11 ‘Maistar,’ tha_n_ sayde Lytil John_n_, ‘And we our borde shal sprede, Tell vs wheder th_a_t we shal go, And what life th_a_t we shall lede. 12 ‘Where we shall take, where we shall leue, Where we shall abide behy_n_de; Where we shall robbe, where we shal reue, Where we shal bete and bynde.’ 13 ‘Therof no force,’ than sayde Robyn; ‘We shall do well inowe; But loke ye do no husbonde harme, That tilleth with his ploughe. 14 ‘No more ye shall no gode yeman That walketh by grenë-wode shawe; Ne no knyght ne no squyer Th_a_t wol be a gode felawe. 15 ‘These bisshopp_es_ and these archebishopp_es_, Ye shall them bete and bynde; The hyë sherif of Notyingham, Hym holde ye in your mynde.’ 16 ‘This worde shalbe holde,’ sayde Lytell John_n_, ‘And this lesson we shall lere; It is fer dayes; God sende vs a gest, That we were at oure dynere!’ 17 ‘Take thy gode bowe in thy ho_n_de,’ sayde Rob[yn]; ‘Late Much we_n_de w_i_t_h_ the; And so shal Willya_m_ Scarlo[k], And no man abyde with me. 18 ‘And walke vp to the Saylis, And so to Watli_n_ge Stret[e], And wayte after some vnkuth gest, Vp chaunce ye may the_m_ mete. 19 ‘Be he erle, or ani baro_n_, Abbot, or ani knyght, Bringhe hym to lodge to me; His dyner shall be dight.’ 20 They wente vp to the Saylis, These yeman all thre; They loked est, they loke[d] weest; They myght no man see. 21 But as they loked i_n_ to Bernysdale, Bi a dernë strete, Than came a knyght ridinghe; Full sone they gan hym mete. 22 All dreri was his semblaunce, And lytell was his pryde; His one fote in the styrop stode, That othere wauyd beside. 23 His hode hanged in his iyn two; He rode in symple aray; A soriar man than he was one Rode neuer in somer day. 24 Litell John_n_ was full curteyes, And sette hym on his kne: ‘Welcom be ye, gentyll knyght, Welcom ar ye to me. 25 ‘Welcom be thou to grenë wode, Hendë knyght and fre; My maister hath abide_n_ you fastinge, Syr, al these ourës thre.’ 26 ‘Who is thy maister?’ sayde the knyght; John_n_ sayde, Robyn Hode; ‘He is [a] gode yoman,’ sayde the knyght, ‘Of hym I haue herde moche gode. 27 ‘I graunte,’ he sayde, ‘with you to wende, My bretherne, all in fere; My purpos was to haue dyned to day At Blith or Dancastere.’ 28 Furth than went this gentyl knight, With a carefull chere; The teris oute of his iyen ran, And fell downe by his lere. 29 They brought hym to the lodgë-dore; Whan Robyn hym gan see, Full curtesly dyd of his hode And sette hym on his knee. 30 ‘Welcome, sir knight,’ than sayde Robyn, ‘Welcome art thou to me; I haue abyden you fastinge, sir, All these ouris thre.’