That poems and stories on the subject of our hero and his companions were extraordinarily popular and common before and during the 16th century is evident from the testimony of divers writers. Thus, Alexander Barclay, priest, in his translation of The Shyp of Folys, printed by Pynson in 1508, and by John Cawood in 1570,[62] says: “I write no jeste ne tale of Robin Hood.” Again: “For goodlie scripture is not worth an hawe, But tales are loved ground of ribaudry; And many are so blinded with their foly, That no scriptur thinke they so true nor gode, As is a foolish jest of Robin Hode.” Again: “And of all fables and jestes of Robin Hood, Or other trifles.” {lxxvi} The same Barclay, in the fourth of his Egloges, subjoined to the last edition of The Ship of Foles, but originally printed soon after 1500, has the following passage: “Yet would I gladly heare some mery fit Of maide Marion, or els of Robin Hood, Or Benteleyes ale, which chafeth well the blood, Of Perte of Norwich, or Sauce of Wilberton, Or buckishe Joly[63] well stuffed as a ton.” Robert Braham, in his epistle to the reader, prefixed to Lydgate’s Troy-book, 1555, is of opinion that “Caxton’s recueil” [of Troy] is “worthye to be numbred amongest the trifelinge tales and barrayne luerdries of Robyn Hode and Bevys of Hampton.” (See Ames’s Typographical Antiquities, by Herbert, p. 849.) “For one that is sand blynd,” says Sir Thomas Chaloner, “would take an asse for a moyle, or another prayse a rime of Robyn Hode for as excellent a making as Troylus of Chaucer, yet shoulde they not straight-waies be counted madde therefore?” (Erasmus’s Praise of Folye, sig. h.) “If good lyfe,” observes Bishop Latimer, “do not insue and folowe upon our readinge to the example of other, we myghte as well spende that tyme in reading of prophane hystories, of Canterburye tales, or a fit of Roben Hode” (Sermons, sig. A. iiii.) The following lines, from a poem in the Hyndford MS. compiled in 1568, afford an additional proof of our hero’s popularity in Scotland: “Thair is no story that I of heir, Of Johne nor Robene Hude, Nor zit of Wallace wicht but weir, That me thinkes half so gude, As of thre palmaris,” &c. That the subject was not forgotten in the succeeding age, can be testifyed by Drayton, who is elsewhere quoted, and in his sixth eclogue makes Gorbo thus address “old Winken de Word:” {lxxvii} “Come, sit we down under this hawthorn-tree, The morrow’s light shall lend us day enough, And let us tell of Gawen, or Sir Guy, Of Robin Hood, or of old Clem a Clough.” Richard Johnson, who wrote “The History of Tom Thumbe,” in prose (London, 1621, 12mo, b. l.), thus prefaces his work: “My merry muse begets no tales of Guy of Warwicke, &c. nor will I trouble my penne with the pleasant glee of Robin Hood, little John, the fryer, and his Marian; nor will I call to mind the lusty Pinder of Wakefield, &c.”