Now is the knight went on his way,
This game he thought full good,
When he looked on Barnisdale,
He bless-ed Robin Hood;
And when he thought on Barnisdale
On Scathelock, Much, and John,
He blessed them for the best compan-y
That ever he in come.
Then spake that gentle knight,
To Little John gan he say,
"To-morrow I must to York town,
To Saint Mar-y abbay;
And to the abbot of that place
Four hundred pound I must pay:
And but I be there upon this night
My land is lost for aye."
The abbot said to his conv-ent,
There he stood on ground,
"This day twelve month came there a knight
And borrowed four hundred pound
Upon all his land free,
But he come this ilk-e day
Disherited shall he be."
"It is full early," said the prior,
"The day is not yet far gone,
I had liever to pay an hundred pound,
And lay it down anone.
The knight is far beyond the sea,
In England is his right,
And suffereth hung-er and cold
And many a sorry night:
It were great pity," said the prior,
"So to have his lond;
An ye be so light of your consci-ence,
Ye do to him much is wrong."
"Thou art ever in my beard," said the abb-ot,
"By God and Saint Rich-ard!"
With that came in a fat-headed monk,
The high cellarer;
"He is dead or hang-ed," said the monk,
"By him that bought me dear,
And we shall have to spend in this place
Four hundred pound by year."
The abbot and the high cellarer,
Stert-e forth full bold.
The high justice of Englond
The abb-ot there did hold;
The high just-ice and many mo
Had take into their hond
Wholly all the knight-es debt,
To put that knight to wrong.
They deemed the knight wonder sore,
The abb-ot and his meyn-e:
"But he come this ilk-e day
Disherited shall he be."
"He will not come yet," said the just-ice,
"I dare well undertake."
But in sorrow-e tim-e for them all
The knight came to the gate.
Then bespake that gentle knight
Unto his meyn-e,
"Now put on your simple weeds
That ye brought from the sea."
And cam-e to the gates anone,
The porter was ready himself,
And welcom-ed them every one.
"Welc-ome, sir knyght," said the port-er,
"My lord to meat is he,
And so is many a gentle man,
For the love of thee."
The porter swore a full great oath,
"By him that mad-e me,
Here be the best cores-ed horse
That ever yet saw I me.
Lead them into the stable," he said,
"That eas-ed might they be."
"They shall not come therein," said the knight,
"By him that died on a tree."
Lord-es were to meat iset
In that abb-ot-es hall,
The knight went forth and kneel-ed down,
And salved them great and small.
"Do gladly, sir abb-ot," said the knight,
"I am come to hold my day."
The first word the abbot spake,
"Hast th-ou brought m-y pay?"
"Not one penny," said the knight,
"By him that mak-ed me."
"Thou art a shrewd debtor!" said the abb-ot;
"Sir justice, drink to me!
What dost thou here," said the abb-ot,
"But thou hadst brought thy pay?"
"For-e God," then said the knight,
"To pray of a longer day."
"Thy day is broke," said the justice,
"Land gettest thou none."
"Now, good sir justice, be my friend,
And fend me of my fone."
"I am hold with the abbot," said the justice,
"Both with cloth and fee."
"Now, good sir sheriff, be my friend."
"Nay, for-e God," said he.
"Now, good sir abbot, be my friend,
For thy curteys-e,
And hold my land-es in thy hand
Till I have made thee gree;
And I will be thy true serv-ant,
And truly serv-e thee,
Till ye have fo-ur hundred pound
Of money good and free."
The abbot sware a full great oath,
"By him that died on a tree,
Get the land where thou may,
For thou gettest none of me."
"By dere-worthy God," then said the knight,
"That all this world wrought,
But I have my land again,
Full dear it shall be bought;
God, that was of a maiden borne,
Lene us well to speed!
For it is good to assay a friend
Ere that a man have need."
