, Full ready and full light, And these be strangers every one, No man knowes what they hight. What wilt thou bet ? said Robin Hood, Thou seest our game the worse. By my silver miter, then said the bishop, All the money within my purse. What is in thy purse ? said Robin Hood, Throw it downe on the ground. Fifteen score nobles, said the bishop ; It’s neere an hundred pound.[306] Robin Hood took his bagge from his side, And threw it downe on the greene : William Scadlocke then went smiling away, “I know who this money must win.” With that the kings archers led about, While it was three and three ; With that the ladies gave a shout, “Woodcock, beware thy knee !” {242} It is three and three, now, said the king, The next three pays for all. Robin Hood went and whisper’d the queen, The kings part shall be but small. Robin Hood hee led about, Hee shot it under hand ; And Clifton with a bearing arrow, Hee clave the willow wand. And little Midge, the millers son, Hee shot not much the worse ; He shot within a finger of the prick : “Now, bishop, beware thy purse !” A boone, a boone, queene Katherine cries, I crave ‘it’ on my bare knee, That you will angry be with none That are of my partie. “They shall have forty daies to come, And forty daies to goe, And three times forty to sport and play ; Then welcome friend or foe.” Thou art welcome, Robin Hood, said the queene, And so is Little John, And so is Midge, the millers son ; Thrice welcome every one. {243} Is this Robin Hood ? now said the king, For it was told to me That he was slain in the palace gates, So far in the north country. Is this Robin Hood ? quoth the bishop then, As ‘it seems’[307] well to be : Had I knowne ‘it’ had been that bold outlàw, I would not [have] bet one peny. Hee tooke me late one Saturday at night, And bound mee fast to a tree, And made mee sing a masse, God wot, To him and his ‘yeomandree.’ What, an if I did, saies Robin Hood, Of that masse I was faine ; For recompence of that, he saies, Here’s halfe thy gold againe. Now nay, now nay, saies Little John, Master, that shall not be ; We must give gifts to the kings officèrs ; That gold will serve thee and mee. {244} [Illustration] XIII. ROBIN HOOD’S CHASE: “Or, a merry progress between Robin Hood and King Henry: Shewing how Robin Hood led the king his chase from London to London; and when he had taken his leave of the queen, he returned to merry Sherwood. To the tune of Robin Hood and the Beggar.” From an old black letter copy in the collection of Anthony a Wood.