VIII.
ROBIN HOOD AND GUY OF GISBORNE.
We have here a ballad of Robin Hood (from the editor's folio MS.) which was never before printed, and carries marks of much greater antiquity than any of the common popular songs on this subject.
The severity of those tyrannical forest laws that were introduced by our Norman kings, and the great temptation of breaking them by such as lived near the royal forests at a time when the yeomanry of this kingdom were everywhere trained up to the long-bow, and excelled all other nations in the art of shooting, must constantly have occasioned great numbers of outlaws, and especially of such as were the best marksmen. These naturally fled to the woods for shelter, and, forming into troops, endeavoured by their numbers to protect themselves from the dreadful penalties of their delinquency. The ancient punishment for killing the king's deer was loss of eyes and castration, a punishment far worse than death. This will easily account for the troops of banditti which formerly lurked in the royal forests, and, from their superior skill in archery and knowledge of all the recesses of those unfrequented solitudes, found it no difficult matter to resist or elude the civil power.
Among all those, none was ever more famous than the hero of this ballad, whose chief residence was in Shirewood forest, in Nottinghamshire, and the heads of whose story, as collected by Stow, are briefly these.
"In this time [about the year 1190, in the reign of Richard I.] were many robbers, and outlawes, among the which Robin Hood, and Little John, renowned theeves, continued in woods, despoyling and robbing the goods of the rich. They killed none but such as would invade them; or by resistance for their own defence.
"The saide Robert entertained an hundred tall men and good archers with such spoiles and thefts as he got, upon whom four hundred (were they ever so strong) durst not give the onset. He suffered no woman to be oppressed, violated, or otherwise molested: poore mens goods he spared, abundantlie relieving them with that which by theft he got from abbeys and the houses of rich carles: whom Maior (the historian) blameth for his rapine and theft, but of all theeves he affirmeth him to be the prince, and the most gentle theefe."--_Annals_, p. 159.
The personal courage of this celebrated outlaw, his skill in archery, his humanity, and especially his levelling principle of taking from the rich and giving to the poor, have in all ages rendered him the favourite of the common people, who, not content to celebrate his memory by innumerable songs and stories, have erected him into the dignity of an earl. Indeed, it is not impossible but our hero, to gain the more respect from his followers, or they to derive the more credit to their profession, may have given rise to such a report themselves: for we find it recorded in an epitaph, which, if genuine, must have been inscribed on his tombstone near the nunnery of Kirklees in Yorkshire; where (as the story goes) he was bled to death by a treacherous nun to whom he applied for phlebotomy:--
"Hear undernead dis laitl stean lai[gh] robert earl of huntingtun nea arcir ver a[gh] hie sae geud an pipl kauld im Robin Heud sick utlaws as hi an is men vil England nivir si agen. obiit 24 kal. dekembris. 1247."[480]
This epitaph appears to me suspicious; however, a late antiquary has given a pedigree of _Robin Hood_, which, if genuine, shows that he had real pretensions to the Earldom of Huntingdon, and that his true name was _Robert Fitz-ooth_.[481] Yet the most ancient poems on Robin Hood make no mention of this earldom. He is expressly asserted to have been a yeoman[482] in a very old legend in verse, preserved in the archives of the public library at Cambridge,[483] in eight _fyttes_, or parts, printed in black letter, quarto, thus inscribed: "¶ Here begynneth a lytell geste of Robyn hode and his meyne, and of the proude sheryfe of Notyngham." The first lines are--
"Lithe and lysten, gentylmen, That be of fre-bore blode: I shall you tell of a good _yeman_, His name was Robyn hode.
"Robyn was a proude out-lawe, Whiles he walked on grounde; So curteyse an outlawe as he was one, Was never none yfounde," &c.
The printer's colophon is, "¶ Explicit Kinge Edwarde and Robin hode and Lyttel Johan. Enprented at London in Flete-strete at the sygne of the sone by Wynkin de Worde." In Mr. Garrick's Collection[484] is a different edition of the same poem, "¶ Imprinted at London upon the thre Crane wharfe by Wyllyam Copland," containing at the end a little dramatic piece on the subject of Robin Hood and the Friar, not found in the former copy, called, "A newe playe for to be played in Maye games very plesaunte and full of pastyme. ¶([···])[r¶]."
I shall conclude these preliminary remarks with observing, that the hero of this ballad was the favourite subject of popular songs so early as the time of King Edward III. In the _Visions of Pierce Plowman_, written in that reign, a monk says:--
"I can rimes of Roben Hod, and Randal of Chester, But of our Lorde and our Lady, I lerne nothyng at all."
