115. A Little Geste of Robin Hood and his Meiny. The First Fytte. Quiller-Couch, Arthur, ed. 1910. The Oxford Book of Ballads

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Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. (1863–1944). The Oxford Book of Ballads. 1910.

115. A Little Geste of Robin Hood and his Meiny

The First Fytte

How Robin Hood befriended a poor Knight, Sir Richard at the Lee

I

LITHE and listen, Gentlemen,

That be of free-born blood:

I shall you tell of a good yeoman,

His name was Robin Hood.

Robin was a proud outlaw,

The while he walked on ground;

So courteous an outlaw as he was one

Was never none y-found.

III

Robin stood in Barnèsdale,

And leaned him to a tree;

And by him stood Little John,

A good yeoman was he.

And also did good Scathèlock,

And Much, the miller’s son;

There was none inch of his body,

But it was worth a groom.

Then bespake him Little John

All unto Robin Hood:

‘Master, an ye would dine betimes

It would do you much good.’

Then bespake him good Robin:

‘To dine I have no lest,

Till that I have some bold baron,

Or some uncouth guest,

VII

‘Till that I have some bold baron

That may pay for the best,

Or else some knight, or some squièr

That dwelleth here by West.’

VIII

A good mannèr then had Robin;

In land where that he were,

Every day ere he would dine

Three masses would he hear:

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.

Robin loved our dear Lady;

For doubt of deadly sin

Would he no company do harm

That woman was therein.

‘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,

Where we shall beat and bind.’

XIII

‘Thereof no force,’ then said Robin;

‘We shall do well enow;

But look ye do no husband harm

That tilleth with his plough.

XIV

‘No more ye shall no good yeoman

That walketh by green-wood shaw;

Nor yet no knight nor no squièr

That will be a good fellaw.

‘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;

It is far days; 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,

And so to Watling Street,

And wait after some uncouth guest;

Upchance 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.’

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 street,

Then came a knight a-riding up;

Full soon they gan him meet.

XXII

All dreary then was his semblaunt,

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 on his knee;

‘Welcome be ye, gentle Knight,

Welcome are ye to me.

XXV

‘Welcome be thou to greenè wood.

Hendè Knight and free;

My master hath abiden you fasting

Sir, all these hourès three.’

100

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,

105

My brethren, all in fere;

My purpose was to have dined today

At Blyth or Doncastere.’

XXVIII

Forth then went this gentle Knight,

With a careful cheer;

110

The tears out of his eyen ran,

And fell down by his leer.

XXIX

They brought him to the lodgè door;

When Robin gan him see,

Full courteously did off his hood,

115

And set him on his knee.

XXX

‘Welcome, Sir Knight,’ then said Robin,

‘Welcome art thou to me;

I have abiden you fasting, sir,

All these hourès three.’

120

XXXI

Then answerèd the gentle Knight,

With wordès fair and free;

‘God thee savè, good Robin,

And all thy fair meinèe.’

XXXII

They washèd together and wipèd both,

125

And set to their dinnere;

Bread and wine they had enough,

And numbles of the deer.

XXXIII

Swans and pheasants they had full good,

And fowls of the rivere;

130

There failèd none so little a bird

That ever was bred on brere.

XXXIV

‘Do gladly, Sir Knight,’ said Robin.

‘Gramerci, sir,’ said he;

‘Such a dinner had I not

135

Of all these weekès three.

XXXV

‘If I come again, Robin,

Here by this country,

As good a dinner I shall thee make

As thou hast made to me.’

140

XXXVI

‘Gramerci, Knight,’ said Robin Hood;

‘My dinner when I have,

I was never so greedy, by dear-worth God,

My dinner for to crave.

XXXVII

‘But pray ere ye wend,’ said Robin Hood;

145

‘Me thinketh it is good right;

It was never the manner, by dear-worth God,

A yeoman to pay for a knight.’

