VI.
ROBIN HOOD RESCUING THE THREE SQUIRES FROM NOTTINGHAM GALLOWS.
This song and its tune, as the editor is informed by his ingenious friend Edward Williams, the Welsh bard, are well known in South Wales by the name of “Marchog glas,” _i.e._ Green knight. Though apparently ancient, it is not known to exist in black letter, nor has any better authority been met with than the common collection of Aldermary-church-yard. See before, p. 303.
Bold Robin Hood ranging the forrest all round, The forrest all round ranged he ; O there did he meet with a gay lady, She came weeping along the highway. {366}
Why weep you, why weep you ? bold Robin he said, What weep you for gold or fee ? Or do you weep for your maidenhead, That is taken from your body ?
I weep not for gold, the lady reply’d, Neither do I weep for fee ; Nor do I weep for my maidenhead, That is taken from my body.
What weep you for then ? said jolly Robin, I prithee come tell unto me. “Oh ? I do weep for my three sons, For they are all condemned to die.”
What church have they robbed ? said jolly Robìn, Or parish-priest have they slain ? What maids have they forced against their will ? Or with other mens wives have lain ?
No church have they robbed, this lady reply’d, Nor parish-priest have they slain ; No maids have they forced against their will, Nor with other mens wives have lain.
What have they done then ? said jolly Robìn, Come tell me most speedily. “Oh ! it is for killing the king’s fallow deer, ‘That’[348] they are all condemned to die.” {367}
Get you home, get you home, said jolly Robìn, Get you home most speedily, And I will unto fair Nottingham go, For the sake of the ’squires all three.
Then bold Robin Hood for Nottingham goes, For Nottingham town goes he, O there did he meet with a poor beggar-man, He came creeping along the highway.
“What news, what news, thou old beggar-man ? What news, come tell unto me.” “O there’s weeping and wailing in Nottingham [town], For the death of the ’squires all three.”
This beggar-man had a coat on his back, ’Twas neither green, yellow, nor red ; Bold Robin Hood thought ’twas no disgrace To be in the beggar-mans stead.
“Come, pull off thy coat, thou old beggar-man, And thou shalt put on mine ; And forty good shillings I’ll give thee to boot, Besides brandy, good beer, ale and wine.”
Bold Robin Hood then unto Nottingham came, Unto Nottingham town came he ; O there did he meet with great master sheriff, And likewise the ’squires all three. {368}
One boon, one boon, says jolly Robìn, One boon I beg on my knee ; That, as for the death of these three ’squires, Their hangman I may be.
Soon granted, soon granted, says master sherìff, Soon granted unto thee ; And ‘thou shalt’[349] have all their gay cloathìng, Aye, and all their white monèy.
“O I will have none of their gay cloathìng, Nor none of their white monèy, But I’ll have three blasts on my bugle-horn, That their souls to heaven may flee.”
‘Then’[350] Robin Hood mounted the gallows so high, Where he blew loud and shrill, Till a hundred and ten of Robin Hoods men Came marching down the green hill.
Whose men are these ? says master sherìff, Whose men are they ? tell unto me.[351] “O they are mine, but none of thine, And are come for the ’squires all three.”
O take them, O take them, says great master sheriff, O take them along with thee ; For there’s never a man in fair Nottinghàm Can do the like of thee.
{369}