XXVIII.

ROBIN HOOD’S DEATH AND BURIAL:

“Shewing how he was taken ill, and how he went to his cousin at Kirkley-hall, who let him blood, which was the cause of his death. Tune of Robin Hood’s Last Farewel, &c.”

This very old and curious piece is preserved solely in the editions of “Robin Hood’s Garland” printed at York (or such as have been taken from them), where it is made to conclude with some foolish lines (adopted from the London copy of the preceding ballad), in order to introduce the epitaph. It is here given from a collation of two different copies, containing numerous variations, a few of which are retained in the margin.

When Robin Hood and Little John, _Down a down, a down, a down_, Went o’er yon bank of broom, Said Robin Hood to Little John, We have shot for many a pound : _Hey down, a down, a down_. {336}

But I am not able to shoot one shot more, My arrows will not flee ; But I have a cousin lives down below, Please god, she will bleed me.

Now Robin is to fair Kirkley gone, As fast as he can win ; But before he came there, as we do hear, He was taken very ill.

And when that he came to fair Kirkley-hall, He knock’d all at the ring, But none was so ready as his cousin herself For to let bold Robin in.

Will you please to sit down, cousin Robin, she said, And drink some beer with me ? “No, I will neither eat nor drink, Till I am blooded by thee.”[327]

Well, I have a room, cousin Robin, she said, Which you did never see, And if you please to walk therein, You blooded by me shall be.[328]

She took him by the lilly-white hand, And led him to a private room, And there she blooded bold Robin Hood, Whilst one drop of blood would run.

[Illustration: ROBIN HOOD AND HIS BETRAYER.]

[Illustration: ROBIN HOOD AND HIS BETRAYER.]

{337}

She blooded him in the vein of the arm, And lock’d him up in the room ; There did he bleed all the live-long day, Untill the next day at noon.

He then bethought him of a casement door, Thinking for to be gone ;[329] He was so weak he could not leap, Nor he could not get down.

He then bethought him of his bugle-horn, Which hung low down to his knee ; He set his horn unto his mouth, And blew out weak blasts three.

Then Little John, when hearing him, As he sat under the tree, “I fear my master is near dead, He blows so wearily.”

Then Little John to fair Kirkley is gone, As fast as he can dree ; But when he came to Kirkley-hall, He broke locks two or three ;

Untill he came bold Robin to, Then he fell on his knee ; A boon, a boon, cries Little John, Master, I beg of thee. {338}

What is that boon, quoth Robin Hood, Little John, thou begs of me ? “It is to burn fair Kirkley-hall, And all their nunnery.”

Now nay, now nay, quoth Robin Hood, That boon I’ll not grant thee ; I never ‘hurt’[330] woman in all my life, Nor man in woman’s company.

I never hurt fair maid in all my time, Nor at my end shall it be ; But give me my bent bow in my hand, And a broad arrow I’ll let flee : And where this arrow is taken up, There shall my grave digg’d be.

Lay me a green sod under my head, And another at my feet ;[331] And lay my bent bow by my side, Which was my music sweet ; And make my grave of gravel and green, Which is most right and meet.

Let me have length and breadth enough, With a green sod under my head ;[332] {339}

That they may say, when I am dead, Here lies bold Robin Hood.

These words they readily promis’d him, Which did bold Robin please : And there they buried bold Robin Hood, Near to the fair Kirkleys.

[Illustration]

FOOTNOTES TO “PART THE SECOND”, pp. 148–339

[281] Clowdel le. For an account of these worthies the reader may consult their old metrical legend in Percy’s “Reliques,” vol. i., or “Ancient Popular Poetry,” 1791.

[282] A beseem’d.

[283] Has.

[284] A.

[285] Lease.

[286] Choose.

[287] For an account of Tutbury bull-running, and the character of king of the minstrels there, see Dr. Plott’s “Natural History of Staffordshire,” chap. x. § 69; Sir J. Hawkins’s “History of Music,” vol. ii. p. 64; and Blount’s “Ancient Tenures,” by Beckwith, p. 303, 8vo edit.

[288] See this old and popular ballad in the Appendix.

[289] Robin Hood.

[290] Robin Hood.

[291] The editor thinks it his duty to retain, in some instances, even the manifest corruptions of the old copies; in hopes that earlier and better authorities may one day enable him to remove them.

[292] In the bowers.

[293] Did him.

[294] Made then.

[295] Nicke.

[296] Soon from.

[297] Chiefest.

[298] Full froe.

[299] This (from an old black letter copy in Major Pearson’s collection) is evidently the genuine second part of the present ballad, although constantly printed as an independent article, under the title of “Robin Hood, Will Scadlock, and Little John: Or, a narrative of their victories obtained against the prince of Aragon and the two giants; and how Will Scadlock married the princess. Tune of Robin Hood; or, Hey down, down, a down:” Instead of which, in all former editions, are given the following incoherent stanzas, which have all the appearance of being the fragment of a quite different ballad:—

Then bold Robin Hood to the north he would go, With valour and mickle might, With sword by his side, which oft had been tri’d, To fight and recover his right.

