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

Therefore stand thee back, thou crooked carèl,
   And take that knock on the crown.
 Nay, said Little John, Ile not yet be gone,
   For a bout will I have of you round.

 Now have at you all, then said Little John,
   If you be so full of your blows ;
 Fight on all four, and nere give ore,
   Whether you be friends or foes.

 John nipped the dumb, and made him to rore,
   And the blind ‘he made to’[321] see ;
 And he that a cripple had been seven years,
   He made run then faster than he. {283}

 And flinging them all against the wall,
   With many a sturdie bang,
 It made John sing, to hear the gold ring,
   Which again the walls cryed twang.

 Then he got out of the beggers cloak,
   Three hundred pound in gold,
 Good fortune had I, then said Little John,
   Such a good sight to behold.

 But what found he in the beggar’s bag
   But three hundred pound and three ?
 “If I drink water while this doth last,
   Then an ill death may I dye :

 And my begging trade I will now give ore,
   My fortune hath bin so good ;
 Therefore Ile not stay, but I will away,
   To the forrest of merry Sherwood.”

 And when to the forrest of Sherwood he came,
   He quickly there did see
 His master good, bold Robin Hood,
   And all his company.

 What news ? What news ? then said Robin Hood,
   Come, Little John, tell unto me ;
 How hast thou sped with thy beggers trade ?
   For that I fain would see. {284}

 No news but good, said Little John,
   With begging ful wel I have sped ;
 Six hundred and three I have here for thee,
   In silver and gold so red.

 ‘Then’ Robin Hood took Little John by the hand,
   And danced about the oak tree :
 “If we drink water while this doth last,
   Then an il death may we die.”

 So to conclude my merry new song,
   All you that delight it to sing ;
 ’Tis of Robin Hood, that archer good,
   And how Little John went a beggìng.

[Illustration]

{285}

[Illustration]


XX.

ROBIN HOOD AND THE RANGER:

OR,

TRUE FRIENDSHIP AFTER A FIERCE FIGHT.

No ancient copy of this ballad having been met with, it is given
from an edition of “Robin Hood’s Garland,” printed some years since
at York. The tune is Arthur a Bland.

 When Phœbus had melted the ‘sickles’ of ice,
       _With a hey down, &c._
   And likewise the mountains of snow,
 Bold Robin Hood he would ramble away,
   To frolick abroad with his bow. {286}

 He left all his merry men waiting behind,
   Whilst through the green vallies he pass’d,
 Where he did behold a forester bold,
   Who cry’d out, Friend, whither so fast ?

 I am going, quoth Robin, to kill a fat buck,
   For me and my merry men all ;
 Besides, ere I go, I’ll have a fat doe,
   Or else it shall cost me a fall.

 You’d best have a care, said the forester then,
   For these are his majesty’s deer ;
 Before you shall shoot, the thing I’ll dispute,
   For I am head forester here.

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

Therefore stand thee back, thou crooked carèl,
   And take that knock on the crown.
 Nay, said Little John, Ile not yet be gone,
   For a bout will I have of you round.

 Now have at you all, then said Little John,
   If you be so full of your blows ;
 Fight on all four, and nere give ore,
   Whether you be friends or foes.

 John nipped the dumb, and made him to rore,
   And the blind ‘he made to’[321] see ;
 And he that a cripple had been seven years,
   He made run then faster than he. {283}

 And flinging them all against the wall,
   With many a sturdie bang,
 It made John sing, to hear the gold ring,
   Which again the walls cryed twang.

 Then he got out of the beggers cloak,
   Three hundred pound in gold,
 Good fortune had I, then said Little John,
   Such a good sight to behold.

 But what found he in the beggar’s bag
   But three hundred pound and three ?
 “If I drink water while this doth last,
   Then an ill death may I dye :

 And my begging trade I will now give ore,
   My fortune hath bin so good ;
 Therefore Ile not stay, but I will away,
   To the forrest of merry Sherwood.”

 And when to the forrest of Sherwood he came,
   He quickly there did see
 His master good, bold Robin Hood,
   And all his company.

 What news ? What news ? then said Robin Hood,
   Come, Little John, tell unto me ;
 How hast thou sped with thy beggers trade ?
   For that I fain would see. {284}

 No news but good, said Little John,
   With begging ful wel I have sped ;
 Six hundred and three I have here for thee,
   In silver and gold so red.

 ‘Then’ Robin Hood took Little John by the hand,
   And danced about the oak tree :
 “If we drink water while this doth last,
   Then an il death may we die.”

 So to conclude my merry new song,
   All you that delight it to sing ;
 ’Tis of Robin Hood, that archer good,
   And how Little John went a beggìng.

[Illustration]

{285}

[Illustration]


XX.

ROBIN HOOD AND THE RANGER:

OR,

TRUE FRIENDSHIP AFTER A FIERCE FIGHT.

No ancient copy of this ballad having been met with, it is given
from an edition of “Robin Hood’s Garland,” printed some years since
at York. The tune is Arthur a Bland.

 When Phœbus had melted the ‘sickles’ of ice,
       _With a hey down, &c._
   And likewise the mountains of snow,
 Bold Robin Hood he would ramble away,
   To frolick abroad with his bow. {286}

 He left all his merry men waiting behind,
   Whilst through the green vallies he pass’d,
 Where he did behold a forester bold,
   Who cry’d out, Friend, whither so fast ?

 I am going, quoth Robin, to kill a fat buck,
   For me and my merry men all ;
 Besides, ere I go, I’ll have a fat doe,
   Or else it shall cost me a fall.

 You’d best have a care, said the forester then,
   For these are his majesty’s deer ;
 Before you shall shoot, the thing I’ll dispute,
   For I am head forester here.

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.

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