Wright remarks on the similarity of the name Gandelyn to Gamelyn in the tale assigned to the Cook in some manuscripts of the Canterbury Tales, and on the resemblance of the tale of Gamelyn to Robin Hood story. But he could hardly have wished to give the impression that Robin in this ballad is Robin Hood. This he no more is than John in the ballad which precedes is Little John; though Gandelyn is as true to his master as Little John is, and is pronounced to be by the king, in ‘Robin Hood and the Monk.’ Ritson gave the ballad the title of ‘Robin Lyth,’ looking on the ‘lyth’ of the burden as the hero’s surname; derived perhaps from the village of Lythe, two or three miles to the north of Whitby. A cave on the north side of the promontory of Flamborough, called Robin Lyth’s Hole (popularly regarded as the stronghold of a pirate), may have been, Ritson thinks, one of the skulking-places of the Robin who fell by the shaft of Wrennok. “Robin Hood,” he adds, “had several such in those and other parts; and, indeed, it is not very improbable that our hero had been formerly in the suite of that gallant robber, and, on his master’s death, had set up for himself.” Thought is free. Translated by Grundtvig, Engelske og skotske Folkeviser, page 44, No. 6. 1 I herde a carpyng of a clerk, Al at ȝone wod_es_ ende, Of gode Robyn and Gandeleyn; Was þ_er_ no_n_ oþ_er_ þynge. Robyn_n_ lyth in grene wode bowndy_n_ 2 Stronge theuys wern þo chylderi_n_ no_n_, But bowme_n_ gode and hende; He wenty_n_ to wode to gety_n_ he_m_ fleych, If God wold it he_m_ sende. 3 Al day we_n_ty_n_ þo chylderi_n_ too, And fleych fowndy_n_ he no_n_, Til it wer_e_ a-geyn euy_n_; Þe chylderi_n_ wold go_n_ hom. 4 Half a_n_ honderid of fat falyf der He comy_n_ a-ȝon, And alle he wern fayr and fat i-now, But markyd was þ_er_ no_n_: ‘Be der_e_ God,’ seyde gode Robyn, ‘Here of we xul haue on.’ 5 Roby_n_ bent his joly bowe, Þ_er_ in he set a flo; Þe fattest der of alle Þe herte he clef a to. 6 He hadde not þe der i-flawe, Ne half out of þe hyde, Th_ere_ cam a schrewde arwe out of þe west, Þ_a_t felde Robert_es_ pryde. 7 Gandeleyn lokyd hy_m_ est and west, Be eu_er_y syde: ‘Hoo hat my_n_ mayst_er_ slayin? Ho hat do_n_ þis dede? Xal I neu_er_ out of grene wode go Til I se [his] sydis blede.’ 8 Gandeleyn lokyd hy_m_ est and lokyd west, And sowt vnd_er_ þe sun_n_e; He saw a lytil boy He clepy_n_ Wrennok of Donne. 9 A good bowe in his hond, A brod arwe þ_er_ ine, And fowr_e_ and twenti goode arwys, Trusyd in a þrumme: ‘Be war þe, war þe, Gandeleyn, Her-of þu xalt ha_n_ sum_m_e. 10 ‘Be war þe, war þe, Ga_n_deleyn, Her of þu gyst plente:’ ‘Eu_er_ on for a_n_ oþ_er_,’ seyde Gandeleyn; ‘Mysau_n_t_er_ haue he xal fle. 11 ‘Qwer-at xal o_ur_ marke be?’ Seyde Gandeleyn: ‘Eu_er_yche at oþ_er_is herte,’ Seyde Wrennok ageyn.