Fol. 26, ed. 1550.
See also in Bishop Latimer's _Sermons_[485] a very curious and characteristic story, which shows what respect was shown to the memory of our archer in the time of that prelate.
The curious reader will find many other particulars relating to this celebrated outlaw, in Sir John Hawkins's _Hist. of Music_, vol. iii. p. 410, 4to.
For the catastrophe of Little John, who, it seems, was executed for a robbery on Arbor-hill, Dublin (with some curious particulars relating to his skill in archery), see Mr. J. C. Walker's ingenious _Memoir on the Armour and Weapons of the Irish_, p. 129, annexed to his _Historical Essay on the Dress of the Ancient and Modern Irish_. Dublin, 1788, 4to.
Some liberties were, by the editor, taken with this ballad; which, in this edition, hath been brought nearer to the folio MS.
* * * * *
[Robin Hood is first mentioned in literature in _Piers Plowman_, the earliest of the three forms of which poem was written probably about the year 1362. The ballad of _Robin Hood and the Monk_, printed in Child's _English and Scottish Ballads_, as the oldest of its class, and possibly as old as the reign of Edward II., commences:--
"In somer when the shawes be sheyne And leves be large and longe Hit is full mery in feyre foreste To here the foulys song."
Verses which bear a strong likeness to the opening lines of the present ballad.
Gisborne is a market town in the West Riding of the county of York on the borders of Lancashire, and Guy of that place is mentioned by William Dunbar in a satirical piece on "Schir Thomas Nory," where he is named in company with Adam Bell and other well-known worthies.
It is not needful to extend this note with any further particulars of Robin Hood, as he possesses, in virtue of his position as a popular hero, a literature of his own. Those who wish to know more of his exploits should consult Ritson's (1795) and Gutch's (1847) Collections of _Robin Hood Ballads_, Child's _Ballads_, vol. v. and Chappell's _Popular Music of the Olden Time_, vol. i. pp. 387-400.
There are several Robin Hood Ballads in the folio MS., but Percy only chose the one containing an account of the encounter with Guy for printing. Ritson copied this ballad from Percy's book, but indulged at the same time in a tirade against the bishop's treatment of his original.]
* * * * *
When shaws beene sheene,[486] and shradds[487] full fayre,[488] And leaves both large and longe, Itt is merrye walking in the fayre forrèst To heare the small birdes songe.[489]
The woodweele[490] sang, and wold not cease,[491] 5 [Sitting upon the spraye,[492] Soe lowde, he wakened Robin Hood,[492] In the greenwood where he lay.[492]
Now by my faye,[493] sayd jollye Robìn,[492] A sweaven[494] I had this night;[492] 10 I dreamt me of tow wighty[495] yemen,[492] That fast with me can fight.][492]
Methought they did mee beate and binde, And tooke my bow mee froe;[496] If I be Robin alive in this lande, 15 Ile be wroken[497] on them towe.
Sweavens are swift, Master, quoth John, As the wind that blowes ore a hill; For if itt be never so loude this night, To-morrow itt may be still. 20
Buske yee, bowne yee,[498] my merry men all, And John shall goe with mee, For Ile goe seeke yond wight yeomen, In greenwood where thé bee.
Thé cast on their gownes of grene, 25 [And tooke theyr bowes each one; And they away to the greene forrèst] A shooting forth are gone;[499]
Untill they came to the merry greenwood, Where they had gladdest bee, 30 There were thé ware[500] of a wight yeomàn, His body leaned to a tree.
A sword and a dagger he wore by his side, Of manye a man the bane;[501] And he was clad in his capull hyde[502] 35 Topp and tayll and mayne.
Stand you still, master, quoth Litle John, Under this tree so grene, And I will go to yond wight yeoman To know what he doth meane.[503] 40
Ah! John, by me thou settest noe store, And that I farley[504] finde:[505] How offt send I my men beffore, And tarry my selfe behinde?
It is no cunning a knave to ken, 45 And a man but heare him speake; And itt were not for bursting of my bowe, John, I thy head wold breake.
As often wordes they breeden bale,[506] So they parted Robin and John; 50 And John is gone to Barnesdale: The gates[507] he knoweth eche one.
But when he came to Barnesdale, Great heavinesse there hee hadd, For he found tow of his owne fellòwes 55 Were slaine both in a slade.[508]
And Scarlette he was flyinge a-foote Fast over stocke and stone, For the sheriffe with seven score men Fast after him is gone. 60
One shoote now I will shoote, quoth John,[509] With Christ his might and mayne; Ile make yond fellow that flyes soe fast, To stopp he shall be fayne.[510]
Then John bent up his long bende-bowe,[511] 65 And fetteled[512] him to shoote: The bow was made of a tender boughe, And fell downe to his foote.
