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

Great flaggons of wine were set on the board,
   And merrily they drunk round
 Their boules of sack, to strengthen the back,
   Whilst their knees did touch the ground.

 First Robin Hood began a health
   To Marian his onely dear ;
 And his yeomen all, both comly and tall,
   Did quickly bring up the rear :

 For in a brave venie they tost off the bouls,
   Whilst thus they did remain ;
 And every cup, as they drunk up,
   They filled with speed again. {313}

 At last they ended their merryment,
   And went to walk in the wood,
 Where Little John, and Maid Mariàn,
   Attended on bold Robin Hood.

 In sollid content together they liv’d,
   With all their yeomen gay ;
 They liv’d by ‘their’ hands, without any lands,
   And so they did many a day.

 But now to conclude an end I will make,
   In time as I think it good ;
 For the people that dwell in the North can tell
   Of Marian and bold Robin Hood.

[Illustration]

{314}

[Illustration]


XXV.

THE KING’S DISGUISE, AND FRIENDSHIP WITH ROBIN HOOD,

from the common collection of Aldermary-church-yard, seems to be
taken from the old legend in Part I., and to have been written by
some miserable retainer to the press, merely to eke out the book;
being, in fact, a most contemptible performance.

The two concluding lines (the same with those of the next ballad)
refer to song xxvii., which they have once immediately preceded.

 King Richard hearing of the pranks
   Of Robin Hood and his men,
 He much admir’d, and more desired
   To see both him and them. {315}

 Then, with a dozen of his lords,
   To Nottingham he rode ;
 When he came there, he made good cheer,
   And took up his abode.

 He having staid there some time,
   But had no hopes to speed,
 He and his lords, with one accord,
   All put on monks weeds.

 From Fountain-abbey they did ride,
   Down to Barnsdale ;
 Where Robin Hood prepared stood
   All company to assail.

 The king was higher than the rest,
   And Robin thought he had
 An abbot been whom he had seen,
   To rob him he was glad.

 He took the king’s horse by the head,
   Abbot, says he, abide ;
 I am bound to rue such knaves as you,
   That live in pomp and pride.

 But we are messengers from the king,
   The king himself did say ;
 Near to this place his royal grace
   To speak with thee does stay. {316}

 God save the king, said Robin Hood,
   And all that wish him well ;
 He that does deny his sovereignty,
   I wish he was in hell.

 Thyself thou cursedst, says the king,
   For thou a traitor art.
 “Nay, but that you are his messenger,
   I swear you lie in heart.

 For I never yet hurt any man
   That honest is and true ;
 But those who give their minds to live
   Upon other mens due.

 I never hurt the ‘husbandmen’
   That use to till the ground :
 Nor spill their blood who range the wood,
   To follow hawk or hound.

 My chiefest spite to clergy is,
   Who in these days bear great sway ;
 With fryars and monks, with their fine sprunks,
   I make my chiefest prey.”

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

Great flaggons of wine were set on the board,
   And merrily they drunk round
 Their boules of sack, to strengthen the back,
   Whilst their knees did touch the ground.

 First Robin Hood began a health
   To Marian his onely dear ;
 And his yeomen all, both comly and tall,
   Did quickly bring up the rear :

 For in a brave venie they tost off the bouls,
   Whilst thus they did remain ;
 And every cup, as they drunk up,
   They filled with speed again. {313}

 At last they ended their merryment,
   And went to walk in the wood,
 Where Little John, and Maid Mariàn,
   Attended on bold Robin Hood.

 In sollid content together they liv’d,
   With all their yeomen gay ;
 They liv’d by ‘their’ hands, without any lands,
   And so they did many a day.

 But now to conclude an end I will make,
   In time as I think it good ;
 For the people that dwell in the North can tell
   Of Marian and bold Robin Hood.

[Illustration]

{314}

[Illustration]


XXV.

THE KING’S DISGUISE, AND FRIENDSHIP WITH ROBIN HOOD,

from the common collection of Aldermary-church-yard, seems to be
taken from the old legend in Part I., and to have been written by
some miserable retainer to the press, merely to eke out the book;
being, in fact, a most contemptible performance.

The two concluding lines (the same with those of the next ballad)
refer to song xxvii., which they have once immediately preceded.

 King Richard hearing of the pranks
   Of Robin Hood and his men,
 He much admir’d, and more desired
   To see both him and them. {315}

 Then, with a dozen of his lords,
   To Nottingham he rode ;
 When he came there, he made good cheer,
   And took up his abode.

 He having staid there some time,
   But had no hopes to speed,
 He and his lords, with one accord,
   All put on monks weeds.

 From Fountain-abbey they did ride,
   Down to Barnsdale ;
 Where Robin Hood prepared stood
   All company to assail.

 The king was higher than the rest,
   And Robin thought he had
 An abbot been whom he had seen,
   To rob him he was glad.

 He took the king’s horse by the head,
   Abbot, says he, abide ;
 I am bound to rue such knaves as you,
   That live in pomp and pride.

 But we are messengers from the king,
   The king himself did say ;
 Near to this place his royal grace
   To speak with thee does stay. {316}

 God save the king, said Robin Hood,
   And all that wish him well ;
 He that does deny his sovereignty,
   I wish he was in hell.

 Thyself thou cursedst, says the king,
   For thou a traitor art.
 “Nay, but that you are his messenger,
   I swear you lie in heart.

 For I never yet hurt any man
   That honest is and true ;
 But those who give their minds to live
   Upon other mens due.

 I never hurt the ‘husbandmen’
   That use to till the ground :
 Nor spill their blood who range the wood,
   To follow hawk or hound.

 My chiefest spite to clergy is,
   Who in these days bear great sway ;
 With fryars and monks, with their fine sprunks,
   I make my chiefest prey.”

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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