The English and Scottish Popular Ballads/Part 5/Chapter 140

A.* * * * . . . . . . . . In faith thou shal[t] haue mine, And twenty pound in thy purse, To spend att ale and wine.' 'Though your clothes are of light Lincolne green, And mine gray russett and torne, Yet it doth not you beseeme To doe an old man scorne.' 'I scorne thee not, old man,' says Robin, 'By the faith of my body; Doe of thy clothes, thou shalt haue mine, For it may noe better bee.' But Robin did on this old mans hose, The were torne in the wrist; 'When I looke on my leggs,' said Robin, 'Then for to laugh I list.' But Robin did on the old mans shooes, And the were cliitt full cleane; 'Now, by my faith,' sayes Litle Iohn, 'These are good for thornes keene.' But Robin did on the old mans cloake, And it was torne in the necke; 'Now, by my faith,' said William Scarlett, 'Heere shold be set a specke.' But Robin did on this old mans hood, Itt gogled on his crowne; 'When I come into Nottingham,' said Robin, 'Mrry hood it will lightly downe. 'But yonder is an outwood,' said Robin, 'An outwood all and a shade, And thither I reede you, my merrymen all, The ready way to take. 'And when you heare my litle horne blow, Come raking all on a rowte . . . . . . . . But Robin he lope, and Robin he threw, He lope over stocke and stone; But those that saw Robin Hood run Said he was a liuer old man. [Then Robin set his] horne to his mowth, A loud blast cold h[e] blow; Ffull three hundred bold yeomen Came rakinge all on a row. But Robin cast downe his baggs of bread, Soe did he his staffe with a face, And in a doublet of red veluett This yeoman stood in his place. 'But bend your bowes, and stroke your strings, Set the gallow-tree aboute, And Christs cursse on his heart,' said Robin, 'That spares the sheriffe and the sergiant!' When the sheriffe see gentle Robin wold shoote, He held vp both his hands; Sayes, Aske, good Robin, and thou shalt haue, Whether it be house or land. 'I will neither haue house nor land,' said Robin, 'Nor gold, nor none of thy fee, But I will haue those three squires To the greene forest with me. 'Now marry, Gods forbott,' said the sheriffe, 'That euer that shold bee; For why, they be the kings felons, They are all condemned to dye.' 'But grant me my askinge,' said Robin, 'Or by the faith of my body Thou shalt be the first man Shall flower this gallow-tree.' 'But I wi[ll haue t]hose three squires . . ..

are twelve months in all the year, As I hear many men say, But the merriest month in all the year Is the merry month of May. Now Robin Hood is to Nottingham gone, With a link a down and a day, And there he met a silly old woman, Was weeping on the way. 'What news? what news, thou silly old woman? What news hast thou for me?' Said she, There's three squires in Nottingham town To-day is condemned to die. 'O have they parishes burnt?' he said, 'Or have they ministers slain? Or have they robbed any virgin, Or with other men's wives have lain?' 'They have no parishes burnt, good sir, Nor yet have ministwrs slain, Nor have they robbed any virgin, Nor with other men's wives have lain.' 'O what have they done?' said bold Robin Hood, 'I pray thee tell to me:' 'It's for slaying of the king's fallow deer, Bearing their long bows with thee.' 'Dost thou not mind, old woman,' he said, 'Since thou made me sup and dine? By the truth of my body,' quoth bold Robin Hood, 'You could not tell it in better time.' Now Robin Hood is to Nottingham gone, With a link a down and a day, And there he met a silly old palmer, Was walking along the highway. 'What news? what news, thou silly old man? What news, I do thee pray?' Said he, Three squires in Nottingham town Are condemnd to die this day. 'Come change thy apparel with me, old man, Come change thy apparel for mine; Here is forty shillings in good silver, Go drink it in beer or wine.' 'O thine apparel is good,' he said, 'And mine is ragged and torn; Whereever you go, wherever you ride, Laugh neer an old man to scorn.' 'Come change thy apparel with me, old churl, Come change thy apparel with mine; Here are twenty pieces of good broad gold, Go feast thy brethren with wine.' Then he put on the old man's hat, It stood full high on the crown: 'The first bold bargain that I come at, It shall make thee come down.' Then he put on the old man's cloak, Was patchd black, blew, and red; He thought no shame all the day long To wear the bags of bread. Then he put on the old man's breeks, Was patchd from ballup to side; 'By the truth of my body,' bold Robin can say, 'This man lovd little pride.' Then he put on the old man's hose, Were patchd from knee to wrist; 'By the truth of my body,' said bold Robin Hood, 'I'd laugh if I had any list.' Then he put on the old man's shoes, Were patchd both beneath and aboon; Then Robin Hood swore a solemn oath, It's good habit that makes a man. Now Robin Hood is to Nottingham gone, With a link a down and a down, And there he met with the proud sheriff, Was walking along the town. 'O save, O save, O sheriff,' he said, 'O save, and you may see! And what will you give to a silly old man To-day will your hangman be?' me suits, some suits,' the sheriff he said, 'Some suits I'll give to thee; Some suits, some suits, and pence thirteen To-day's a hangman's fee.' Then Robin he turns him round about, And jumps from stock to stone; 'By the truth of my body,' the sheriff he said, 'That's well jumpt, thou nimble old man.' 'I was neer a hangman in all my life, Nor yet intends to trade; But curst be he,' said bold Robin, 'That first a hangman was made. 'I've a bag for meal, and a bag for malt, And a bag for barley and corn; A bag for bread, and a bag for beef, And a bag for my little small horn. 'I have a horn in my pocket, I got it from Robin Hood, And still when I set it to my mouth, For thee it blows little good.' O wind thy horn, thou proud fellow, Of thee I have no doubt; I wish that thou give such a blast Till both thy eyes fall out.' The first loud blast that he did blow, He blew both loud and shrill; A hundred and fifty of Robin Hood's men Came riding over the hill. The next loud blast that he did give, He blew both loud and amain, And quickly sixty of Robin Hood's men Came shining over the plain. 'O who are yon,' the sheriff he said, 'Come tripping over the lee?' 'The're my attendants,' brave Robin did say, 'They'll pay a visit to thee.' They took the gallows from the slack, They set it in the glen, They hangd the proud sheriff on that, Releasd their own three men.

