Opening the text

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

“Then fare you well, my gracious queen,
   For to Sherwood I will hye apace ;
 For fain would I see what he would with me,
   If I could but meet with his grace.”

 But when king Henry he came home,
   Full weary, and vexed in mind,
 And that he did hear Robin had been there,
   He blamed dame Fortune unkind.

 You’re welcome home, ‘queen’ Katherin cryed,
   Henry, my soveraign liege ;
 Bold Robin Hood, that archer good,
   Your person hath been to seek.

 But when king Henry he did ‘hear,’
   That Robin had been there him to seeke,
 This answer he gave, He’s a cunning knave,
   For I have sought him this whole three weeks.

 A boon ! a boon ! ‘queen’ Katherin cry’d,
   I beg it here ‘of’ your grace,
 To pardon his life, and seek not strife :
   And so endeth Robin Hoods chase.

[Illustration]

{249}

[Illustration]


XIV.

ROBIN HOOD’S GOLDEN PRIZE.

    “He met two priests upon the way,
     And forced them with him to pray;
     For gold they prayed, and gold they had,
     Enough to make bold Robin glad;
     His share came to four hundred pound,
     That then was told upon the ground.
     Now mark, and you shall hear the jest,
     You never heard the like exprest.

 Tune is, Robin Hood was a tall young man, &c.”

This ballad (given from an old black letter copy in the collection
of Anthony a Wood) was entered (amongst others) in the Stationers’
book, by Francis Coule, 13th June 1631, and by Francis Grove, 2d
June 1656.

 I have heard talk of Robin Hood,
     _Derry, derry down_,
   And of brave Little John,
 Of fryer Tuck, and Will Scarlèt,
   Loxley, and maid Mariòn. {250}

 But such a tale as this before
   I think was never knone :
 For Robin Hood disguised himself,
   And ‘from’[311] the wood is gone.

 Like to a fryer bold Robin Hood
   Was accoutered in his array ;
 With hood, gown, beeds, and crucifix,
   He past upon the way.

 He had not gone miles two or three,
   But it was his chance to spy
 Two lusty priests, clad all in black,
   Come riding gallantly.

 _Benedicite_, then said Robin Hood,
   Some pitty on me take ;
 Cross you my hand with a silver groat,
   For our dear ladies sake.

 For I have been wandring all this day,
   And nothing could I get ;
 Not so much as one poor cup of drink,
   Nor bit of bread to eat.

 Now, by our holy dame, the priests repli’d,
   We never a peny have ;
 For we this morning have been rob’d,
   And could no money save. {251}

 I am much afraid, said bold Robin Hood,
   That you both do tell a lie ;
 And now before you do go hence,
   I am resolv’d to try.

 When as the priests heard him say so,
   Then they rode away amain ;
 But Robin Hood betook to his heels,
   And soon overtook them again.

 Then Robin Hood laid hold of them both,
   And pull’d them down from their horse :
 O spare us, fryer ! the priests cry’d out,
   On us have some remorse !

 You said you had no mony, quoth he,
   Wherefore, without delay,
 We three will fall down on our knees,
   And for mony we will pray.

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

“Then fare you well, my gracious queen,
   For to Sherwood I will hye apace ;
 For fain would I see what he would with me,
   If I could but meet with his grace.”

 But when king Henry he came home,
   Full weary, and vexed in mind,
 And that he did hear Robin had been there,
   He blamed dame Fortune unkind.

 You’re welcome home, ‘queen’ Katherin cryed,
   Henry, my soveraign liege ;
 Bold Robin Hood, that archer good,
   Your person hath been to seek.

 But when king Henry he did ‘hear,’
   That Robin had been there him to seeke,
 This answer he gave, He’s a cunning knave,
   For I have sought him this whole three weeks.

 A boon ! a boon ! ‘queen’ Katherin cry’d,
   I beg it here ‘of’ your grace,
 To pardon his life, and seek not strife :
   And so endeth Robin Hoods chase.

[Illustration]

{249}

[Illustration]


XIV.

ROBIN HOOD’S GOLDEN PRIZE.

    “He met two priests upon the way,
     And forced them with him to pray;
     For gold they prayed, and gold they had,
     Enough to make bold Robin glad;
     His share came to four hundred pound,
     That then was told upon the ground.
     Now mark, and you shall hear the jest,
     You never heard the like exprest.

 Tune is, Robin Hood was a tall young man, &c.”

This ballad (given from an old black letter copy in the collection
of Anthony a Wood) was entered (amongst others) in the Stationers’
book, by Francis Coule, 13th June 1631, and by Francis Grove, 2d
June 1656.

 I have heard talk of Robin Hood,
     _Derry, derry down_,
   And of brave Little John,
 Of fryer Tuck, and Will Scarlèt,
   Loxley, and maid Mariòn. {250}

 But such a tale as this before
   I think was never knone :
 For Robin Hood disguised himself,
   And ‘from’[311] the wood is gone.

 Like to a fryer bold Robin Hood
   Was accoutered in his array ;
 With hood, gown, beeds, and crucifix,
   He past upon the way.

 He had not gone miles two or three,
   But it was his chance to spy
 Two lusty priests, clad all in black,
   Come riding gallantly.

 _Benedicite_, then said Robin Hood,
   Some pitty on me take ;
 Cross you my hand with a silver groat,
   For our dear ladies sake.

 For I have been wandring all this day,
   And nothing could I get ;
 Not so much as one poor cup of drink,
   Nor bit of bread to eat.

 Now, by our holy dame, the priests repli’d,
   We never a peny have ;
 For we this morning have been rob’d,
   And could no money save. {251}

 I am much afraid, said bold Robin Hood,
   That you both do tell a lie ;
 And now before you do go hence,
   I am resolv’d to try.

 When as the priests heard him say so,
   Then they rode away amain ;
 But Robin Hood betook to his heels,
   And soon overtook them again.

 Then Robin Hood laid hold of them both,
   And pull’d them down from their horse :
 O spare us, fryer ! the priests cry’d out,
   On us have some remorse !

 You said you had no mony, quoth he,
   Wherefore, without delay,
 We three will fall down on our knees,
   And for mony we will pray.

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.

No reviews yet