But when to the gallows they did come, There was many a weeping eye : O, hold your peace, said Robin Hood then, For certain ‘they shall’ not dye. Then Robin he set his horn to his mouth, And he blew out blastes three, Till a hundred bold archers brave Came kneeling down to his knee. What is your will, mastèr ? they said, We are at your command. Shoot east, shoot west, said Robin Hood then, And see you spare no man. Then they shot east, and they shot west, Their arrows were so keen ; The sheriffe he, and his companie, No longer ‘could’ be seen. Then he stept to those brethren three, And away he has them tane ; The sheriffe was crost, and many a man lost, That dead lay on the plain. And away they went into the merry green wood, And sung with a merry glee ; And Robin Hood took these brethren good To be of his yeomandrie. {280} [Illustration] XIX. LITTLE JOHN AND THE FOUR BEGGARS. From an old black letter copy in the collection of Anthony a Wood: the full title being, “A new merry song of Robin Hood and Little John, shewing how Little John went a begging, and how he fought with the four beggers, and what a prize he got of the four beggers. The tune is, Robin Hood and the Begger.” All you that delight to spend some time, _With a hey down, down, a down, down_, A merry song for to sing, Unto me draw neer, and you shall hear How Little John went a beggìng. {281} As Robin Hood walked the forest along, And all his yeomandree. Sayes Robin, Some of you must a begging go, And, Little John, it must be thee. Sayes John, If I must a begging go, I will have a palmer’s weed, With a staff and a coat, and bags of all sort, The better then I may speed. Come, give me now a bag for my bread, And another for my cheese, And one for a peny, when as I get any, That nothing I may leese. Now Little John he is a begging gone, Seeking for some relief ; But of all the beggers he met on the way, Little John he was the chief. But as he was walking himself alone, Four beggers he chanced to spy, Some deaf, and some blind, and some came behind ; Sayes John, Heres a brave company. Good-morrow, said John, my brethren dear, Good fortune I had you to see ; Which way do you go ? pray let me know, For I want some company. {282} O ! what is here to do ? then said Little John : Why ring all these bells ? said he ; What dog is a hanging ? Come, let us be ganging, That we the truth may see. Here is no dog a hanging, then one of them said, Good fellow, we tell unto thee ; But here is one dead, that will give us cheese and bread, And it may be one single penny, We have brethren in London, another he said, So have we in Coventry, In Barwick and Dover, and all the world over, But ne’er a crookt carril like thee.