THE SYXTE FYTTE.Lythe and lysten, gentylmen,And herken unto your songe ;How the proude sheryfe of Notyngham,And men of armes stronge,{57}Full faste came to the hye sheryfe,The countre up to rout,And they beset the knyghts castèll,The walles all about.The proude sheryf loude gan crye,And sayd, Thou traytour knyght,Thou kepeste here the kynges enemye,Agayne the lawes and ryght.“Syr, I wyll avowe that I have done,The dedes that here182be dyght,Upon all the londes that I have,As I am a trewe knyght.Wende forthe, syrs, on your waye,And doth no more to me,Tyll ye wytte our kynges wyllWhat he woll say to the.”The sheref thus had his answere,With out ony leasynge,Forthe he yode to London toune,All for to tel our kynge.There he tolde him of that knyght,And eke of Robyn Hode,And also of the bolde archeres,That noble were and good.{58}“He wolde avowe that he had done,To mayntayne the outlawes stronge,He wolde be lorde, and set you at nought,In all the north londe.”I woll be at Notyngham, sayd the kynge,Within this fourtynyght,And take I wyll Robyn Hode,And so I wyll that knyght.Go home, thou proud sheryf,And do as I bydde the,183And ordayne good archeres inowe,Of all the wyde countree.The sheryf had his leve itake,And went hym on his way :And Robyn Hode to grene wode [went]Upon a certayn day ;And Lytell Johan was hole of the arowe,That shote was in his kne,And dyde hym strayte to Robyn Hode,Under the grene wode tre.Robyn Hode walked in the foreste,Under the leves grene,The proude sheryfe of Notyngham,Therfore he had grete tene.ROBIN HOOD AND THE LADY.ROBIN HOOD AND THE LADY.{59}The sheryf there fayled of Robyn Hode,He myght not have his pray,Then he awayted that gentyll knyght,Bothe by nyght and by daye.Ever he awayted that gentyll knyght,Syr Rychard at the Lee ;As he went on haukynge by the ryver syde,And let his haukes flee,Toke he there this gentyll knyght,With men of armes stronge,And lad hym home to Notyngham warde,Ibonde both fote and honde.184The sheryf swore a full grete othe,By hym that dyed on a tre,He had lever than an hondrede pounde,That Robyn Hode had he.185Then the lady, the knyghtes wyfe,A fayre lady and fre,She set her on a gode palfrày,To grene wode anon rode she.When she came to the forèst,Under the grene wode tre,Founde she there Robyn Hode,And all his fayre meynè.{60}“God the save, good Robyn Hode,186And all thy company ;For our dere ladyes187love,A bone graunte thou me.Let188thou never my wedded lordeShamfully slayne to be ;189He is fast ibounde to Notyngham warde,For the love of the.”Anone then sayd good Robyn,To that lady fre,What man hath your lorde itake ?The proude shirife, than sayd she.190[The proude sheryfe hath hym itake]Forsoth as I the say ;He is not yet thre myles,Passed on ‘his’191waye.Up then sterte good Robyn,As a man that had be wode :“Buske you, my mery younge men,For hym that dyed on a rode ;{61}And he that this sorowe forsaketh,By hym that dyed on a tre,And by him that al thinges maketh,No lenger shall dwell with me.”192Sone there were good bowes ibent,Mo than seven score,Hedge ne dyche spared they none,That was them before.I make myn avowe to god, sayd Robyn,The knyght wolde I fayn se,And yf I may hym take,Iquyt than shall he193bee.And whan they came to Notyngham,They walked in the strete,And with the proud sheryf, I wys,Sone gan they mete.Abyde, thou proud sheryf, he sayd,Abyde and speake with me,Of some tydynges of our kynge,I wolde fayne here of the.This seven yere, by dere worthy god,Ne yede I so fast on fote,I make myn avowe to god, thou proud sheryfe,‘It’194is not for thy good.{62}Robyn bent a good bowe,An arrowe he drewe at his wyll,He hyt so the proud sheryf,Upon the grounde he lay full styll ;And or he myght up aryse,On his fete to stonde,He smote of the sheryves hede,With his bryght bronde.“Lye thou there, thou proud sheryf,Evyll mote thou thryve ;There myght no man to the trust,The whyles thou were alyve.”His men drewe out theyr bryght swerdes,That were so sharpe and kene,And layde on the sheryves men,And dryved them downe bydene.Robyn stert to that knyght,And cut a two his bonde,195And toke hym in his hand a bowe,And bade hym by hym stonde.“Leve thy hors the behynde,And lerne for to renne ;Thou shalt with me to grene wode,Through myre, mosse and fenne ;{63}Thou shalt with me to grene wode,Without ony leasynge,Tyll that I have gete us grace,Of Edwarde our comly kynge.”
