Library of the University of Cambridge,
Manuscript E e. 4. 35, fol. 14 b, of about 1500.
| 1 |
In schomer, when the leves spryng,
The bloschoms on euery bowe,
So merey doyt the berdys syng
Yn wodys merey now. |
| 2 |
Herkens, god yemen,
Comley, corteys, and god,
On of the best that yeuer bare bowe,
Hes name was Roben Hode. |
| 3 |
Roben Hood was the yeman's name,
That was boyt corteys and fre;
Ffor the loffe of owre ladey,
All wemen werschepyd he. |
| 4 |
Bot as the god yeman stod on a day,
Among hes mery maney,
He was ware of a prowd potter,
Cam dryfyng owyr the ley. |
| 5 |
'Yonder comet a prod potter,' seyde Roben,
'That long hayt hantyd this wey;
He was neuer so corteys a man
On peney of pawage to pay.' |
| 6 |
'Y met hem bot at Went-breg,' seyde Lytyll John,
'And therefore yeffell mot he the!
Seche thre strokes he me gafe,
Yet by my seydys cleffe they. |
| 7 |
'Y ley forty shillings,' seyde Lytyll John,
'To pay het thes same day,
Ther ys nat a man among hus all
A wed schall make hem ley.' |
| 8 |
'Here ys forty shillings,' seyde Roben,
'More, and thow dar say,
That y schall make that prowde potter,
A wed to me schall he ley.' |
| 9 |
There thes money they leyde,
They toke het a yeman to kepe;
Roben beffore the potter he breyde,
A[nd] bad hem stond stell. |
| 10 |
Handys apon hes hors he leyde,
And bad the potter stonde foll stell;
The potter schorteley to hem seyde,
Ffelow, what ys they well? |
| 11 |
'All thes thre yer, and more, potter,' he seyde,
'Thow hast hantyd thes wey,
Yet were tow neuer so cortys a man
On peney of pauage to pay.' |
| 12 |
'What ys they name,' seyde the potter,
'Ffor pauage thow aske of me?'
'Roben Hod ys mey name,
A wed schall thow leffe me.' |
| 13 |
'Wed well y non leffe,' seyde the potter,
'Nor pavag well y non pay;
Awey they honde fro mey hors!
Y well the tene eyls, be mey fay.' |
| 14 |
The potter to hes cart he went,
He was not to seke;
A god to-hande staffe therowt he hent,
Beffore Roben he leppyd. |
| 15 |
Roben howt with a swerd bent,
A bokeler en hes honde;
The potter to Roben he went,
And seyde, Ffelow, let mey hors go. |
| 16 |
Togeder then went thes to yemen,
Het was a god seyt to se;
Thereof low Robyn hes men,
There they stod onder a tre. |
| 17 |
Leytell John to hes felowhe[s] seyde,
'Yend potter well steffeley stonde:'
The potter, with a acward stroke,
Smot the bokeler owt of hes honde. |
| 18 |
A[nd] ar Roben meyt get het agen
Hes bokeler at hes fette,
The potter yn the neke hem toke,
To the gronde sone he yede. |
| 19 |
t saw Roben hes men,
As thay stod onder a bow;
'Let vs helpe owre master,' seyde Lytell John,
'Yonder potter,' seyde he, ls well hem slo.' |
| 20 |
Thes yemen went with a breyde,
To ther mast[er] they cam.
Leytell John to hes mast[er] seyde,
He haet the wager won? |
| 21 |
'Schall y haffe yowre forty shillings,' seyde Lytl John,
'Or ye, master, schall haffe myne?'
'Yeff they were a hundred,' seyde Roben,
'Y feythe, they ben all theyne.' |
| 22 |
'Het ys fol leytell cortesey,' seyde the potter,
'As y haffe harde weyse men saye,
Yeffe a pore yeman com drywyng on the wey,
To let hem of hes gorney.' |
| 23 |
'Be mey trowet, thow seys soyt,' seyde Roben,
'Thow seys god yeme[n]rey;
And thow dreyffe forthe yeuery day,
Thow schalt neuer be let for me. |
| 24 |
'Y well prey the, god potter,
A felischepe well thow haffe?
