XXVI.
ROBIN HOOD AND THE GOLDEN ARROW.
A composition of a similar nature with the preceding, and from the same authority.
When as the sheriff of Nottingham Was come with mickle grief, He talk’d no good of Robin Hood, That strong and sturdy thief. _Fal la dal de._
So unto London road he past, His losses to unfold To king Richàrd, who did regard The tale that he had told. {324}
Why, quoth the king, what shall I do ? Art thou not sheriff for me ? The law is in force, to take thy course Of them that injure thee.
Go get thee gone, and by thyself Devise some tricking game, For to enthral yon rebels all, Go take thy course with them.
So away the sheriff he return’d, And by the way he thought Of th’ words of the king, and how the thing To pass might well be brought.
For within his mind he imaginèd, That when such matches were, Those outlaws stout, without all doubt, Would be the bowmen there.
So an arrow with a golden head, And shaft of silver-white, Who on the day should bear away For his own proper right.
Tidings came to bold Robin Hood, Under the green-wood tree : “Come prepare you then, my merry men, We’ll go yon sport to see.” {325}
With that stept forth a brave young man, David of Doncastèr, Master, said he, be rul’d by me, From the green wood we’ll not stir.
To tell the truth, I’m well inform’d, Yon match it is a wile ; The sheriff, I wiss, devises this Us archers to beguile.
Thou smells of a coward, said Robin Hood, Thy words do not please me ; Come on’t what will, I’ll try my skill, At yon brave archery.
O then bespoke brave Little John, Come let us thither gang ; Come listen to me, how it shall be, That we need not be ken’d.
Our mantles all of Lincoln-green Behind us we will leave ; We’ll dress us all so several, They shall not us perceive.
One shall wear white, another red, One yellow, another blue ; Thus in disguise, ‘to’ the exercise We’ll gang, whate’er insue. {326}
Forth from the green wood they are gone, With hearts all firm and stout, Resolving [then] with the sheriff’s men To have a hearty bout.
So themselves they mixed with the rest, To prevent all suspicion ; For if they should together hold, They thought it no discretion.
So the sheriff ‘looked’ round about, Amongst eight hundred men, But could not see the sight that he Had long suspected then.
Some said, If Robin Hood was here, And all his men to boot, Sure none of them could pass these men, So bravely they do shoot.
Ay, quoth the sheriff, and scratch’d his head, I thought he would have been here ; I thought he would, but tho’ he’s bold, He durst not now appear.
O that word griev’d Robin Hood to the heart, He vexed in his blood ; Ere long, thought he, thou shalt well see That here was Robin Hood. {327}
Some cried, Blue jacket ! another cried, Brown ! And a third cried, Brave yellow ! But the fourth man said, Yon man in red In this place has no fellow.
For that was Robin Hood himself, For he was cloath’d in red ; At every shot the prize he got, For he was both sure and dead.
So the arrow with the golden head, And shaft of silver-white, Brave Robin Hood won, and bore with him, For his own proper right.
These outlaws there, that very day, To shun all kinds of doubt, By three or four, no less nor more, As they went in came out.
Until they all assembled were Under the green-wood shade, Where they ‘report,’ in pleasant sport, What brave pastime they made.
Says Robin Hood, all my care is, How that yon sheriff may Know certainly that it was I That bore his arrow away. {328}
Says Little John, My counsel good Did take effect before, So therefore now, if you’ll allow, I will advise once more.
Speak on, speak on, said Robin Hood, Thy wit’s both quick and sound, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
This I advise, said Little John, That a letter shall be penn’d, And when it is done, to Nottingham You to the sheriff shall send.
That is well advised, said Robin Hood, But how must it be sent ? “Pugh ! when you please, ’tis done with ease ; Master, be you content.
I’ll stick it on my arrow’s head, And shoot it into the town ; The mark must show where it must go, Whenever it lights down.”
The project it was well perform’d, The sheriff that letter had, Which when he read, he scratch’d his head, And rav’d like one that’s mad. {329}
So we’ll leave him chafing in ‘his’ grease, Which will do him no good : Now, my friends, attend, and hear the end Of honest Robin Hood.
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