Lythe and lysten, gentylmen,And herken unto your songe ;How the proude sheryfe of Notyngham,And men of armes stronge,{57}Full faste came to the hye sheryfe,The countre up to rout,And they beset the knyghts castèll,The walles all about.The proude sheryf loude gan crye,And sayd, Thou traytour knyght,Thou kepeste here the kynges enemye,Agayne the lawes and ryght.“Syr, I wyll avowe that I have done,The dedes that here182be dyght,Upon all the londes that I have,As I am a trewe knyght.Wende forthe, syrs, on your waye,And doth no more to me,Tyll ye wytte our kynges wyllWhat he woll say to the.”The sheref thus had his answere,With out ony leasynge,Forthe he yode to London toune,All for to tel our kynge.There he tolde him of that knyght,And eke of Robyn Hode,And also of the bolde archeres,That noble were and good.{58}“He wolde avowe that he had done,To mayntayne the outlawes stronge,He wolde be lorde, and set you at nought,In all the north londe.”I woll be at Notyngham, sayd the kynge,Within this fourtynyght,And take I wyll Robyn Hode,And so I wyll that knyght.Go home, thou proud sheryf,And do as I bydde the,183And ordayne good archeres inowe,Of all the wyde countree.The sheryf had his leve itake,And went hym on his way :And Robyn Hode to grene wode [went]Upon a certayn day ;And Lytell Johan was hole of the arowe,That shote was in his kne,And dyde hym strayte to Robyn Hode,Under the grene wode tre.Robyn Hode walked in the foreste,Under the leves grene,The proude sheryfe of Notyngham,Therfore he had grete tene.
Lythe and lysten, gentylmen,And herken unto your songe ;How the proude sheryfe of Notyngham,And men of armes stronge,{57}
Lythe and lysten, gentylmen,
And herken unto your songe ;
How the proude sheryfe of Notyngham,
And men of armes stronge,{57}
Full faste came to the hye sheryfe,The countre up to rout,And they beset the knyghts castèll,The walles all about.
Full faste came to the hye sheryfe,
The countre up to rout,
And they beset the knyghts castèll,
The walles all about.
The proude sheryf loude gan crye,And sayd, Thou traytour knyght,Thou kepeste here the kynges enemye,Agayne the lawes and ryght.
The proude sheryf loude gan crye,
And sayd, Thou traytour knyght,
Thou kepeste here the kynges enemye,
Agayne the lawes and ryght.
“Syr, I wyll avowe that I have done,The dedes that here182be dyght,Upon all the londes that I have,As I am a trewe knyght.
“Syr, I wyll avowe that I have done,
The dedes that here182be dyght,
Upon all the londes that I have,
As I am a trewe knyght.
Wende forthe, syrs, on your waye,And doth no more to me,Tyll ye wytte our kynges wyllWhat he woll say to the.”
Wende forthe, syrs, on your waye,
And doth no more to me,
Tyll ye wytte our kynges wyll
What he woll say to the.”