Geffe me they clothyng, and thow schalt hafe myne;
Y well go to Notynggam.' |
| 25 |
'Y gra[n]t thereto,' seyde the potter,
'Thow schalt feynde me a felow gode;
Bot thow can sell mey pottys well,
Com ayen as thow yode.' |
| 26 |
'Nay, be mey trowt,' seyde Roben,
'And then y bescro mey hede,
Yeffe y bryng eny pottys ayen,
And eney weyffe well hem chepe.' |
| 27 |
Than spake Leytell John,
And all hes felowhes heynd,
'Master, be well ware of the screffe of Notynggam,
Ffor he ys leytell howr frende.' |
| 28 |
'Heyt war howte!' seyde Roben,
Ffelowhes, let me a lone;
Thorow the helpe of Howr Ladey,
To Notynggam well y gon.' |
| 29 |
Robyn went to Notynggam,
Thes pottys for to sell;
The potter abode with Robens men,
There he fered not eylle. |
| 30 |
Tho Roben droffe on hes wey,
So merey ower the londe:
Her es more, and affter ys to saye,
The best ys beheynde. |
| 31 |
When Roben cam to Notynggam,
The soyt yef y scholde saye,
He set op hes hors anon,
And gaffe hem hotys and haye. |
| 32 |
Yn the medys of the towne,
There he schowed hes ware;
'Pottys! pottys!' he gan crey foll sone,
'Haffe hansell for the mare!' |
| 33 |
Ffoll effen agenest the screffeys gate
Schowed he hes chaffare;
Weyffes and wedowes abowt hem drow,
And chepyd fast of hes ware. |
| 34 |
Yet, 'Pottys, gret chepe!' creyed Robyn,
'Y loffe yeffell thes to stonde;'
And all that say hem sell
Seyde he had be no potter long. |
| 35 |
The pottys that were werthe pens feyffe,
He solde tham for pens thre;
Preveley seyde man and weyffe,
'Ywnder potter schall neuer the.' |
| 36 |
Thos Roben solde foll fast,
Tell he had pottys bot feyffe;
Op he hem toke of hes care,
And sende hem to the screffeys weyffe. |
| 37 |
Thereof sche was foll fayne,
'Gereamarsey, SER,' than seyde sche;
'When ye com to thes contre ayen,
Y schall bey of the[y] pottys, so mot y the.' |
| 38 |
'Ye schall haffe of the best,' seyde Roben,
And sware be the Treneyt ;
Ffoll corteysley [sc]he gan hem call,
'Com deyne with the screfe and me.' |
| 39 |
'God amarsey,' seyde Roben,
'Yowre bedyng schall be doyn;'
A mayden yn the pottys gan bere,
Roben and the screffe weyffe folowed anon. |
| 40 |
Whan Roben yn to the hall cam,
The screff sone he met;
The potter cowed of corteysey,
And sone the screffe he gret. |
| 41 |
'Lo, ser, what thes potter hayt geffe yow and me;
Ffeyffe pottys smalle and grete!'
'He ys foll wellcom,' seyd the screffe;
'Let os was, and go to mete.' |
| 42 |
As they sat at her methe,
With a nobell chere,
To of the screffes men gan speke
Off a gret wager; |
| 43 |
Off a schotyng, was god and feyne,
Was made the thother daye,
Off forty shillings, the soyt to saye,
Who scholde thes wager wen. |
| 44 |
Styll than sat thes prowde potter,
Thos than thowt he;
As y am a trow cerstyn man,
Thes schotyng well y se. |
| 45 |
Whan they had fared of the best,
With bred and ale and weyne,
To the bottys the made them prest,
With bowes and boltys foll feyne. |
| 46 |
The screffes men schot foll fast,
As archares that weren godde;
There cam non ner ney the marke
Bey halffe a god archares bowe. |
| 47 |
Stell then stod the prowde potter,
Thos than seyde he;
And y had a bow, be the rode,
On schot scholde yow se. |
| 48 |
'Thow schall haffe a bow,' seyde the screffe,
'The best that thow well cheys of thre;
Thou semyst a stalward and a stronge,
Asay schall thow be.' |
| 49 |
The screffe commandyd a yeman that stod hem bey
Affter bowhes to weynde;
The best bow that the yeman browthe
Roben set on a stryng. |
| 50 |
'Now schall y wet and thow be god,
And polle het op to they nere;'
'So god me helpe,' seyde the prowde potter,
'THys ys bot rygȝt weke gere.' |
| 51 |
To a quequer Roben went,
A god bolt owthe he toke;
So ney on to the marke he went,
He fayled not a fothe. |
| 52 |
All they schot abowthe agen,
The screffes men and he;
Off the marke he welde not fayle,
He cleffed the preke on thre. |
| 53 |
The screffes men thowt gret schame
The potter the mastry wan;
The screff lowe and made god game,
And seyde, Potter, thow art a man. |
| 54 |
. . . .
. . . .
Thow art worthey to bere a bowe
Yn what plas that thow goe. |
| 55 |
'Yn mey cart y haffe a bowe,
Ffor soyt,' he seyde, a+end that a godde;
Yn mey cart ys the bow
That gaffe me Robyn Hode.' |
| 56 |
'Knowest thow Robyn Hode?' seyde the screffe,
'Potter, y prey the tell thow me;'
'A hundred torne y haffe schot with hem,
Vnder hes tortyll-tre.' |
| 57 |
'Y had leuer nar a hundred ponde,' seyde the screffe,
'And sware be the Trenit ,
. . . .
