Percy Manuscript, p. 7; Hales and Furnivall, I, 19.
| 1 |
But 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. |
| 2 |
But Robine he walkes in the greene forrest,
Vnder his trusty-tree;
Sayes, Hearken, hearken, my merrymen all,
What tydings is come to me. |
| 3 |
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. |
| 4 |
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. |
| 5 |
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. |
| 6 |
'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.' |
| 7 |
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.' |
| 8 |
'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.' |
| 9 |
But Robin he stroke att the bloudy bucher,
In place were he did stand,
* * * * * |
| 10 |
'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.' |
| 11 |
'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.' |
| 12 |
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.' |
| 13 |
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. |
| 14 |
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. |
| 15 |
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. |
| 16 |
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. |
| 17 |
'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.'
* * * * * |
| 18 |
. . . .
'If thou doe like it well;
Yea heere is more by three hundred pound
Then thou hast beasts to sell.' |
| 19 |
Robyn sayd naught, the more he thought:
'Mony neere comes out of time;
If once I catch thee in the greene forest,
That mony it shall be mine.' |
| 20 |
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. |
| 21 |
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. |
| 22 |
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. |
| 23 |
'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!' |
| 24 |
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. |
| 25 |
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?'
* * * * * |
| 26 |
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
It proues bold Robin Hood. |
| 27 |
'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. |
| 28 |
'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. |
| 29 |
'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.' |
| 30 |
'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.' |
| 31 |
'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.' |