The sheref thus had his answere,With out ony leasynge,Forthe he yode to London toune,All for to tel our kynge.
The sheref thus had his answere,
With out ony leasynge,
Forthe he yode to London toune,
All for to tel our kynge.
There he tolde him of that knyght,And eke of Robyn Hode,And also of the bolde archeres,That noble were and good.{58}
There he tolde him of that knyght,
And eke of Robyn Hode,
And also of the bolde archeres,
That noble were and good.{58}
“He wolde avowe that he had done,To mayntayne the outlawes stronge,He wolde be lorde, and set you at nought,In all the north londe.”
“He wolde avowe that he had done,
To mayntayne the outlawes stronge,
He wolde be lorde, and set you at nought,
In all the north londe.”
I woll be at Notyngham, sayd the kynge,Within this fourtynyght,And take I wyll Robyn Hode,And so I wyll that knyght.
I woll be at Notyngham, sayd the kynge,
Within this fourtynyght,
And take I wyll Robyn Hode,
And so I wyll that knyght.
Go home, thou proud sheryf,And do as I bydde the,183And ordayne good archeres inowe,Of all the wyde countree.
Go home, thou proud sheryf,
And do as I bydde the,183
And ordayne good archeres inowe,
Of all the wyde countree.
The sheryf had his leve itake,And went hym on his way :And Robyn Hode to grene wode [went]Upon a certayn day ;
The sheryf had his leve itake,
And went hym on his way :
And Robyn Hode to grene wode [went]
Upon a certayn day ;
And Lytell Johan was hole of the arowe,That shote was in his kne,And dyde hym strayte to Robyn Hode,Under the grene wode tre.
And Lytell Johan was hole of the arowe,
That shote was in his kne,
And dyde hym strayte to Robyn Hode,
Under the grene wode tre.
Robyn Hode walked in the foreste,Under the leves grene,The proude sheryfe of Notyngham,Therfore he had grete tene.
Robyn Hode walked in the foreste,
Under the leves grene,
The proude sheryfe of Notyngham,
Therfore he had grete tene.
ROBIN HOOD AND THE LADY.
ROBIN HOOD AND THE LADY.
ROBIN HOOD AND THE LADY.
ROBIN HOOD AND THE LADY.
{59}
The sheryf there fayled of Robyn Hode,He myght not have his pray,Then he awayted that gentyll knyght,Bothe by nyght and by daye.Ever he awayted that gentyll knyght,Syr Rychard at the Lee ;As he went on haukynge by the ryver syde,And let his haukes flee,Toke he there this gentyll knyght,With men of armes stronge,And lad hym home to Notyngham warde,Ibonde both fote and honde.184The sheryf swore a full grete othe,By hym that dyed on a tre,He had lever than an hondrede pounde,That Robyn Hode had he.185Then the lady, the knyghtes wyfe,A fayre lady and fre,She set her on a gode palfrày,To grene wode anon rode she.When she came to the forèst,Under the grene wode tre,Founde she there Robyn Hode,And all his fayre meynè.{60}“God the save, good Robyn Hode,186And all thy company ;For our dere ladyes187love,A bone graunte thou me.Let188thou never my wedded lordeShamfully slayne to be ;189He is fast ibounde to Notyngham warde,For the love of the.”Anone then sayd good Robyn,To that lady fre,What man hath your lorde itake ?The proude shirife, than sayd she.190[The proude sheryfe hath hym itake]Forsoth as I the say ;He is not yet thre myles,Passed on ‘his’191waye.Up then sterte good Robyn,As a man that had be wode :“Buske you, my mery younge men,For hym that dyed on a rode ;{61}And he that this sorowe forsaketh,By hym that dyed on a tre,And by him that al thinges maketh,No lenger shall dwell with me.”192Sone there were good bowes ibent,Mo than seven score,Hedge ne dyche spared they none,That was them before.I make myn avowe to god, sayd Robyn,The knyght wolde I fayn se,And yf I may hym take,Iquyt than shall he193bee.And whan they came to Notyngham,They walked in the strete,And with the proud sheryf, I wys,Sone gan they mete.Abyde, thou proud sheryf, he sayd,Abyde and speake with me,Of some tydynges of our kynge,I wolde fayne here of the.This seven yere, by dere worthy god,Ne yede I so fast on fote,I make myn avowe to god, thou proud sheryfe,‘It’194is not for thy good.