XXXVIII

‘I have nought in my coffers,’ said the Knight,

‘That I may proffer for shame:’

150

‘Little John, go look,’ said Robin Hood,

‘Nor let not for no blame.’

XXXIX

‘Tell me truth,’ said Robin Hood,

‘So God have part of thee.’—

‘I have no more than ten shillings,

155

So God have part of me.’

‘If thou hast no more,’ said Robin,

‘I will not one penny;

And if thou need of any more,

More shall I lendè thee.

160

XLI

‘Go now forth, Little John,

The truthè tell thou me;

If there be no more but ten shillings,

No penny that I see.’

XLII

Little John his mantle spread

165

Full fair upon the ground,

And there he found in the Knight’s coffer

But even half a pound.

XLIII

Little John let it lie full still,

And went to his master low;

170

‘What tidings, John?’ said Robin Hood.—

‘Sir, the Knight is true enow.’

XLIV

‘Fill of the best wine,’ said Robin,

‘The Knight shall begin;

Muchè wonder thinketh me

175

Thy clothing is so thin.

XLV

‘Tell me one word,’ said Robin,

‘And counsel shall it be;

I trow thou wert made a knight of force,

Or else of yeomanry.

180

XLVI

‘Or else thou hast been a sorry husband,

And lived in stroke and strife;

An okerer, or a lecher,

With wrong hast led thy life.’

XLVII

‘I am none of thosè,’ said the Knight,

185

‘By Him that madè me;

An hundred winter here before

Mine anc’tors knights have be.

XLVIII

‘But oft it hath befal’n, Robin,

A man hath been disgrate;

190

But God, that sitteth in heaven above,

May amend his state.

XLIX

‘Within these two years, Robin,’ he said,

‘My neighbours well it kenn’d,

Four hundred pounds of good monèy

195

Full well then might I spend.

‘Now have I no good,’ said the Knight,

‘God hath shapen such an end,

But my children and my wife,

Till God it may amend.’

200

‘In what mannèr,’ then said Robin,

‘Hast thou lorn thy richess?’

‘For my great folly,’ he said,

‘And for my kindèness.

LII

‘I had a son forsooth, Robin,

205

That should have been mine heir;

When he was twenty winter old

In field would joust full fair.

LIII

‘He slew a knight of Lancashire,

And a squièr bold;

210

For to save him in his right

My goods are set and sold.

LIV

‘My lands are set to wed, Robin,

Until a certain day,

To a rich Abbot here beside

215

Of St. Mary’s Abbèy.’

‘What is the sum?’ said Robin Hood;

‘The truthè tell thou me;’

‘Sir,’ he said, ‘four hundred pound;

The Abbot told it me.’

220

LVI

‘An thou lose thy land,’ said Robin Hood,

‘What shall fall of thee?’—

‘Hastily I will me busk

Over the saltè sea,

LVII

‘And see where Christ was quick and dead,

225

On the mount of Calvary;

Farewell, friend, and have good day;

It may no better be.’

LVIII

Tears fell out of his eyen two;

He would have gone his way;

230

‘Farewell, friends, and have good day,

I have no more to pay.’

LIX

‘Where be thy friends,’ said Robin Hood.

‘Sir, never one will me know;

While I was rich enough at home

235

Great boast then would they blow.

‘And now they run away from me,

As beastès in a raw;

They takè no more heed of me

Than they me never saw.’

240

LXI

For ruth then weptè Little John,

Scathèlock and Much in fere;

‘Fill of the best wine,’ said Robin,

‘For here is a simple cheer.

LXII

‘Hast thou any friends,’ said Robin Hood,

245

‘Thy borrows that will be?’

‘I havè none,’ then said the Knight,

‘But Him that died on tree!’

LXIII

‘Do way thy japès,’ said Robin,

‘Thereof will I right none;

250

Ween’st thou I would have God to borrow,

Peter, Paul or John?

LXIV

‘Nay, by Him that madè me,

And shope both sun and moon,

Find better borrow,’ said Robin,

255

‘Or money get’st thou none.’

