Lyth and listen, gentlemen,That be of high born blood,I’ll tell you of a brave bootìngThat befell Robin Hood.Robin Hood upon a day,He went forth him alone,And as he came from BarnsdaleInto fair evenìng,He met a beggar on the way,Who sturdily could gang ;He had a pike-staff in his handThat was both stark and strang ;A clouted clock about him was,That held him frae the cold,The thinnest bit of it, I guess,Was more than twenty fold.His meal-poke hang about his neck,Into a leathern whang,Well fasten’d to a broad bucle,That was both stark and ‘strang.’He had three hats upon his head,Together sticked fast,He car’d neither for wind nor wet,In lands where’er258he past.{99}Good Robin cast him in the way,To see what he might be,If any beggar had monèy,He thought some part had he.Tarry, tarry, good Robin says,Tarry, and speak with me.He heard him as he heard him not,And fast on his way can hy.’Tis be not so, says [good] Robìn,Nay, thou must tarry still.By my troth, said the bold beggàr,Of that I have no will.It is far to my lodging house,And it is growing late,If they have supt e’er I come inI will look wondrous blate.Now, by my truth, says good Robìn,I see well by thy fare,If thou shares well to thy suppèr,Of mine thou dost not care,Who wants my dinner all this dayAnd wots not where to ly,And would I to the tavern go,I want money to buy.{100}Sir, you must lend me some monèyTill we meet again.The beggar answer’d cankardly,I have no money to lend :Thou art a young man as I,And seems to be as sweer ;If thou fast till thou get from me,Thou shalt eat none this year.Now, by my truth, says [good] Robìn,Since we are assembled so,If thou hast but a small farthìng,I’ll have it e’er thou go.Come, lay down thy clouted cloak,And do no longer stand,And loose the strings of all thy pokes,I’ll ripe them with my hand.And now to thee I make a vow,If ‘thou’ make any din,I shall see a broad arròw,Can pierce a beggar’s skin.The beggar smil’d, and answer made,Far better let me be ;Think not that I will be afraid,For thy nip crooked tree ;{101}Or that I fear thee any whit,For thy curn nips of sticks,I know no use for them so meetAs to be puding-pricks.Here I defy thee to do me ill,For all thy boisterous fair,Thou’s get nothing from me but ill,Would’st thou seek evermair.Good Robin bent his noble bow,He was an angery man,And in it set a broad arròw ;Lo ! e’er ’twas drawn a span,The beggar, with his noble tree,Reach’d him so round a rout,That his bow and his broad arròwIn flinders flew about.Good Robin bound him to his brand,But that prov’d likewise vain,The beggar lighted on his handWith his pike-staff again :[I] wot he might not draw a swordFor forty days and mair.Good Robin could not speak a word,His heart was ne’er so sair.{102}He could not fight, he could not flee,He wist not what to do ;The beggar with his noble treeLaid lusty slaps him to.He paid good Robin back and side,And baist him up and down,And with his pyke-staff laid on loud,Till he fell in a swoon.Stand up, man, the beggar said,’Tis shame to go to rest ;Stay till thou get thy money told,I think it were the best :And syne go to the tavern house,And buy both wine and ale ;Hereat thy friends will crack full crouse,Thou hast been at the dale.Good Robin answer’d ne’er a word,But lay still as a stane ;His cheeks were pale as any clay,And closed259were his een.The beggar thought him dead but fail,And boldly bound his way.—I would ye had been at the dale,And gotten part of the play.{103}
Lyth and listen, gentlemen,That be of high born blood,I’ll tell you of a brave bootìngThat befell Robin Hood.Robin Hood upon a day,He went forth him alone,And as he came from BarnsdaleInto fair evenìng,He met a beggar on the way,Who sturdily could gang ;He had a pike-staff in his handThat was both stark and strang ;A clouted clock about him was,That held him frae the cold,The thinnest bit of it, I guess,Was more than twenty fold.His meal-poke hang about his neck,Into a leathern whang,Well fasten’d to a broad bucle,That was both stark and ‘strang.’He had three hats upon his head,Together sticked fast,He car’d neither for wind nor wet,In lands where’er258he past.{99}Good Robin cast him in the way,To see what he might be,If any beggar had monèy,He thought some part had he.Tarry, tarry, good Robin says,Tarry, and speak with me.He heard him as he heard him not,And fast on his way can hy.’Tis be not so, says [good] Robìn,Nay, thou must tarry still.By my troth, said the bold beggàr,Of that I have no will.It is far to my lodging house,And it is growing late,If they have supt e’er I come inI will look wondrous blate.Now, by my truth, says good Robìn,I see well by thy fare,If thou shares well to thy suppèr,Of mine thou dost not care,Who wants my dinner all this dayAnd wots not where to ly,And would I to the tavern go,I want money to buy.