The first that he met was a bonny bold Scot, His servant he said he would be. No, quoth Robin Hood, it cannot be good, For thou wilt prove false unto me ;

Thou hast not been true to sire nor cuz. Nay, marry, the Scot he said, As true as your heart, Ile never part, Gude master, be not afraid.

Then Robin turned his face to the east, Fight on, my merry men stout : Our cause is good, quod brave Robin Hood, And we shall not be beaten out.

The battel grows hot on every side, The Scotchman made great moan ; Quoth Jockey, Gude faith, they fight on each side, Would I were with my wife Joan !

The enemy compast brave Robin about, ’Tis long ere the battel ends ; Ther’s neither will yield, nor give up the field, For both are supplied with friends.

This song it was made in Robin Hoods dayes : Let’s pray unto Jove above, To give us true peace, that mischief may cease, And war may give place unto love.

[300] Of a.

[301] Forth.

[302] Acaron. This termagant prince seems intended for a sort of Mahometan Pagan. Alcaron is a deity formed by metathesis from Alcoran, a book: a conversion much more ancient than the present ballad. Thus in the old metrical romance of “The Sowdon of Babyloyne,” a MS. in the possession of Dr. Farmer:

“Whan Laban herde of this myschief, A sory man was he, He trumped his men to relefe, For to cease that tyme mente he. Mersadage kinge of Barbarye He did carye to his tente, And beryed him by right of Sarsenye, With brennynge fire riche oynemente ; And songe the _dirige_ of ALKARON, _That bibill is of here laye_ ; And wayled his deth everychon, Seven nyghtis and seven dayes.”

Here Alkaron is expressly the name of a BOOK (_i.e._ the Koran or Alcoran); in the following passage it is that of a GOD:

“Now shall ye here of Laban : Whan tidynges to him were comen, Tho was he a fulle sory man, Whan he herde howe his vitaile were nomen, And howe his men were slayne, And Gye was go safe hem froo ; He defyed _Mahounde_, and _Apolyne_, _Jubiter_, _Astarol_, and ALCARON also.”

Wynken de Worde printed “A lytell treatyse of the Turkes law called Alcaron, &c.” See Herbert, 224.

If, however, Acaron be the true reading, we shall find an idol of that name in the Bible, 2 Regum i. 16, ed. Vulgate.

It was, at the same time, a proper name in the East: as “Accaron princeps insulæ Cypri” is mentioned by Roger de Hoveden, 786.

[303] We should probably read frantick baboon!

[304] Ground near Moorfields, London, famous in old times for the archery practised there. “In the year 1498,” says Stow, “all the gardens which had continued time out of minde, without Mooregate, to wit, about and beyond the lordship of Fensberry, were destroyed. And of them was made a plaine field for archers to shoote in.” Survay of London, 1598, p. 351. See also p. 77, where it is observed that “about the feast of S. Bartlemew . . . the officers of the city . . . were challengers of all men in the suburbes, . . . before the ‘lord’ maior, aldermen, and sheriffes, in FENSBERY FIELDE, to shoote the standarde, broade arrow, and flight, for games.” There is a tract intitled, “Ayme for Finsburie archers, or an alphabetical table of the names of every marke within the same fields, with the true distances, both by the map, and dimensuration with the line. Published for the ease of the skilfull, and behoofe of the yoonge beginners in the famous exercise of archerie, by J. J. and E. B. To be sold at the signe of the Swan in Grub-street, by F. Sergeant, 1594.” 16mo. Republished by R. F. 1604; and again by James Partridge, 1628, 12mo.

These famous archers are mentioned by Ben Jonson (Every Man in his Humour, act i. scene 1): “Because I dwell at Hogsden I shall keep company with none but the archers of Finsbury.”

The practice of shooting here is alluded to by Cotton in his Virgile Travestie (b. iv.), 1667:

“And arrows loos’d from Grub-street bow, In FINSBURY, to him are slow;”

and continued till within the memory of persons now living.

[305] The situation of this chase cannot be ascertained. There is an ancient family seat in Westmoreland called Dalham-tower.

[306] Either the bishop was a very bad reckoner, or there is some mistake in the copy: three hundred nobles are exactly a hundred pounds. The common editions read ninety-nine angels, which would be no more than £49, 10s. No such coin or denomination, however, as either angel or noble existed in Robin Hood’s time.

[307] I see.

[308] Then did.

[309] He . . was.

[310] Robin Hood.

[311] To.

[312] Robin Hood.

[313] See before, p. 235.

[314] Doubtless.

[315] When I came here.

[316] Doth . . . arrow gain.

[317] Robin Hood.

[318] Robin Hood.

[319] He had.

[320] Robin Hood.

[321] That could not.

[322] Is.

[323] Down a.

[324]

Oh save, oh save, oh sheriff he said, Oh save and you may see.

[325] Me.

[326] Wandring.

[327] Till I blood letted be.

[328] You blood shall letted be.

[329] Get down.

[330] Burnt. This stanza is omitted in one edition.

[331]

With verdant sods most neatly put, Sweet as the green wood tree.

[332] This line is manifestly impertinent and corrupt. We might read:

With a stone upon the sod.

{341}

[Illustration]

APPENDIX.