LXV

‘I have none other,’ said the Knight,

‘The soothè for to say,

But if it be Our dear Lady;

She fail’d never ere this day.’

260

LXVI

‘By dear-worth God,’ said Robin Hood,

‘To seek all England thorough,

Yet found I never to my pay

A muchè better borrow.

LXVII

‘Come now forth, Little John,

265

And go to my treasury,

And bringè me four hundred pound,

And look well told it be.’

LXVIII

Forth then wentè Little John,

And Scathèlock went before;

270

He told him out four hundred pound

By eight and twenty score.

LXIX

‘Is this well told?’ said Little Much;

John said, ‘What grieveth thee?

It is alms to help a gentle knight

275

That is fal’n in poverty.’

LXX

‘Master,’ then said Little John,

‘His clothing is full thin;

Ye must give the Knight a livery

To lap his body therein.

280

LXXI

‘For ye have scarlet and green, master,

And many a rich array;

There is no merchant in merry England

So rich, I dare well say.’—

LXXII

‘Take him three yards of each coloùr,

285

And look well mete it be.’—

Little John took no measùre

But his bowè-tree.

LXXIII

And at every handful that he met

He leapèd o’er feet three;

290

‘What devilkin’s draper,’ said Little Much,

‘Thinkest thou for to be?’

LXXIV

Scathèlock stood full still and laughed,

And said, ‘He meteth right.

John may give him good measure,

295

For it costeth him but light.’

LXXV

‘Master,’ then said Little John

All unto Robin Hood,

‘Ye must give the Knight a horse

To lead home all this good.’

300

LXXVI

‘Take him a grey courser,’ said Robin,

‘And a saddle new;

He is Our Lady’s messenger;

God grant that he be true!’

LXXVII

‘And a good palfrey,’ said Little Much,

305

‘To maintain him in his right;’

‘And a pair of boots,’ said Scathèlock,

‘For he is a gentle knight.’

LXXVIII

‘What shalt thou give him, Little John?’—

‘Sir, a pair of gilt spurs clean,

310

To pray for all this company;

God bring him out of teen.’

LXXIX

‘When shall my day be,’ said the Knight,

‘Sir, an your willè be?’—

‘This day twelve moneth,’ said Robin,

315

‘Under this green-wood tree.

LXXX

‘It were great shamè,’ said Robin,

‘A knight alone to ride,

Withoutè squire, yeoman, or page,

To walkè by his side.

320

LXXXI

‘I shall thee lend Little John, my man,

For he shall be thy knave;

In a yeoman’s stead he may thee stand,

If thou great needè have.’

GLOSS: Meiny] retinue. Lithe] hearken. Barnèsdale] a forest region between Pontefract and Doncaster. groom] man. lest] lust, desire. uncouth] unknown, strange. were] might be. alder] of all. doubt] fear. reave] plunder. force] matter, account. husband] husbandman. shaw] grove. lere] learn. far days] late in the day. the Sayles] a small farm near Pontefract. Watling Street] the great North road. Upchance] perchance. dight] prepared. dernè] hidden, retired. street] road. semblaunt] aspect. And set him, &c.] and knelt down. Hendè] gracious. fere] company. Blyth] near E. Retford. careful cheer] sad countenance. leer] cheek. numbles] inwards, tripe. brere] briar. dear-worth] precious. let] desist. have part of thee] side with thee, aid thee. counsel] secret. of force] by force. of yeomanry] from the yeoman class. a sorry husband] a wretched manager. okerer] usurer. lecher] an unchaste man. disgrate] fallen in fortune. kenn’d] knew. lorn] lost. set to wed] put to pledge, mortgaged. told] counted. fall of] become of. busk] make ready to go. raw] row. borrows] sureties. Do way thy japès] away with thy jests. to] for. shope] created. But if] unless. lap] wrap. mete] meted, measured. met] measured. palfrey] a saddle-horse. teen] trouble. knave] servant.

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