That the fals outelawe stod be me.' |
| 58 |
'And ye well do afftyr mey red,' seyde the potter,
'And boldeley go with me,
And to morow, or we het bred,
Roben Hode well we se.' |
| 59 |
'Y wel queyt the,' kod the screffe,
'Y swere be God of meythe;'
Schetyng thay left, and hom they went,
Her soper was reddy deythe. |
| 60 |
Vpon the morow, when het was day,
He boskyd hem forthe to reyde;
The potter hes cart forthe gan ray,
And wolde not leffe beheynde. |
| 61 |
He toke leffe of the screffys wyffe,
And thankyd her of all thyng:
'Dam, for mey loffe and ye well thys were,
Y geffe yow here a golde ryng.' |
| 62 |
'Gramarsey,' seyde the weyffe,
'Ser, god eylde het the;
The screffes hart was neuer so leythe,
The feyre foreyst to se. |
| 63 |
And when he cam yn to the foreyst,
Yonder the leffes grene,
Berdys there sange on bowhes prest,
Het was gret goy to se. |
| 64 |
'Here het ys merey to be,' seyde Roben,
'Ffor a man that had hawt to spende;
Be mey horne I schall awet
Yeff Roben Hode be here.' |
| 65 |
Roben set hes horne to hes mowthe,
And blow a blast that was foll god;
That herde hes men that there stode,
Ffer downe yn the wodde. |
| 66 |
'I her mey master blow,' seyde Leytell John,
. . . .
. . . .
They ran as thay were wode. |
| 67 |
Whan thay to thar master cam,
Leytell John wold not spare;
'Master, how haffe yow fare yn Notynggam?
How haffe yow solde yowre ware?' |
| 68 |
'Ye, be mey trowthe, Leyty[ll] John,
Loke thow take no care;
Y haffe browt the screffe of Notynggam,
Ffor all howre chaffare.' |
| 69 |
'He ys foll wellcom,' seyde Lytyll John,
'Thes tydyng ys foll godde;
The screffe had leuer nar a hundred ponde
He had [neuer sene Roben Hode.] |
| 70 |
'[Had I] west that befforen,
At Notynggam when we were,
Thow scholde not com yn feyre forest
Of all thes thowsande eyre.' |
| 71 |
'That wot y well,' seyde Roben,
'Y thanke God that ye be here;
Thereffore schall ye leffe yowre hors with hos,
And all yowre hother gere.' |
| 72 |
'That fend I Godys forbod,' kod the screffe,
'So to lese mey godde;
. . . .
. . . |
| 73 |
'Hether ye cam on hors foll hey,
And hom schall ye go on fote;
And gret well they weyffe at home,
The woman ys foll godde. |
| 74 |
schall her sende a wheyt palffrey,
Het ambellet be mey fey,
. . . .
. . . |
| 75 |
schall her sende a wheyt palffrey,
Het hambellet as the weynde;
Nere for the loffe of yowre weyffe,
Off more sorow scholde yow seyng.' |
| 76 |
s parted Robyn Hode and the screffe;
To Nptynggam he toke the waye;
Hes weyffe feyre welcomed hem hom,
And to hem gan sche saye: |
| 77 |
Seyr, how haffe yow fared yn grene foreyst?
Haffe ye browt Roben hom?
'Dam, the deyell spede hem, bothe bodey and bon;
Y haffe hade a foll gret skorne. |
| 78 |
'Of all the god that y haffe lade to grene wod,
He hayt take het fro me;
All bot thes feyre palffrey,
That he hayt sende to the.' |
| 79 |
With that sche toke op a lowde lawhyng,
And swhare be hem that deyed on tre,
'Now haffe yow payed for all the pottys
That Roben gaffe to me. |
| 80 |
'Noe ye be com hom to Notynggam,
Ye schall haffe god ynowe;'
Now speke we of Roben Hode,
And of the pottyr ondyr the grene bowhe. |
| 81 |
'Potter, what was they pottys worthe
To Notynggam that y ledde with me?'
'They wer worthe to nobellys,' seyde he,
'So mot y treyffe or the;
So cowde y [haffe] had for tham,
And y had there be.' |
| 82 |
'Thow schalt hafe ten ponde,' seyde Roben,
'Of money feyre and fre;
And yeuer whan thow comest to grene wod,
Wellcom, potter, to me.' |
| 83 |
Thes partyd Robyn, the screffe, and the potter,
Ondernethe the grene-wod tre;
God haffe mersey on Roben Hodys solle,
And saffe all god yemanrey! |