{62}Robyn bent a good bowe,An arrowe he drewe at his wyll,He hyt so the proud sheryf,Upon the grounde he lay full styll ;And or he myght up aryse,On his fete to stonde,He smote of the sheryves hede,With his bryght bronde.“Lye thou there, thou proud sheryf,Evyll mote thou thryve ;There myght no man to the trust,The whyles thou were alyve.”His men drewe out theyr bryght swerdes,That were so sharpe and kene,And layde on the sheryves men,And dryved them downe bydene.Robyn stert to that knyght,And cut a two his bonde,195And toke hym in his hand a bowe,And bade hym by hym stonde.“Leve thy hors the behynde,And lerne for to renne ;Thou shalt with me to grene wode,Through myre, mosse and fenne ;{63}Thou shalt with me to grene wode,Without ony leasynge,Tyll that I have gete us grace,Of Edwarde our comly kynge.”
The sheryf there fayled of Robyn Hode,He myght not have his pray,Then he awayted that gentyll knyght,Bothe by nyght and by daye.
The sheryf there fayled of Robyn Hode,
He myght not have his pray,
Then he awayted that gentyll knyght,
Bothe by nyght and by daye.
Ever he awayted that gentyll knyght,Syr Rychard at the Lee ;As he went on haukynge by the ryver syde,And let his haukes flee,
Ever he awayted that gentyll knyght,
Syr Rychard at the Lee ;
As he went on haukynge by the ryver syde,
And let his haukes flee,
Toke he there this gentyll knyght,With men of armes stronge,And lad hym home to Notyngham warde,Ibonde both fote and honde.184
Toke he there this gentyll knyght,
With men of armes stronge,
And lad hym home to Notyngham warde,
Ibonde both fote and honde.184
The sheryf swore a full grete othe,By hym that dyed on a tre,He had lever than an hondrede pounde,That Robyn Hode had he.185
The sheryf swore a full grete othe,
By hym that dyed on a tre,
He had lever than an hondrede pounde,
That Robyn Hode had he.185
Then the lady, the knyghtes wyfe,A fayre lady and fre,She set her on a gode palfrày,To grene wode anon rode she.
Then the lady, the knyghtes wyfe,
A fayre lady and fre,
She set her on a gode palfrày,
To grene wode anon rode she.
When she came to the forèst,Under the grene wode tre,Founde she there Robyn Hode,And all his fayre meynè.{60}
When she came to the forèst,
Under the grene wode tre,
Founde she there Robyn Hode,
And all his fayre meynè.{60}
“God the save, good Robyn Hode,186And all thy company ;For our dere ladyes187love,A bone graunte thou me.
“God the save, good Robyn Hode,186
And all thy company ;
For our dere ladyes187love,
A bone graunte thou me.
Let188thou never my wedded lordeShamfully slayne to be ;189He is fast ibounde to Notyngham warde,For the love of the.”
Let188thou never my wedded lorde
Shamfully slayne to be ;189
He is fast ibounde to Notyngham warde,
For the love of the.”
Anone then sayd good Robyn,To that lady fre,What man hath your lorde itake ?The proude shirife, than sayd she.190
Anone then sayd good Robyn,
To that lady fre,
What man hath your lorde itake ?
The proude shirife, than sayd she.190
[The proude sheryfe hath hym itake]Forsoth as I the say ;He is not yet thre myles,Passed on ‘his’191waye.
