The Curtal Friar here mentioned is undoubtedly the person so frequently occurring in the ballads, as one of the companions of Robin Hood, under the name of _Friar Tuck_. He is thus mentioned by Skelton, laureate, in his "Goodly Interlude of Magnificence," written about the year 1500, and with an evident allusion to some game now forgotten:-- "Another bade shave halfe my berde, And boyes to the pylery gan me plucke, And wolde have made me freer Tucke, To preche oute of the pylery hole." The Curtal Friars were named, according to Dr. Stukeley, from the cord or rope which they wore round their waist, to whip themselves with, and were of the Franciscan order. Our friar is undoubtedly so called from his curtal dogs, or curs as we now call them, for in fact he was not a friar, but a monk of Fountains Abbey, which was of the Cistercian order. Robin Hood's bow is said by Ray to have been preserved in Fountains Abbey.[35] The following ballad is from an old black-letter copy in the collection of A. à Wood, corrected by a much earlier one in the Pepysian library, printed by H. Gosson, _circa_ 1610. In summer time, when leaves grow green, And flowers are fresh and gay, Robin Hood and his merry men Were disposed to play. Then some would leape, and some would runne, And some would use artillery; "Which of you can a good bow draw, A good archer for to be? "Which of you can kill a bucke, Or who can kill a doe; Or who can kill a hart of Greece, Five hundreth foot him fro?" Will Scadlocke he kild a bucke, And Midge he kild a doe; And Little John kild a hart of Greece, Five hundreth foot him fro. "God's blessing on thy heart," said Robin Hood, "That hath such a shot for me; I would ride my horse a hundred miles, To find one could match thee." That caused Will Scadlocke to laugh, He laughed full heartily: "There lives a curtall fryer in Fountaines Abbey Will beate both him and thee. "The curtail fryer in Fountaines Abbey Well can a strong bow draw, He will beat you and your yeomen, Set them all on a row." Robin Hood he tooke a solemne oath, It was by Mary free, That he would neither eate nor drinke, 'Till the fryer he did see. Robin Hood put on his harnesse good, On his head a cap of steel, Broad sword and buckler by his side, And they became him weele. He tooke his bow into his hand, It was made of a trusty tree, With a sheafe of arrowes at his belt, And to Fountaine Dale went he. And comming unto Fountaine Dale, No further he would ride; There he was aware of the curtall fryer, Walking by the water side. The fryer had on a harnesse good, On his head a cap of steel, Broad sword and buckler by his side, And they became him weele. Robin Hood lighted off his horse, And tyed him to a thorne: "Carry me over the water, thou curtall fryer, Or else thy life's forlorne."