Now hath the knight his leave i-take,
And went him on his way;
Robin Hood and his merry men
Dwelled still full many a day.
Lithe and listen, gentle men,
And hearken what I shall say,
How the proud sheriff of Nottingham
Did cry a full fair play;
That all the best archers of the north
Should come upon a day,
And they that shoot all of the best
The game shall bear away.
'He that shooteth all of the best
Furthest fair and law,
At a pair of fynly butts,
Under the green wood shaw,
A right good arrow he shall have,
The shaft of silver white,
The head and the feathers of rich red gold,
In England is none like.'
This then heard good Rob-in,
Under his trystell tree:
"Make you ready, ye wight young men,
That shooting will I see.
Busk you, my merr-y young men,
Ye shall go with me;
And I will wete the sheriff's faith,
True an if he be."
When they had their bows i-bent,
Their tackles feathered free,
Seven score of wight young men
Stood by Robin's knee.
When they came to Nottingham,
The butts were fair and long,
Many was the bold arch-er
That shooted with bow-es strong.
"There shall but six shoot with me,
The other shall keep my head,
And stand with good bow-es bent
That I be not deceived."
The fourth outlaw his bow gan bend,
And that was Robin Hood,
And that beheld the proud sher-iff,
All by the butt he stood.
Thri-es Robin shot about,
And alway he cleft the wand,
And so did good Gilbert,
With the whit-e hand.
Little John and good Scathelock
Were archers good and free;
Little Much and good Reynold,
The worst would they not be.
When they had shot about,
These archers fair and good,
Evermore was the best,
For sooth, Robin Hood.
Him was delivered the good arr-ow,
For best worthy was he;
He took the gift so courteysly
To green wood wold-e he.
They cri-ed out on Robin Hood,
And great horns gan they blow.
"Wo worth thee! treason!" said Rob-in,
"Full evil thou art to know!
And woe be thou, thou proud sher-iff,
Thus gladding thy guest,
Otherwise thou behot-e me
In yonder wild for-est;
But had I thee in green wood,
Under my trystell tree,
Thou shouldest leave me a better wed
Than thy true lewt-e."
Full many a bow there was bent,
And arrows let they glide,
Many a kirtle there was rent,
And hurt man-y a side.
The outlaw-es shot was so strong,
That no man might them drive,
And the proud sherif-es men
They fled away full blive.
Robin saw the busshement to-broke,
In green wood he would have be,
Many an arrow there was shot
Among that company.
Little John was hurt full sore,
With an arrow in his knee,
That he might neither go nor ride:
It was full great pit-e.
"Master," then said Little John,
"If ever thou lovest me,
And for that ilk-e Lord-es love,
That died upon a tree,
And for the meeds of my serv-ice,
That I have serv-ed thee,
Let nev-er the proud sher-iff
Aliv-e now find me;
But take out thy brown sword,
And smite all off my head,
And give me wound-es dead and wide,
That I after eat no bread."
"I wold-e not that," said Rob-in,
"John, that thou wer-e slawe,
For all the gold in merry England,
Though it lay now on a rawe."
"God forbid," said Little Much,
"That died on a tree,
That thou shouldest, Little John,
Part our company!"
Up he took him on his back,
And bare him well a mile,
Many a time he laid him down,
And shot another while.
Then was there a fair cast-ell,
A little within the wood,
Double-ditched it was about,
And wall-ed, by the rood;
And there dwelled that gentle knight,
Sir Richard at the Lee,
That Rob-in had lent his good,
Under the green wood tree.
In he took good Rob-in,
And all his compan-y:
"Welcome be thou, Robin Hood,
Welc-ome art thou me;
And much thank thee of thy comf-ort,
And of thy courtesy,
And of thy great kind-eness,
Under the green wood tree;
I love no man in all this world
So much as I do thee;
For all the proud sheriff of Nottingham,
Right here shalt thou be.
Shut the gates, and draw the bridge,
And let no man come in;
And arm you well, and make you read-y,
And to the wall ye win.
For one thing, Rob-in, I thee behote,
I swear by Saint Quin-tin,
These twelve days thou wonest with me,
To sup, eat, and dine."
Boards were laid, and cloth-es spread,
Readily and anon;
Robin Hood and his merry men
To meat gan they gon.
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