2^1. would unto. 2^3. aware. 4^1. scorn said bold R. Hood. 5^3. the mark an. 5^4, 7^4. one hart. 6^1. marks. 6^3. That thou: an. 7^3. an. 8^2. some say. 8^3. in _for_ within. 11^2. all _wanting_. 11^3. began. 14^4. Which split. 15^1. said. 15^2. for _wanting_. 15^3. wish you ne’r had. 17^3. R. Hood he bent. 18^3. yards. 18^4. all on a row. 140 ROBIN HOOD RESCUING THREE SQUIRES #A.# Percy MS., p. 5; Hales and Furnivall, I, 13; Jamieson’s Popular Ballads, II, 49. #B. a.# ‘Robin Hood rescuing the Widow’s Three Sons from the Sheriff, when going to be executed,’ The English Archer, York, N. Nickson, n. d. #b.# The English Archer, Paisley, John Neilson, 1786. #c.# Adventures of ... Robin Hood, Falkirk, T. Johnston, 1808. All in the Bodleian Library, Douce, F.F. 71. #C.# ‘Robin Hood rescuing the Three Squires from Nottingham Gallows.’ #a.# Robin Hood’s Garland, London, Printed by W. & C. Dicey, n. d. #b.# R. H.’s Garland, London, L. How, in Peticoat Lane, n. d. #c.# R. H.’s Garland, York, T. Wilson and R. Spence, n. d. #d.# R. H.’s Garland, Preston, W. Sergent, n. d. #e.# R. H.’s Garland, London, J. Marshall & Co., n. d. #f.# R. H.’s Garland, Wolverhampton, J. Smart, n. d. #a-d#, Douce, FF. 71, #f#, Douce, Add. 262, Bodleian Library. #B# is given by Ritson, Robin Hood, 1795, II, 151, “from the York edition of Robin Hood’s garland;” #C#, the same, II, 216, from an Aldermary Churchyard garland, and by Evans, Old Ballads, 1777, 1784, I, 215. #B.# Robin Hood, while on his way to Nottingham, meets an old woman who is weeping for three squires condemned to die that day, not for recognized crimes, but for killing the king’s deer. These seem to be his own men: st. 6. Pursuing his way, he meets an old “palmer,” really a beggar, who confirms the bad news. He changes clothes with the palmer (who at first thinks the proposal a mock), and at Nottingham comes upon the sheriff, and asks what he will give an old fellow to be his hangman. The sheriff offers suits and pence; Robin says, hangmen be cursed, he will never take to that business. He has a horn in his pocket which would blow the sheriff little good; the sheriff bids him blow his fill. The first blast brings a hundred and fifty of Robin’s men; the second brings three score more. They free their own men and hang the sheriff. In #C# the three squires are expressly said to be the woman’s sons;[114] for the palmer we have a beggar; Robin asks it as a boon that he may be hangman, and will have nothing for his service but three blasts on his horn, ‘that their souls to heaven may flee.’ The horn brings a hundred and ten men, and the sheriff surrenders the three squires.