Woe worth, woe worth thee, wicked wood,[513] That ere thou grew on a tree; 70 For now this day thou art my bale, My boote[514] when thou shold bee.
His shoote it was but loosely shott, Yet flewe not the arrowe in vaine,[515] For itt mett one of the sherriffes men, 75 Good William a Trent was slaine.
It had bene better of William a Trent To have bene abed with sorrowe,[516] Than to be that day in the green wood slade[517] To meet with Little Johns arrowe.[518] 80
But as it is said, when men be mett Fyve can doe more than three,[519] The sheriffe hath taken little John,[520] And bound him fast to a tree.
Thou shalt be drawen by dale and downe, 85 And hanged hye on a hill. But thou mayst fayle of thy purpose, quoth John,[521] If itt be Christ his will.[522]
Let us leave talking of Litle John, And thinke of Robin Hood,[523] 90 How he is gone to the wight yeomàn, Where under the leaves he stood.
Good morrowe, good fellowe, sayd Robin so fayre,[524] "Good morrowe, good fellow, quoth he:" Methinkes by this bowe thou beares in thy hande 95 A good archere thou sholdst bee.[525]
I am wilfull[526] of my waye, quo' the yeman,[527] And of my morning tyde. Ile lead thee through the wood, sayd Robin; Good fellow, Ile be thy guide. 100
I seeke an outlàwe, the straunger sayd,[528] Men call him Robin Hood; Rather Ild meet with that proud outlàwe[529] Than fortye pound soe good.[529]
[Now come with me, thou wighty yeman,[530] 105 And Robin thou soone shalt see:[530] But first let us some pastime find[530] Under the greenwood tree.][530]
First let us some masterye[531] make[532] Among the woods so even,[532] 110 Wee may chance to meet with Robin Hood Here att some unsett steven.[533]
They cutt them downe two summer shroggs,[534] That grew both under a breere,[535] And sett them threescore rood in twaine 115 To shoote the prickes[536] y-fere.[537]
Leade on, good fellowe, quoth Robin Hood,[538] Leade on, I doe bidd thee. Nay by my faith, good fellowe, hee sayd,[539] My leader thou shalt bee.[540] 120
The first time Robin shot at the pricke,[541] He mist but an inch it froe:[541] The yeoman he was an archer good,[541] But he cold never shoote soe.
The second shoote had the wightye yeman,[542] 125 He shote within the garlànde:[543] But Robin he shott far better than hee, For he clave the good pricke wande.[544]
A blessing upon thy heart, he sayd;[545] Good fellowe, thy shooting is goode; 130 For an thy hart be as good as thy hand, Thou wert better then Robin Hoode.
Now tell me thy name, good fellowe, sayd he,[546] Under the leaves of lyne.[547] Nay by my faith, quoth bolde Robìn,[548] 135 Till thou have told me thine.[549]
I dwell by dale and downe, quoth hee, And Robin to take Ime sworne; And when I am called by my right name I am Guye of good Gisbòrne. 140
My dwelling is in this wood, sayes Robin, By thee I set right nought: I am Robin Hood of Barnèsdale, Whom thou so long hast sought.[550]
He that had neither beene kithe nor kin, 145 Might have seene a full fayre sight, To see how together these yeomen went With blades both browne[551] and bright.
To see how these yeomen together they fought[552] Two howres of a summers day: 150 Yett neither Robin Hood nor sir Guy[553] Them fettled to flye away.
Robin was reachles[554] on a roote, And stumbled at that tyde; And Guy was quicke and nimble with-all, 155 And hitt him ore the left side.
Ah deere Lady, sayd Robin Hood, tho That art both mother and may',[555] I think it was never mans destinye To dye before his day. 160
Robin thought on our ladye deere, And soone leapt up againe, And strait he came with a "backward" stroke,[556] And he sir Guy hath slayne.[557]
He took sir Guys head by the hayre, 165 And sticked itt on his bowes end: Thou hast beene a traytor all thy liffe, Which thing must have an ende.
Robin pulled forth an Irish kniffe, And nicked sir Guy in the face, 170 That he was never on woman born, Cold tell whose head it was.[558]
Saies, Lye there, lye there, now sir Guye,[559] And with me be not wrothe; If thou have had the worse strokes at my hand, 175 Thou shalt have the better clothe.
Robin did off his gowne of greene, And on sir Guy did it throwe, And hee put on that capull hyde, That cladd him topp to toe. 180
The bowe, the arrowes, and little horne, Now with me I will beare;[560] For I will away to Barnèsdale, To see how my men doe fare.