{100}Sir, you must lend me some monèyTill we meet again.The beggar answer’d cankardly,I have no money to lend :Thou art a young man as I,And seems to be as sweer ;If thou fast till thou get from me,Thou shalt eat none this year.Now, by my truth, says [good] Robìn,Since we are assembled so,If thou hast but a small farthìng,I’ll have it e’er thou go.Come, lay down thy clouted cloak,And do no longer stand,And loose the strings of all thy pokes,I’ll ripe them with my hand.And now to thee I make a vow,If ‘thou’ make any din,I shall see a broad arròw,Can pierce a beggar’s skin.The beggar smil’d, and answer made,Far better let me be ;Think not that I will be afraid,For thy nip crooked tree ;{101}Or that I fear thee any whit,For thy curn nips of sticks,I know no use for them so meetAs to be puding-pricks.Here I defy thee to do me ill,For all thy boisterous fair,Thou’s get nothing from me but ill,Would’st thou seek evermair.Good Robin bent his noble bow,He was an angery man,And in it set a broad arròw ;Lo ! e’er ’twas drawn a span,The beggar, with his noble tree,Reach’d him so round a rout,That his bow and his broad arròwIn flinders flew about.Good Robin bound him to his brand,But that prov’d likewise vain,The beggar lighted on his handWith his pike-staff again :[I] wot he might not draw a swordFor forty days and mair.Good Robin could not speak a word,His heart was ne’er so sair.{102}He could not fight, he could not flee,He wist not what to do ;The beggar with his noble treeLaid lusty slaps him to.He paid good Robin back and side,And baist him up and down,And with his pyke-staff laid on loud,Till he fell in a swoon.Stand up, man, the beggar said,’Tis shame to go to rest ;Stay till thou get thy money told,I think it were the best :And syne go to the tavern house,And buy both wine and ale ;Hereat thy friends will crack full crouse,Thou hast been at the dale.Good Robin answer’d ne’er a word,But lay still as a stane ;His cheeks were pale as any clay,And closed259were his een.The beggar thought him dead but fail,And boldly bound his way.—I would ye had been at the dale,And gotten part of the play.{103}
Lyth and listen, gentlemen,That be of high born blood,I’ll tell you of a brave bootìngThat befell Robin Hood.
Lyth and listen, gentlemen,
That be of high born blood,
I’ll tell you of a brave bootìng
That befell Robin Hood.
Robin Hood upon a day,He went forth him alone,And as he came from BarnsdaleInto fair evenìng,
Robin Hood upon a day,
He went forth him alone,
And as he came from Barnsdale
Into fair evenìng,
He met a beggar on the way,Who sturdily could gang ;He had a pike-staff in his handThat was both stark and strang ;
He met a beggar on the way,
Who sturdily could gang ;
He had a pike-staff in his hand
That was both stark and strang ;
A clouted clock about him was,That held him frae the cold,The thinnest bit of it, I guess,Was more than twenty fold.
A clouted clock about him was,
That held him frae the cold,
The thinnest bit of it, I guess,
Was more than twenty fold.
His meal-poke hang about his neck,Into a leathern whang,Well fasten’d to a broad bucle,That was both stark and ‘strang.’
His meal-poke hang about his neck,
Into a leathern whang,
Well fasten’d to a broad bucle,
That was both stark and ‘strang.’
He had three hats upon his head,Together sticked fast,He car’d neither for wind nor wet,In lands where’er258he past.{99}
He had three hats upon his head,
Together sticked fast,
He car’d neither for wind nor wet,
In lands where’er258he past.{99}
Good Robin cast him in the way,To see what he might be,If any beggar had monèy,He thought some part had he.
Good Robin cast him in the way,
To see what he might be,
If any beggar had monèy,
He thought some part had he.
Tarry, tarry, good Robin says,Tarry, and speak with me.He heard him as he heard him not,And fast on his way can hy.
Tarry, tarry, good Robin says,
Tarry, and speak with me.
He heard him as he heard him not,
And fast on his way can hy.
’Tis be not so, says [good] Robìn,Nay, thou must tarry still.By my troth, said the bold beggàr,Of that I have no will.
’Tis be not so, says [good] Robìn,
Nay, thou must tarry still.
By my troth, said the bold beggàr,
Of that I have no will.
It is far to my lodging house,And it is growing late,If they have supt e’er I come inI will look wondrous blate.
It is far to my lodging house,
And it is growing late,
If they have supt e’er I come in
I will look wondrous blate.
