56 Þe kyng red þe letturs anon, And seid, So mot I the, Þ_er_ was neu_er_ ȝoman i_n_ mery Inglond I longut so sore to se. 57 ‘Wher is þe munke þ_a_t þese shuld haue brouȝt?’ Oure kyng can say: ‘Be my trouth,’ seid Litull John, ‘He dyed aft_e_r þe way.’ 58 Þe kyng gaf Moch and Litul Jon Twenti pound in s_er_tan, And made þeim ȝemen of þe crown, And bade þeim go agayn. 59 He gaf John þe seel in hand, The sheref for to bere, To bryng Robyn hym to, And no man do hym dere. 60 John toke his leve at oure kyng, Þe sothe as I yow say; Þe next way to Notyngham To take, he ȝede þe way. 61 Whan John came to Notyngham The ȝatis were sparred ychon; John callid vp þe porter, He answerid sone anon. 62 ‘What is þe cause,’ seid Litul Jon, ‘Þ_o_u sparris þe ȝates so fast?’ ‘Because of Robyn Hode,’ seid [þe] porter, ‘In depe prison is cast. 63 ‘John and Moch and Wyll Scathlok, Ffor sothe as I yow say, Þei slew oure men vpon our wallis, And sawten vs eu_er_y day.’ 64 Litull John spyrred aft_e_r þe schereff, And sone he hym fonde; He oppyned þe kyngus p_ri_ue seell, And gaf hym in his honde. 65 Whan þe scheref saw þe kyngus seell, He did of his hode anon: ‘Wher is þe munke þ_a_t bare þe letturs?’ He seid to Litull John. 66 ‘He is so fayn of hym,’ seid Litul John, ‘Ffor soþe as I yow say, He has made hym abot of Westmynst_er_, A lorde of þ_a_t abbay.’ 67 The scheref made John gode chere, And gaf hym wyne of the best; At nyȝt þei went to her bedde, And eu_er_y man to his rest. 68 When þe scheref was on slepe, Dronken of wyne and ale, Litul John and Moch for soþe Toke þe way vnto þe jale. 69 Litul John callid vp þe jayler, And bade hym rise anon; He seyd Robyn Hode had brokyn p_ri_son, And out of hit was gon. 70 The porter rose anon s_er_tan, As sone as he herd John calle; Litul John was redy w_i_t_h_ a swerd, And bare hym to þe walle. 71 ‘Now wil I be porter,’ seid Litul John, ‘And take þe keyes in honde:’ He toke þe way to Robyn Hode, And sone he hym vnbonde. 72 He gaf hym a gode swerd i_n_ his hond, His hed [ther]w_i_t_h_ for to kepe, And ther as þe walle was lowyst Anon down can þei lepe. 73 Be þ_a_t þe cok began to crow, The day began to spryng; The scheref fond þe jaylier ded, The comyn bell made he ryng. 74 He made a crye thoroout al þe tow[n], Whed_e_r he be ȝoman or knave, Þ_a_t cowþe bryng hym Robyn Hode, His warison he shuld haue. 75 ‘Ffor I dar neu_er_,’ said þe scheref, ‘Cu_m_ before oure kyng; Ffor if I do, I wot s_er_ten Ffor soþe he wil me heng.’ 76 The scheref made to seke Notyngham, Bothe be strete and stye, And Robyn was in mery Scherwode, As liȝt as lef on lynde.