The one in worship of the Father, The other of the Holy Ghost, The third was of Our dear Lady That he loved alder-most[714]. X Robin loved our dear Lady; For doubt[715] of deadly sin Would he no company do harm That woman was therein. XI ‘Master,’ then said Little John, ‘An we our board shall spread, Tell us whither we shall go, And what life we shall lead; XII ‘Where we shall take, where we shall leave, Where we shall abide behind, Where we shall rob, where we shall reave[716], Where we shall beat and bind.’ XIII ‘Thereof no force[717],’ then said Robin; ‘We shall do well enow; But look ye do no husband[718] harm That tilleth with his plough. XIV ‘No more ye shall no good yeoman That walketh by green-wood shaw[719]; Nor yet no knight nor no squièr That will be a good fellaw. XV ‘These bishops and these archbishops, Ye shall them beat and bind; The High Sheriff of Nottingham, Him hold ye in your mind.’ XVI ‘This word shall be held,’ said Little John, ‘This lesson we shall lere[720]; It is far days[721]; God send us a guest, That we were at our dinnere.’ XVII ‘Take thy good bow,’ said Robin Hood, ‘Let Much wend with thee, And so shall William Scathèlock, And no man abide with me; XVIII ‘And walk ye up unto the Sayles[722], And so to Watling Street[723], And wait after some uncouth guest; Upchance[724] ye may them meet. XIX ‘Be he an earl, or any baron, Abbot, or any knight, Bring ye him to lodge with me; His dinner shall be dight[725].’ XX Then went they up unto the Sayles, Those yeoman allè three; They lookèd east, they lookèd west, They mightè no man see. XXI But as they looked in Barnèsdale, By a dernè[726] street[727], Then came a knight a-riding up; Full soon they gan him meet. XXII All dreary then was his semblaunt[728], And little was his pride; His one foot in the stirrup stood, The other waved beside. XXIII His hood hang’d in his eyen two; He rode in simple array; A sorrier man than he was one Rode never in summer day. XXIV Little John was full courteous, And set him[729] on his knee; ‘Welcome be ye, gentle Knight, Welcome are ye to me. XXV ‘Welcome be thou to greenè wood. Hendè[730] Knight and free; My master hath abiden you fasting Sir, all these hourès three.’ XXVI ‘Who is thy master?’ said the Knight. John said, ‘Robin Hood.’ ‘He is a good yeoman,’ said the Knight, ‘Of him I have heard much good. XXVII ‘I grant,’ he said, ‘with you to wend, My brethren, all in fere[731]; My purpose was to have dined to-day At Blyth[732] of Doncastere.’ XXVIII