She took him by the lilly-white hand, And led him to a private room, And there she blooded bold Robin Hood, Whilst one drop of blood would run. [Illustration: ROBIN HOOD AND HIS BETRAYER.] [Illustration: ROBIN HOOD AND HIS BETRAYER.] {337} She blooded him in the vein of the arm, And lock’d him up in the room ; There did he bleed all the live-long day, Untill the next day at noon. He then bethought him of a casement door, Thinking for to be gone ;[329] He was so weak he could not leap, Nor he could not get down. He then bethought him of his bugle-horn, Which hung low down to his knee ; He set his horn unto his mouth, And blew out weak blasts three. Then Little John, when hearing him, As he sat under the tree, “I fear my master is near dead, He blows so wearily.” Then Little John to fair Kirkley is gone, As fast as he can dree ; But when he came to Kirkley-hall, He broke locks two or three ; Untill he came bold Robin to, Then he fell on his knee ; A boon, a boon, cries Little John, Master, I beg of thee. {338} What is that boon, quoth Robin Hood, Little John, thou begs of me ? “It is to burn fair Kirkley-hall, And all their nunnery.” Now nay, now nay, quoth Robin Hood, That boon I’ll not grant thee ; I never ‘hurt’[330] woman in all my life, Nor man in woman’s company. I never hurt fair maid in all my time, Nor at my end shall it be ; But give me my bent bow in my hand, And a broad arrow I’ll let flee : And where this arrow is taken up, There shall my grave digg’d be. Lay me a green sod under my head, And another at my feet ;[331] And lay my bent bow by my side, Which was my music sweet ; And make my grave of gravel and green, Which is most right and meet. Let me have length and breadth enough, With a green sod under my head ;[332] {339} That they may say, when I am dead, Here lies bold Robin Hood. These words they readily promis’d him, Which did bold Robin please : And there they buried bold Robin Hood, Near to the fair Kirkleys. [Illustration] FOOTNOTES TO “PART THE SECOND”, pp. 148–339 [281] Clowdel le. For an account of these worthies the reader may consult their old metrical legend in Percy’s “Reliques,” vol. i., or “Ancient Popular Poetry,” 1791. [282] A beseem’d. [283] Has. [284] A. [285] Lease. [286] Choose. [287] For an account of Tutbury bull-running, and the character of king of the minstrels there, see Dr. Plott’s “Natural History of Staffordshire,” chap. x. § 69; Sir J. Hawkins’s “History of Music,” vol. ii. p. 64; and Blount’s “Ancient Tenures,” by Beckwith, p. 303, 8vo edit. [288] See this old and popular ballad in the Appendix. [289] Robin Hood. [290] Robin Hood. [291] The editor thinks it his duty to retain, in some instances, even the manifest corruptions of the old copies; in hopes that earlier and better authorities may one day enable him to remove them.