Robin Hood sett Guyes home to his mouth, 185 And a loud blast in it did blow. That beheard the sheriffe of Nottingham, As he leaned under a lowe.[561]
Hearken, hearken, sayd the sheriffe, I heare nowe tydings good, 190 For yonder I heare sir Guyes horne blowe, And he hath slaine Robin Hoode.
Yonder I heare sir Guyes horne blowe, Itt blowes soe well in tyde, And yonder comes that wightye yeoman, 195 Cladd in his capull hyde.
Come hyther, come hyther, thou good sir Guy, Aske what thou wilt of mee. O I will none of thy gold, sayd Robin,[562] Nor I will none of thy fee: 200
But now I have slaine the master, he sayes, Let me go strike the knave; This is all the rewarde I aske; Nor noe other will I have.
Thou art a madman, said the sheriffe, 205 Thou sholdest have had a knights fee: But seeing thy asking hath beene soe bad, Well granted it shale be.
When Litle John heard his master speake, Well knewe he it was his steven:[563] 210 Now shall I be looset, quoth Litle John, With Christ his might in heaven.
Fast Robin hee hyed him to Little John, He thought to loose him belive;[564] The sheriffe and all his companye 215 Fast after him did drive.
Stand abacke, stand abacke, sayd Robin; Why draw you mee soe neere? Itt was never the use in our countryè, Ones shrift another shold heere. 220
But Robin pulled forth an Irysh kniffe, And losed John hand and foote, And gave him sir Guyes bow into his hand, And bade it be his boote.[565]
Then John he took Guyes bow in his hand,[566] 225 His boltes and arrowes eche one: When the sheriffe saw Little John bend his bow, He fettled him to be gone.
Towards his house in Nottingham towne,[567] He fled full fast away; 230 And soe did all his companye: Not one behind wold stay.
But he cold neither runne soe fast,[568] Nor away soe fast cold ryde,[568] But Litle John with an arrowe soe broad,[568] 235 He shott him into the 'backe'-syde.[568]
* * * * *
[***] The title of _Sir_ was not formerly peculiar to knights, it was given to priests, and sometimes to very inferior personages.
Dr. Johnson thinks this title was applied to such as had taken the degree of A. B. in the universities, who are still stiled, _Domini_, "Sirs," to distinguish them from Undergraduates, who have no prefix, and from Masters of Arts, who are stiled _Magistri_, "Masters."
FOOTNOTES:
[480] See Thoresby's _Ducat. Leod._ p. 576. _Biog. Brit._ vi. 3933.
[481] Stukeley, in his _Palæographia Britannica_, No. II. 1746.
[482] See also the following ballad, v. 147.
[483] Num. D. 5. 2.
[484] _Old Plays_, 4to. K. vol. x.
[485] Ser. 6th before K. Ed. Apr. 12. fol. 75, Gilpin's _Life of Lat._, p. 122.
[486] [when woods are bright.]
[487] [twigs.]
[488] [Ver. 1. shales, f. MS.]
[489] [V. 4. birds singe, f. MS.]
[490] [woodpecker or thrush.]
[491] [V. 5. woodweete, f. MS.]
[492] [In place of ver. 6-12 between brackets the f. MS. has--
"Amongst the leaves a lyne [* * * * *] And it is by two wight yeomen By deare God that I meane."]
[493] [faith.]
[494] [dream.]
[495] [strong.]
[496] [from me.]
[497] [revenged.]
[498] [dress ye, get ye ready.]
[499] [Ver. 28. a shooting gone are they, f. MS.]
[500] [were they aware.]
[501] [V. 34. had beene many a mans bane, f. MS.]
[502] [horse-hide.]
[503] [V. 40. to know his meaning trulye, f. MS.]
[504] [strange.]
[505] [V. 42. and thats a ffarley thinge, f. MS.]
[506] [breed mischief.]
[507] _i.e._ ways, passes, paths, ridings. _Gate_ is a common word in the north for _way_.
[508] [greensward between two woods.]
[509] [Ver. 61. yet one shoote I'le shoote, says Little John, f. MS.]
[510] [V. 64. to be both glad & ffaine, f. MS.]
[511] [V. 65. John bent up a good veiwe bowe, f. MS.]
[512] [prepared.]
[513] [V. 69. woe worth thee, wicked wood, says litle John, f. MS.]
[514] help.
[515] [Ver. 74. the arrowe flew in vaine, f. MS.]
[516] [V. 78. to hange upon a gallowe, f. MS.]