The abb-ot loathl-y on him gan look,
And villainousl-y gan call;
"Out," he said, "thou fals-e knight!
Speed thee out of my hall!"
"Thou liest," then said the gentle knight,
"Abbot in thy hall;
Fals-e knight was I nev-er,
By him that made us all."
Up then stood that gentle knight,
To the abb-ot said he,
"To suffer a knight to kneel so long,
Thou canst no courtes-y.
In joust-es and in tournem-ent
Full far then have I be,
And put myself as far in press
As any that e'er I see."
"What will ye give more?" said the just-ice,
"And the knight shall make a release;
And ell-es dare I safely swear
Ye hold never your land in peace."
"An hundred pound," said the abb-ot.
The justice said, "Give him two."
"Na-y, by God," said the knight,
"Yet get ye it not so:
Though ye would give a thousand more,
Yet were thou never the nere;
Shall there never be mine heir,
Abb-ot, just-ice, ne frere."
He stert him to a board anon,
To a table round,
And there he shook out of a bag
Even fo-ur hundred pound.
"Have here thy gold, sir abb-ot," said the knight,
"Which that thou lentest me;
Haddest thou been curteys at my com-ing,
Rewarded shouldst thou have be."
The abb-ot sat still, and ate no more.
For all his royal cheer,
He cast his hood on his should-er,
And fast began to stare.
"Take me my gold again," said the abb-ot,
"Sir just-ice, that I took thee."
"Not a penny," said the just-ice,
"By him that died on a tree."
"Sir abbot, and ye men of law,
Now have I held my day,
Now shall I have my land again,
For aught that you can say."
The knight stert out of the door,
Away was all his care,
And on he put his good cloth-ing,
The other he left there.
He went him forth full merry sing-ing,
As men have told in tale,
His lady met him at the gate,
At home in Uterysdale.
"Welc-ome, my lord," said his lady;
"Sir, lost is all your good?"
"Be merry, dam-e," said the knight,
"And pray for Robin Hood,
That ever his soul-e be in bliss,
He holp me out of my tene;
Ne had not be his kind-enesse,
Beggars had we been.
The abb-ot and I accorded ben,
He is served of his pay,
The good yeoman lent it me,
As I came by the way."
This knight then dwell-ed fair at home,
The sooth for to say,
Till he had got four hundred pound,
All ready for to pay.
He p-urveyed him an hundred bows,
The string-es well ydight,
An hundred sheaf of arrows good,
The heads burn-ished full bright,
And every arrow an ell-e long,
With peacock well ydight,
I-nock-ed all with white silv-er,
It was a seemly sight.
He p-urveyed him an hundred men,
Well harneysed in that stead,
And h-imself in that sam-e set,
And clothed in white and red.
He bare a launsgay in his hand,
And a man led his male,
And ridden with a light song,
Unto Barnisdale.
As he went at a bridge there was a wresteling,
And there tarried was he,
And there was all the best yeom-en
Of all the west countree.
A full fair game there was upset,
A white bull up i-pight;
A great cours-er with saddle and bridle,
With gold burn-ished full bright;
A pair of gloves, a red gold ring,
A pipe of wine, in good fay:
What man beareth him best, i-wis,
The prize shall bear away.
There was a yeoman in that place,
And best worth-y was he.
And for he was ferre and fremd bestad,
I-slain he should have be.
The knight had ruth of this yeom-an,
In place where that he stood,
He said that yeoman should have no harm,
For love of Robin Hood.
The knight press-ed into the place,
An hundred followed him free,
With bow-es bent, and arrows sharp,
For to shend that company.
They shouldered all, and made him room,
To wete what he would say,
He took the yeoman by the hand,
And gave him all the play;
He gave him five mark for his wine,
There it lay on the mould,
And bade it should be set abroach,
Drink-e who so would.
Thus long tarried this gentle knight,
Till that play was done,
So long abode Rob-in fasting,
Three hours after the none.
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