[The proude sheryfe hath hym itake]
Forsoth as I the say ;
He is not yet thre myles,
Passed on ‘his’191waye.
Up then sterte good Robyn,As a man that had be wode :“Buske you, my mery younge men,For hym that dyed on a rode ;{61}
Up then sterte good Robyn,
As a man that had be wode :
“Buske you, my mery younge men,
For hym that dyed on a rode ;{61}
And he that this sorowe forsaketh,By hym that dyed on a tre,And by him that al thinges maketh,No lenger shall dwell with me.”192
And he that this sorowe forsaketh,
By hym that dyed on a tre,
And by him that al thinges maketh,
No lenger shall dwell with me.”192
Sone there were good bowes ibent,Mo than seven score,Hedge ne dyche spared they none,That was them before.
Sone there were good bowes ibent,
Mo than seven score,
Hedge ne dyche spared they none,
That was them before.
I make myn avowe to god, sayd Robyn,The knyght wolde I fayn se,And yf I may hym take,Iquyt than shall he193bee.
I make myn avowe to god, sayd Robyn,
The knyght wolde I fayn se,
And yf I may hym take,
Iquyt than shall he193bee.
And whan they came to Notyngham,They walked in the strete,And with the proud sheryf, I wys,Sone gan they mete.
And whan they came to Notyngham,
They walked in the strete,
And with the proud sheryf, I wys,
Sone gan they mete.
Abyde, thou proud sheryf, he sayd,Abyde and speake with me,Of some tydynges of our kynge,I wolde fayne here of the.
Abyde, thou proud sheryf, he sayd,
Abyde and speake with me,
Of some tydynges of our kynge,
I wolde fayne here of the.
This seven yere, by dere worthy god,Ne yede I so fast on fote,I make myn avowe to god, thou proud sheryfe,‘It’194is not for thy good.{62}
This seven yere, by dere worthy god,
Ne yede I so fast on fote,
I make myn avowe to god, thou proud sheryfe,
‘It’194is not for thy good.{62}
Robyn bent a good bowe,An arrowe he drewe at his wyll,He hyt so the proud sheryf,Upon the grounde he lay full styll ;
Robyn bent a good bowe,
An arrowe he drewe at his wyll,
He hyt so the proud sheryf,
Upon the grounde he lay full styll ;
And or he myght up aryse,On his fete to stonde,He smote of the sheryves hede,With his bryght bronde.
And or he myght up aryse,
On his fete to stonde,
He smote of the sheryves hede,
With his bryght bronde.
“Lye thou there, thou proud sheryf,Evyll mote thou thryve ;There myght no man to the trust,The whyles thou were alyve.”
“Lye thou there, thou proud sheryf,
Evyll mote thou thryve ;
There myght no man to the trust,
The whyles thou were alyve.”
His men drewe out theyr bryght swerdes,That were so sharpe and kene,And layde on the sheryves men,And dryved them downe bydene.
His men drewe out theyr bryght swerdes,
That were so sharpe and kene,
And layde on the sheryves men,
And dryved them downe bydene.
Robyn stert to that knyght,And cut a two his bonde,195And toke hym in his hand a bowe,And bade hym by hym stonde.
Robyn stert to that knyght,
And cut a two his bonde,195
And toke hym in his hand a bowe,
And bade hym by hym stonde.
“Leve thy hors the behynde,And lerne for to renne ;Thou shalt with me to grene wode,Through myre, mosse and fenne ;{63}
“Leve thy hors the behynde,
And lerne for to renne ;
Thou shalt with me to grene wode,
Through myre, mosse and fenne ;{63}
Thou shalt with me to grene wode,Without ony leasynge,Tyll that I have gete us grace,Of Edwarde our comly kynge.”
Thou shalt with me to grene wode,
Without ony leasynge,
Tyll that I have gete us grace,
Of Edwarde our comly kynge.”