| |
I
COME, all you brave gallants, and listen a while, | |
| That are in the bowers within; | |
| For of Robin Hood, that archer good, | |
| A song I intend for to sing. | |
| |
II
Upon a time it chancèd so | 5 |
| Bold Robin in forrest did spy | |
| A jolly butchèr, with a bonny fine mare, | |
| With his flesh to the market did hye. | |
| |
III
‘Good morrow, good fellow!’ said jolly Robìn, | |
| ‘What food hast? tell unto me; | 10 |
| And thy trade to me tell, and where thou dost dwell, | |
| For I like well thy company.’ | |
| |
IV
The butcher he answered jolly Robin: | |
| ‘No matter where I dwell; | |
| For a butcher I am, and to Notingham | 15 |
| I am going, my flesh to sell.’ | |
| |
V
‘What price thy flesh?’ said jolly Robin, | |
| ‘Come, tell it soon unto me; | |
| And the price of thy mare, be she never so dear, | |
| For a butcher fain would I be.’ | 20 |
| |
VI
‘The price of my flesh,’ the butcher repli’d, | |
| ‘I soon will tell unto thee; | |
| With my bonny mare, and they are not dear, | |
| Four mark thou must give unto me.’ | |
| |
VII
‘Four mark I will give thee,’ saith jolly Robìn, | 25 |
| ‘Four mark it shall be thy fee; | |
| Thy mony come count, and let me mount, | |
| For a butcher I fain would be.’ | |
| |
VIII
Now Robin he is to Notingham gone, | |
| His butcher’s trade for to begin; | 30 |
| With good intent, to the Sheriff he went, | |
| And there he took up his inn. | |
| |
IX
When other butchers they opened their meat, | |
| Bold Robin he then begun; | |
| But how for to sell he knew not well, | 35 |
| For a butcher he was but young. | |
| |
X
When other butchers no meat could sell, | |
| Robin got both gold and fee; | |
| For he sold more meat for one peny | |
| Than others could do for three. | 40 |
| |
XI
But when he sold his meat so fast, | |
| No butcher by him could thrive; | |
| For he sold more meat for one peny | |
| Than others could do for five. | |
| |
XII
Which made the butchers of Notingham | 45 |
| To study as they did stand, | |
| Saying, surely he was some prodigal, | |
| That had sold his father’s land. | |
| |
XIII
The butchers they stepped to jolly Robin, | |
| Acquainted with him for to be; | 50 |
| ‘Come, brother,’ one said, ‘we be all of one trade, | |
| Come, will you go dine with me?’ | |
| |
XIV
‘Accurst of his heart,’ said jolly Robìn, | |
| ‘That a butcher doth deny! | |
| I will go with you, my brethren true, | 55 |
| And as fast as I can hie.’ | |
| |
XV
But when to the Sheriff’s house they came, | |
| To dinner they hied apace, | |
| And Robin Hood he the man must be | |
| Before them all to say grace. | 60 |
| |
XVI
‘Pray God bless us all,’ said jolly Robìn, | |
| ‘And our meat within this place; | |
| A cup of sack good, to nourish our blood, | |
| And so I do end my grace. | |
| |
XVII
‘Come fill us more wine,’ said jolly Robìn, | 65 |
| ‘Let us merry be while we do stay; | |
| For wine and good cheer, be it never so dear, | |
| I vow I the reck’ning will pay. | |
| |
XVIII
‘Come, brothers, be merry,’ said jolly Robìn, | |
| ‘Let us drink, and never give o’er; | 70 |
| For the shot I will pay, ere I go my way, | |
| If it cost me five pounds and more.’ | |
| |
XIX
‘This is a mad blade,’ the butchers then said; | |
| Says the Sheríff, ‘He’s some prodigal, | |
| That his land has sold, for silver and gold, | 75 |
| And meaneth to spend it all.’ | |
| |
XX
‘Hast thou any horn-beasts,’ the Sheriff inquired, | |
| ‘Good fellow, to sell unto me?’— | |
| ‘Yea, a plenty I have, good Master Sheriff, | |
| I have hundreds two or three. | 80 |
| |
XXI
‘And a hundred acre of good free land, | |
| An it please you go for to see; | |
| And I’le make you as good assurance of it | |
| As ever my father made me.’ | |
| |
XXII
The Sheriff he saddled a good palfrèy, | 85 |
| With three hundred pound in gold, | |
| And away he went with bold Robin Hood, | |
| His hornèd beasts to behold. | |
| |
XXIII
Away then the Sheriff and Robin did ride, | |
| To the forest of merry Sherwood; | 90 |
| Then the Sheriff did say, ‘God bless us this day | |
| From a man they call Robin Hood!’ | |
| |
XXIV
But when that a little further they came, | |
| Bold Robin he chanced to spy | |
| A hundred head of the good red deer, | 95 |
| Come tripping the Sheriff full nigh. | |
| |
XXV
‘How like you my horn’d beasts, Master Sheriff? | |
| They be fat and fair for to see;’ | |
| ‘I tell thee, good fellow, I would I were gone, | |
| For I like not thy company.’ | 100 |
| |
XXVI
Then Robin he set his horn to his mouth, | |
| And blew but blastès three; | |
| Then quickly anon there came Little John, | |
| And all his company. | |
| |
XXVII
‘What is your will?’ then said Little John, | 105 |
| ‘Good master come tell it to me;’ | |
| ‘I have brought hither the Sheriff of Notingham, | |
| This day to dine with thee.’ | |
| |
XXVIII
‘He is welcome to me,’ then said Little John, | |
| ‘I hope he will honestly pay; | 110 |
| I know he has gold, if it be but well told, | |
| Will serve us to drink a whole day.’ | |
| |
XXIX
Robin Hood took his mantle from his back, | |
| And laid it upon the ground, | |
| And out of the Sheriff’s portmantle | 115 |
| He told three hundred pound. | |
| |
XXX
Then Robin he brought him thorow the wood, | |
| Set him on his dapple gray: | |
| ‘O have me commended, good sir, to your wife!’ | |
| So Robin went laughing away. | 120 |
| |
