9 The hart did skip, and the hart did leap, And the hart lay on the ground; ‘The wager is mine,’ said bold Robin Hood, ‘If ’twere for a thousand pound.’ 10 ‘The wager’s none of thine,’ then said the forresters, ‘Although thou beest in haste; Take up thy bow, and get thee hence, Lest wee thy sides do baste.’ 11 Robin Hood hee took up his noble bow, And his broad arrows all amain, And Robin Hood he laught, and begun to smile, As hee went over the plain. 12 Then Robin Hood hee bent his noble bow, And his broad arrows he let flye, Till fourteen of these fifteen forresters Vpon the ground did lye. 13 He that did this quarrel first begin Went tripping over the plain; But Robin Hood he bent his noble bow, And hee fetcht him back again. 14 ‘You said I was no archer,’ said Robin Hood, ‘But say so now again;’ With that he sent another arrow That split his head in twain. 15 ‘You have found mee an archer,’ saith Robin Hood, ‘Which will make your wives for to wring, And wish that you had never spoke the word, That I could not draw one string.’ 16 The people that lived in fair Nottingham Came runing out amain, Supposing to have taken bold Robin Hood, With the forresters that were slain. 17 Some lost legs, and some lost arms, And some did lose their blood, But Robin Hood hee took up his noble bow, And is gone to the merry green wood. 18 They carryed these forresters into fair Nottingham, As many there did know; They digd them graves in their church-yard, And they buried them all a row. * * * * * #a#, #b#. Robin Hoods Progresse to Nottingham, Where hee met with fifteen forresters, all on a row, And hee desired of them some news for to know, But with crosse graind words they did him thwart, For which at last hee made them smart. To the tune of Bold Robin Hood. #a.# London, Printed for Fran. Grove. And entred according to order. (1620–55: _Chappell._) #b.# London, Printed for F. Coles, T. Vere, and J. Wright. (1655–80: _Chappell._) _3. Commonly punctuated as if spoken entirely by Robin. There would certainly be an antecedent probability against three speeches in one stanza, in an older ballad._ #c#, #d#. Robin Hoods Progress to Notingham, where he slew fifteen Forresters. To the tune of Bold Robin Hood. #c.# 6^3. an. 7^3. a mark. 15^3. spake. #d.# 7^3. an hundred. 11^3. began. 12^3. of the. 14^2. say you so. 14^3. he another arrnw let fly. 18^1. to fair. #e.# _Title as in #a#, #b#, above, with these variations in the verse_: 2, news to. 3, And with. 4, them for to. Printed for J. Clarke, W. Thackeray, and T. Passenger. (1670–82?) 1^1. and _wanting_.