Robin Hood ranging the forest all round, The forest all round ranged he; O there did he meet with a gay lady, She came weeping along the highway. 'Why weep you, why weep you?' bold Robin he said, 'What, weep you for gold or fee? Or do you weep for your maidenhead, That is taken from your body?' 'I weep not for gold,' the lady replyed, 'Neither do I weep for fee; Nor do I weep for my maidenhead, That is taken from my body.' 'What weep you for then?' said jolly Robin, 'I prithee come tell unto me;' 'Oh! I do weep for my three sons, For they are all condemned to die.' 'What church have they robbed?' said jolly Robin, 'Or parish-priest have they slain? What maids have they forced against their will? Or with other men's wives have lain?' 'No church have they robbd,' this lady replied, 'Nor parish-priest have they slain; No maids have they forc'd against their will, Nor with other men's wives have lain.' 'What have they done then?' said jolly Robin, 'Come tell me most speedily:' 'Oh! it is for killing the king's fallow deer, And they are all condemned to die.' 'Get you home, get you home,' said jolly Robin, 'Get you home most speedily, And I will unto fair Nottingham go, For the sake of the squires all three.' Then bold Robin Hood for Nottingham goes, For Nottingham town goes he, O there did he meet with a poor beggar-man, He came creeping along the highway. 'What news, what news, thou old beggar-man? What news, come tell unto me:' 'O there is weeping and wailing in fair Nottingham, For the death of the squires all three.' This beggar-man had a coat on his back, 'Twas neither green, yellow, nor red; Bold Robin Hood thought 'twas no disgrace To be in a beggar-man's stead. 'Come, pull off thy coat, you old beggar-man, And you shall put on mine; And forty good shillings I'll give thee to boot, Besides brandy, good beer, ale and wine.' Bold Robin Hood then unto Nottingham came, Unto Nottingham town came he; O there did he meet with great master sheriff, And likewise the squires all three. 'One boon, one boon,' says jolly Robin, 'One boon I beg on my knee; That, as for the deaths of these three squires, Their hangman I may be.' 'Soon granted, soon granted,' says great master sheriff, 'Soon granted unto thee; And you shall have all their gay cloathing, Aye, and all their white money.' 'O I will have none of their gay cloathing, Nor none of their white money, But I'll have three blasts on my bugle-horn, That their souls to heaven may flee.' Then Robin Hood mounted the gallows so high, Where he blew loud and shrill, Till an hundred and ten of Robin Hood's men They came marching all down the green hill. 'Whose men are they all these?' says great master sheriff, 'Whose men are they? tell unto me:' 'O they are mine, but none of thine, And they're come for the squires all three.' 'O take them, O take them,' says great master sheriff, 'O take them along with thee; For there's never a man in all Nottingham Can do the like of thee.'