him topp to toe.
"Thy bowe, thy arrowes, and little horne,
Now with me I will beare;
For I will away to Barnesdale,
To see how my men doe fare."
Robin Hood sett Guye's horne to his mouth,
And a loude blast in it did blow:
That beheard the sheriffe of Nottingham,
As he lean'd under a lowe.[31]
"Hearken, hearken," sayd the sheriffe,
"I heare nowe tydings good,
For yonder I hear Sir Guye's horne blow,
And he hath slaine Robin Hood.
"Yonder I heare Sir Guye's horne blowe,
Itt blowes soe well in tyde,
And yonder comes that wightye yeoman,
Cladd in his capull hide.
"Come hyther, come hyther, thou good Sir Guy
Aske what thou wilt of mee."
"O I will none of thy gold," sayd Robin,
"Nor I will none of thy fee:
"But now I have slaine the master," he says,
"Let me goe strike the knave;
For this is all the mede I aske;
None other rewarde I'le have."
"Thou art a madman," sayd the sheriffe,
"Thou sholdst have had a knight's fee:
But seeing thy asking hath beene soe bad,
Well granted it shall bee."
When little John heard his master speake,
Well knewe he it was his steven:
"Now shall I be looset," quoth little John,
"With Christ his might in heaven."
Fast Robin hee hyed him to Little John,
He thought to loose him blive;[32]
The sheriffe and all his companye
Fast after him can drive.
"Stand abacke, stand abacke," sayd Robin,
"Why draw you mee so neere?
It was never the use in our countrye,
One's shrift[33] another shold heere."
But Robin pulled forth an Irish knife,
And losed John hand and foote,
And gave him Sir Guye's bow into his hand,
And bade it be his boote.
Then John he took Guye's bow in his hand,
His boltes and arrowes eche one:
When the sheriffe saw Little John bend his bow,
He fettled him to begone.
Towards his house in Nottingham towne,
He fled full fast away;
And soe did all the companye:
Not one behind wold stay.
But he cold neither runne soe fast,
Nor away soe fast cold ryde,
But Little John with an arrowe soe broad,
He shott him into the backe syde.
THE JOLLY PINDER OF WAKEFIELD;
With Robin Hood, Scarlet, and John.
Several lines of this ballad are quoted in the two old plays of the "Downfall," and "Death of Robert, earl of Huntington," 1601, 4to., black letter, but acted many years before. It is also alluded to in Shakespeare's "Merry Wives of Windsor," Act I. Scene 1; and again, in his second part of "King Henry IV." Act V. Scene 3.
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