[517] [V. 79. then for to lye in the green-woode, f. MS.]
[518] [V. 80. there slaine with an arrowe, f. MS.]
[519] [V. 82. 6 can doe more then 3, f. MS.]
[520] [V. 83. and they have tane litle John, f. MS.]
[521] [V. 87. But thou may ffayle, quoth litle John, f. MS.]
[522] [V. 88. If itt be christ's own will, f. MS.]
[523] [V. 90-92. in place of these three verses the f. MS. has:--
"for hee is bound fast to a tree, and talke of Guy and Robin Hood In they green woode where they bee [how these two yeomen together they mett under the leaves of Lyne, to see what marchandise they made even at that same time."]]
[524] [Ver. 93. good morrow, good fellow! quoth Sir Guy, f. MS.]
[525] [V. 96. a good archer thou seems to bee, f. MS.]
[526] [ignorant.]
[527] [V. 97. quoth Sir Guye, f. MS.]
[528] [V. 101. I seeke an outlaw, quoth Sir Guye, f. MS.]
[529] [V. 103-4.--
"I had rather meet with him upon a day Then 40li. of golde."]
[530] [V. 105-8. in place of these four verses the f. MS. has--
"Iff you tow mett itt wold be seene whether were better afore yee did part awaye; Let us some other pastime find, good ffellow, I thee pray:"]
[531] [trial of skill.]
[532] [V. 109-10.
"Let us some other masteryes make, and wee will walke in the woods even," f. MS.]
[533] [at a time not previously appointed.]
[534] [shrubs.]
[535] [briar.]
[536] [mark in the centre of the target.]
[537] [Ver. 116. prickes full near, f. MS.]
[538] [V. 117. sayd Sir Guye, f. MS.]
[539] [V. 119. nay by my faith, quoth Robin Hood, f. MS.]
[540] [V. 120. the leader, f. MS.]
[541] [V. 121-23:--
"the first good shoot that Robin ledd did not shoote an inch the pricke ffroe. Guy was an archer good enoughe."]
[542] [V. 125. the 2nd shoote Sir Guy shott.]
[543] [the ring within which the prick was set.]
[544] [pole.]
[545] [V. 129. gods blessing on thy heart! sayes Guye.]
[546] [Ver. 133. tell me thy name, good fellow, quoth Guy.]
[547] [lime.]
[548] [V. 135. good robin.]
[549] [V. 136-140:--
"I dwell by dale and downe, quoth Guye, and I have done many a curst turne; and he that calles me by my right name, calles me Guy of good Gysborne."]
[550] V. 144. a ffellow thou hast long sought.
[551] The common epithet for a sword or other offensive weapon, in the old metrical romances is _Brown_, as "brown brand," or "brown sword," "brown bill," &c., and sometimes even "bright brown sword." Chaucer applies the word _rustie_ in the same sense; thus he describes the reve:--
"And by his side he bare a rusty blade."
_Prol._ ver. 620.
And even thus the God _Mars_:--
"And in his hand he had a rousty sword."
_Test. of Cressid._ 188
Spenser has sometimes used the same epithet. See Warton's _Observ._ vol. ii. p. 62. It should seem, from this particularity, that our ancestors did not pique themselves upon keeping their weapons bright: perhaps they deemed it more honourable to carry them stained with the blood of their enemies. [As the swords are here said to be bright as well as brown, they could not have been rusty. The expression nut-brown sword was used to designate a Damascus blade.]
[552] [Ver. 149. "to have seen how these yeomen together fought."]
[553] [V. 151-2:--
"itt was neither Guy nor Robin Hood that ffettled them to flye away."]
[554] [careless.]
[555] [maid.]
[556] V. 163. awkwarde, MS.
[557] [V. 164. "good sir Guy hee has slayne," f. MS.]
[558] [Ver. 172. cold tell who Sir Guye was.]
[559] [V. 173. good Sir Guye.]
[560] [V. 182:--
"and with me now Ile beare ffor now I will goe to Barnesdale," f. MS.]
[561] [small hill.]
[562] [Ver. 199:--
"Ile none of thy gold, sayes Robin Hood nor Ile none of itt have," f. MS.]
[563] [voice.]
[564] [quickly.]
[565] [help.]
[566] [Ver. 225-8:--
"But John tooke Guyes bow in his hand, his arrowes were rawstye by the roote; the sherriffe saw little John draw a bow and ffettle him to shoote."]
[567] [V. 229. Towards his house in Nottingham.]
[568] [V. 233-6:--
"But he cold neither soe fast goe, nor away soe fast runn, but litle John with an arrow broade did cleave his head in twinn," f. MS.]
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