The English and Scottish Popular Ballads/Part 5/Chapter 122

Robin he walkes in the g[reene] forrest, As merry as bird on boughe, But he that feitches good Robins head, Hee'le find him game enoughe. But Robine he walkes in the greene forrest, Vnder his trusty-tree; Sayes, Hearken, hearken, my merrymen all, What tydings is come to me. The sheriffe he hath made a cry, Hee'le have my head i-wis; But ere a tweluemonth come to an end I may chance to light on his. Robin he marcht in the greene forrest, Vnder the greenwood scray, And there he was ware of a proud bucher, Came driuing flesh by the way. The bucher he had a cut-taild dogg, And at Robins face he flew; But Robin he was a good sword, The bucher's dogg he slew. 'Why slayes thou my dogg?' sayes the bucher, 'For he did none ill to thee; By all the saints that are in heaven Thou shalt haue buffetts three.' He tooke his staffe then in his hand, And he turnd him round about: 'Thou hast a litle wild blood in thy head, Good fellow, thou'st haue it letten out.' 'He that does that deed,' sayes Robin, 'I'le count him for a man; But that while will I draw my sword, And fend it if I can.' But Robin he stroke att the bloudy bucher, In place were he did stand, 'I [am] a younge bucher,' sayes Robin, 'You fine dames am I come amonge; But euer I beseech you, good Mrs Sheriffe, You must see me take noe wronge.' 'Thou art verry welcome,' said Master Sherriff's wiffe, 'Thy inne heere up [to] take; If any good fellow come in thy companie, Hee'st be welcome for thy sake.' Robin called for ale, soe did he for wine, And for it he did pay: 'I must to my markett goe,' says Robin, 'For I hold time itt of the day.' But Robin is to the markett gone, Soe quickly and beliue, He sold more flesh for one peny Then othe[r] buchers did for fiue. The drew about the younge bucher, Like sheepe into a fold; Yea neuer a bucher had sold a bitt Till Robin he had all sold. When Robin Hood had his markett made, His flesh was sold and gone; Yea he had receiued but a litle mony, But thirty pence and one. Seaven buchers, the garded Robin Hood, Ffull many time and oft; Sayes, We must drinke with you, brother bucher, It's custome of our crafte. 'If that be the custome of your crafte, As heere you tell to me. Att four of the clocke in the afternoone At the sheriffs hall I wilbe.' . . . . 'If thou doe like it well; Yea heere is more by three hundred pound Then thou hast beasts to sell.' Robyn sayd naught, the more he thought: 'Mony neere comes out of time; If once I catch thee in the greene forest, Thatmony it shall be mine.' But on the next day seuen butchurs Came to guard the sheriffe that day; But Robin he was the whigh[t]est man, He led them all the way. He led them into the greene forest, Vnder the trusty tree; Yea, there were harts, and ther were hynds, and staggs with heads full high. Yea, there were harts and there were hynds, And many a goodly fawne; 'Now praised be God,' says bold Robin, 'All these they be my owne. 'These are my horned beasts,' says Robin, 'Master Sherriffe, which must make the stake;' 'But euer alacke, now,' said the sheriffe, 'That tydings comes to late!' Robin sett a shrill horne to his mouth, And a loud blast he did blow, And then halfe a hundred bold archers Came rakeing on a row. But when the came befor bold Robin, Even there the stood all bare: 'You are welcome, master, from Nottingham: How haue you sold your ware?' . . . . . . . . . . . . It proues bold Robin Hood. 'Yea, he hath robbed me of all my gold And siluer that euer I had; But that I had a verry good wife at home, I shold haue lost my head. 'But I had a verry good wife at home, Which made him gentle cheere, And therfor, for my wifes sake, I shold haue better favor heere. 'But such favor as he shewed me I might haue of the devills dam, That will rob a man of all he hath, And send him naked home.' 'That is very well done,' then dsays his wiffe, 'Itt is well done, I say; You might haue tarryed att Nottingham, Soe fayre as I did you pray.' 'I haue learned wisdome,' sayes the sherriffe, 'And, wife, I haue learned of thee; But if Robin walke easte, or he walke west, He shall neuer be sought for me.'

, all you brave gallants, and listen a while, With hey down, down, an a down That are in the bowers within; For of Robin Hood, that archer good, A song I intend for to sing. Upon a time it chanc d so Bold Robin in forrest did spy A jolly butcher, with a bonny fine mare, With his flesh to the market did hye. 'Good morrow, good fellow,' said jolly Robin, 'What food hast? tell unto me; And thy trade to me tell, and where thou dost dwell, For I like well thy company.' The butcher he answered jolly Robin: No matter where I dwell; For a butcher I am, and to Notingham I am going, my flesh to sell. 'What is [the] price of 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.' '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.' 'Four mark I will give thee,' saith jolly Robin, 'Four mark it shall be thy fee; Thy mony come count, and let me mount, For a butcher I fain would be.' Now Robin is to Notingham gone, His butcher's trade for to begin; With good intent, to the sheriff he went, And there he took up his inn. When other butchers they opened their meat, Bold Robin he then begun; But how for to sell he knew not well, For a butcher he was but young. 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. 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. Which made the butchers of Notingham To study as they did stand, Saying, surely he was some prodigal, That had sold his father's land. The butchers they stepped to jolly Robin, Acquainted with him for to be; 'Come, brother,' one said, 'we be all of one trade, Come, will you go dine with me?' 'Accurst of his heart,' said jolly Robin, 'That a butcher doth deny; I will go with you, my brethren true, And as fast as I can hie.' But when to the sheriff's house they came, To dinner they hied apace, And Robin he the man must be Before them all to say grace. 'Pray God bless us all,' said jolly Robin, 'And our meat within this place; A cup of sack so good will nourish our blood, And so do I end my grace. 'Come fill us more wine,' said jolly Robin, 'Let us merry be while we do stay; For wine and good cheer, be it never so dear, I vow I the reckning will pay. 'Come, brother[s], be merry,' said jolly Robin, 'Let us drink, and never give ore; For the shot I will pay, ere I go my way, If it cost me five pounds and more.' 'This is a mad blade,' the butchers then said; Saies the sheriff, He is some prodigal, That some land has sold, for silver and gold, And now he doth mean to spend all. 'Hast thou any horn-beasts,' the sheriff repli'd, 'Good fellow, to sell unto me?' 'Yes, that I have, good Master Sheriff, I have hundreds two or three. 'And a hundred aker of good free land, If you please it to see; And I'le make you as good assurance of it As ever my father made me.' The sheriff he saddled a good palfrey, With three hundred pound in gold, And away he went with bold Robin Hood, His horned beasts to behold. Away then the sheriff and Robin did ride, To the forrest of merry Sherwood; Then the sheriff did say, God bless us this day From a man they call Robin Hood! But when that a little further they came, Bold Robin he chanc d to spy A hundred head of good red deer, Come tripping the sheriff full nigh. 'How like you my hornd beasts, good 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.' Then Robin he set his horn to his mouth, And blew but blasts three; Then quickly anon there came Little John, And all his company. 'What is your will?' then said Little John, 'Good master come tell it to me;' 'I have brought hither the sheriff of Notingham, This day to dine with thee.' 'He is welcome to me,' then said Little John, 'I hope he will honestly pay; I know he has gold, if it be but well told, Will serve us to drink a whole day.' Then Robin took his mantle from his back, And laid it upon the ground, And out of the sheriffe['s] portmantle He told three hundred pound. Then Robin he brought him thorow the wood, And set him on his dapple gray: 'O have me commended to your wife at home;' So Robin went laughing away.