“――I’ve heard before This commendation of you, and from great ones, That you were wont to spare the indigent, And crush the wealthy.—I applaud your justice In treating men according to their merits.— ’Tis worthy of the gods to have respect Unto the poor.” [37] “Richard Cœur de Lyon cald a king and conquerour was, With Phillip king of France who did unto Jerusalemm passe: * * * * * In this king’s time was Robyn Hood, that archer and outlawe, And little John his partener eke, unto them which did drawe One hondred tall and good archers, on whom foure hondred men, Were their power never so strong, could not give onset then; The abbots, monkes, and carles rich these onely did molest, And reskewd woemen when they saw of theeves them so opprest; Restoring poore men’s goods, and eke abundantly releeved Poore travellers which wanted food, or were with sicknes greeved.” (Third Assertion, &c., quoted elsewhere.) [38] That this epitaph had been printed, or was well known, at least, long before the publication of Mr. Thoresby’s book, if not before either he or Dr. Gale was born, appears from the “True Tale of Robin Hood” by Martin Parker, written, if not printed, as early as 1631. (See _post_, p. 126.) That dates, about this period, were frequently by _ides_ and _kalends_, see Madox’s _Formulare Anglicanum_ (Dissertation), p. xxx. Even Arabic figures are produced in some of still greater antiquity; see _Collectanea de rebus Hibernicis_, ii. 331. Robert Grosthead, Bishop of Lincoln, makes use of these figures about the year 1240. Astle’s _Origin of Writing_, p. 188. [39] In “The Travels of Tom Thumb over England and Wales” [by Mr. Robert Dodsley], p. 106, is another though inferior version: “Here, under this memorial stone, Lies Robert earl of Huntingdon; As he, no archer e’er was good, And people call’d him Robin Hood: Such outlaws as his men and he Again may England never see.” [40] In “a large folio volume of accounts kept by Mr. Philip Henslowe, who appears to have been proprietor of the Rose theatre near the Bankside in Southwark,” he has entered— “Feb. 1597–8. The first part of Robin Hood, by Anthony Mundy. The second part of the downfall of earl Huntington, sirnamed Robinhood, by Anthony Mundy and Henry Chettle.” In a subsequent page is the following entry: “Lent unto Robarte Shawe, the 18 of Novemb. 1598, to lend unto Mr. Cheattle, upon the mending of the first part of Robart Hoode, the sum of xs.;” and afterwards—“For mending of Robin Hood for the corte.” See Malone’s edition of “The Plays and Poems of William Shakespeare,” 1790, vol. i. part ii. (Emendations and additions.)