Hereward the Saxon introduces himself into the Norman court as a potter, to obtain information of an attack which William the Conqueror was thought to intend on his stronghold at Ely: De Gestis Herwardi Saxonis, 24, in Michel, Chroniques Anglo-Normandes, II, 69, attributed to the twelfth century. Wallace, in like manner, to scout in the English camp: Blind Harry’s poem, ed. Moir, Book Six, v. 435 ff, p. 123 ff. This is also one of the many artifices by which Eustace the Monk deceives his enemy, the Count of Boulogne: Roman d’Eustache le Moine, ed. Michel, p. 39, v. 1071 ff, a poem of the thirteenth century. See, for Hereward and Eustace, T. Wright’s Essays on Subjects connected with the Literature, etc., of England in the Middle Ages, II, 108 ff, 135. Disguise is the wonted and simplest expedient of an outlaw mixing among his foes, “wherein the pregnant enemy does much.” Fulk Fitz Warine takes the disguise of an old monk, a merchant, a charcoal-burner; Hereward, that of a potter, a fisherman; Eustace the Monk, of a potter, shepherd, pilgrim, charcoal-burner, woman, leper, carpenter, minstrel, etc.; Wallace, of a potter, pilgrim, woman (twice), etc., in Blind Harry’s poem, of a beggar in ballads; Robin Hood, of a potter, butcher, beggar, shepherd, an old woman, a fisherman (?), Guy of Gisborne. Translated by Anastasius Grün, p. 76. 1 In schomer, when the leves spryng, The bloschoms on eu_er_y bowe, So merey doyt the berdys syng Yn wodys merey now. 2 Herkens, god yemen, Comley, corteys, and god, On of the best þ_a_t yeu_er_ bar_e_ bow_e_, Hes name was Roben Hode. 3 Roben Hood was the yeman’s name, That was boyt corteys and ffre; Ffor the loffe of owr_e_ ladey, All wemen werschepyd he. 4 Bot as the god yeman stod on a day, Among hes mery maney, He was war_e_ of a prowd pott_er_, Cam dryfyng owyr the ley. 5 ‘Yonder comet a prod pott_er_,’ seyde Roben, ‘That long hayt hantyd þ_i_s wey; He was neuer so corteys a man On peney of pawage to pay.’ 6 ‘Y met hem bot at Went-breg,’ seyde Lytyll John, ‘And ther_e_for_e_ yeffell mot he the! Seche thre strokes he me gafe, Yet by my seydys cleffe þey. 7 ‘Y ley forty shillings,’ seyde Lytyll John, ‘To pay het thes same day, Ther ys nat a man among hus all A wed schall make hem ley.’ 8 ‘Her_e_ ys forty shillings,’ seyde Roben, ‘Mor_e_, and thow dar say, Þ_a_t y schall make þ_a_t prowde pott_er_, A wed to me schall he ley.’ 9 Ther_e_ thes money they leyde, They toke het a yeman to kepe; Roben beffor_e_ the pott_er_ he breyde, A[nd] bad hem stond stell. 10 Handys apon hes hors he leyde, And bad the pott_er_ stonde foll stell; The pott_er_ schorteley to hem seyde, Ffelow, what ys they well? 11 ‘All thes thre yer, and mor_e_, pott_er_,’ he seyde, ‘Thow hast hantyd thes wey, Yet wer_e_ tow neuer so cortys a man On peney of pauage to pay.’