Now, by my truth, says good Robìn,I see well by thy fare,If thou shares well to thy suppèr,Of mine thou dost not care,
Now, by my truth, says good Robìn,
I see well by thy fare,
If thou shares well to thy suppèr,
Of mine thou dost not care,
Who wants my dinner all this dayAnd wots not where to ly,And would I to the tavern go,I want money to buy.{100}
Who wants my dinner all this day
And wots not where to ly,
And would I to the tavern go,
I want money to buy.{100}
Sir, you must lend me some monèyTill we meet again.The beggar answer’d cankardly,I have no money to lend :
Sir, you must lend me some monèy
Till we meet again.
The beggar answer’d cankardly,
I have no money to lend :
Thou art a young man as I,And seems to be as sweer ;If thou fast till thou get from me,Thou shalt eat none this year.
Thou art a young man as I,
And seems to be as sweer ;
If thou fast till thou get from me,
Thou shalt eat none this year.
Now, by my truth, says [good] Robìn,Since we are assembled so,If thou hast but a small farthìng,I’ll have it e’er thou go.
Now, by my truth, says [good] Robìn,
Since we are assembled so,
If thou hast but a small farthìng,
I’ll have it e’er thou go.
Come, lay down thy clouted cloak,And do no longer stand,And loose the strings of all thy pokes,I’ll ripe them with my hand.
Come, lay down thy clouted cloak,
And do no longer stand,
And loose the strings of all thy pokes,
I’ll ripe them with my hand.
And now to thee I make a vow,If ‘thou’ make any din,I shall see a broad arròw,Can pierce a beggar’s skin.
And now to thee I make a vow,
If ‘thou’ make any din,
I shall see a broad arròw,
Can pierce a beggar’s skin.
The beggar smil’d, and answer made,Far better let me be ;Think not that I will be afraid,For thy nip crooked tree ;{101}
The beggar smil’d, and answer made,
Far better let me be ;
Think not that I will be afraid,
For thy nip crooked tree ;{101}
Or that I fear thee any whit,For thy curn nips of sticks,I know no use for them so meetAs to be puding-pricks.
Or that I fear thee any whit,
For thy curn nips of sticks,
I know no use for them so meet
As to be puding-pricks.
Here I defy thee to do me ill,For all thy boisterous fair,Thou’s get nothing from me but ill,Would’st thou seek evermair.
Here I defy thee to do me ill,
For all thy boisterous fair,
Thou’s get nothing from me but ill,
Would’st thou seek evermair.
Good Robin bent his noble bow,He was an angery man,And in it set a broad arròw ;Lo ! e’er ’twas drawn a span,
Good Robin bent his noble bow,
He was an angery man,
And in it set a broad arròw ;
Lo ! e’er ’twas drawn a span,
The beggar, with his noble tree,Reach’d him so round a rout,That his bow and his broad arròwIn flinders flew about.
The beggar, with his noble tree,
Reach’d him so round a rout,
That his bow and his broad arròw
In flinders flew about.
Good Robin bound him to his brand,But that prov’d likewise vain,The beggar lighted on his handWith his pike-staff again :
Good Robin bound him to his brand,
But that prov’d likewise vain,
The beggar lighted on his hand
With his pike-staff again :
[I] wot he might not draw a swordFor forty days and mair.Good Robin could not speak a word,His heart was ne’er so sair.{102}
[I] wot he might not draw a sword
For forty days and mair.
Good Robin could not speak a word,
His heart was ne’er so sair.{102}
He could not fight, he could not flee,He wist not what to do ;The beggar with his noble treeLaid lusty slaps him to.
He could not fight, he could not flee,
He wist not what to do ;
The beggar with his noble tree
Laid lusty slaps him to.
He paid good Robin back and side,And baist him up and down,And with his pyke-staff laid on loud,Till he fell in a swoon.
He paid good Robin back and side,
And baist him up and down,
And with his pyke-staff laid on loud,
Till he fell in a swoon.
Stand up, man, the beggar said,’Tis shame to go to rest ;Stay till thou get thy money told,I think it were the best :
Stand up, man, the beggar said,
’Tis shame to go to rest ;
Stay till thou get thy money told,
I think it were the best :
And syne go to the tavern house,And buy both wine and ale ;Hereat thy friends will crack full crouse,Thou hast been at the dale.
And syne go to the tavern house,
And buy both wine and ale ;
Hereat thy friends will crack full crouse,
Thou hast been at the dale.
Good Robin answer’d ne’er a word,But lay still as a stane ;His cheeks were pale as any clay,And closed259were his een.
Good Robin answer’d ne’er a word,
But lay still as a stane ;
His cheeks were pale as any clay,
And closed259were his een.
The beggar thought him dead but fail,And boldly bound his way.—I would ye had been at the dale,And gotten part of the play.{103}
The beggar thought him dead but fail,
And boldly bound his way.—
I would ye had been at the dale,
And gotten part of the play.{103}