ROBIN HOOD AND THE MONK
In summer when the shaws be sheen,
And leaves be large and long,
It is full merry in fair forest
To hear the fowlés song.
To see the deer draw to the dale,
And leave the hillés high,
And shadow them in the leaves green,
Under the green-wood tree.
It befell on Whitsuntide,
Early in a May morning,
The sun up fair can shine,
And the birdés merry can sing.
(shaws, wood. sheen, bright.)
"This is a merry morning," said Little John,
"By Him that died on tree;
A more merry man then I am one
Lives not in Christianté."
"Pluck up thy heart, my dear master,"
Little John can say,
"And think it is a full fair time
In a morning of May."
"The one thing grieves me," said Robin,
"And does my heart much woe,
That I may not so solemn day
To mass nor matins go.
"It is a fortnight and more," said he,
"Since I my Saviour see;
To-day will I to Nottingham," said Robin,
"With the might of mild Mary."
Then spake Much the miller son,
Ever more well him betide,
"Take twelve of thy wight yeomen
Well weaponed by thy side.
Such one would thyself slon
That twelve dare not abide."
(slon, slay.)
"Of all my merry men," said Robin,
"By my faith I will none have;
But Little John shall bear my bow
Till that me list to draw."
"Thou shall bear thine own," said Little John,
"Master, and I will bear mine;
And we will shoot a penny," said Little John,
"Under the green wood line."
"I will not shoot a penny," said Robin Hood,
"In faith, Little John, with thee,
But ever for one as thou shoots," said Robin,
"In faith I hold thee three."
Thus shot they forth, these yeomen two,
Both at busk and broom,
Till Little John won of his master
Five shillings to hose and shoon.
A ferly strife fell them between.
As they went by the way;
Little John said he had won five shillings,
And Robin Hood said shortly nay.
(line, tree. busk, bush. ferly, wonderful.)
With that Robin Hood lied little John,
And smote him with his hand;
Little John waxed wroth therewith,
And pulled out his bright brand.
"Were thou not my master," said little John,
"Thou shouldest be hit full sore;
Get thee a man where thou wilt, Robin,
For thou gets me no more."
Then Robin goes to Nottingham,
Himself morning alone,
And Little John to merry Sherwood,
The paths he knew ilkone.
When Robin came to Nottingham,
Certainly withouten lain,
He prayed to God and mild Mary
To bring him out safe again.
He goes into saint Mary church,
And kneeled down before the rood;
All that ever were the church within
Beheld well Robin Hood.
Beside him stood a great-headed monk,
I pray to God woe he be;
Full soon he knew good Robin
As soon as he him see.
(ilkone, each one. lain, hindrance (?))
Out at the door he ran
Full soon and anon;
All the gates of Nottingham
He made to be sparred everyone.
"Rise up,' he said, "thou proud sheriff,
Busk thee and make thee boun;
I have spied the king's felon,
Forsooth he is in this town.
"I have spied the false felon,
As he stands at his mass;
It is long of thee," said the monk,
"An ever he fro us pass.
"This traitor's name is Robin Hood;
Under the green wood lind,
He robbed me once of a hundred pound,
It shall never out of my mind."
Up then rose this proud sheriff,
And radly made him yare;
Many was the mother son
To the kirk with him can fare.
In at the door they throly thrast
With staves full God wone.
"Alas, alas," said Robin Hood,
"Now miss I Little John."
(sparred, shut. boun, ready. lind, tree. radly, quickly. yaref ready. throly, boldly. thrast, pressed. ivone, knows.)
But Robin took out a two-hand sword
That hanged down by his knee;
There as the sheriff and his men stood thickest,
Thitherward would he.
Thrice throughout them he ran,
Forsooth as I you say,
And wounded many a mother's son,
And twelve he slew that day.
His sword upon the sheriff's head
Certainly he brake in two;
"The smith that thee made," said Robin,
"I pray to God work him woe.
"For now am I weaponless," said Robin,
"Alas, against my will;
But if I may flee these traitors fro,
I wot they will me kill."
Robin in to the church ran,
Throughout them everyone;
Some fell in swooning as they were dead,
And lay still as any stone.
None of them were in their mind
But only Little John.
"Let be your [dule],'' said Little John,
"For His love that died on tree;
Ye that should be doughty men,
It is great shame to see.
"Our master has been hard bestood,
And yet scaped away;
Pluck up your hearts and leave this moan,
And hearken what I shall say.
"He has served Our Lady many a day,
And yet will securely;
Therefore I trust in her specially
No wicked death shall he die.
"Therefore be glad," said Little John,
"And let this mourning be,
And I shall be the monk's guide,
With the might of mild Mary.
"We will go but we two
And I meet him," said Little John,
"Look that ye keep well our tristil tree
Under the leaves small,
And spare none of this venison
That goes in this vale."
(dule, weeping. tristil, trysting.
Forth then went these yeomen two,
Little John and Much infere,
And looked on Much emy's house
The highway lay full near.
Little John stood at a window in the morning,
And looked forth at a stage;
He was ware where the monk came riding,
And with him a little page.
"By my faith," said Little John to Much,
"I can thee tell tidings good,
I see where the monk comes riding,
I know him by his wide hood."
They went into the way these yeomen both,
As courteous men and hende,
They speered tidings at the monk,
As they had been his friend.
"Fro whence come ye," said Little John;
"Tell us tidings, I you pray,
Of a false outlaw [called Robin Rood],
Was taken yesterday.
"He robbed me and my fellows both
Of twenty mark in certain.
If that false outlaw be taken,
Forsooth we would be fain."
(infere, together. emys, uncle's. hende, gentle.)
"So did he me," said the monk,
"Of a hundred pound and more;
I laid first hand him upon,
Ye may thank me therefore."
"I pray God thank you," said Little John,
"And we will when we may;
We will go with you, with your leave,
And bring you on your way.
"For Robin Hood has many a wild fellow,
I tell you in certain;
If they wist ye rode this way,
In faith ye should be slain."
As they went talking by the way,
The monk and Little John,
John took the monk's horse by the head
Full soon and anon.
John took the monk's horse by the head,
Forsooth as I you say,
So did Much the little page,
For he should not stir away.
By the gullet of the hood
John pulled the monk down;
John was nothing of him aghast,
He let him fall on his crown.
Little John was sore aggrieved,
And drew out his sword in high;
The monk saw he should be dead,
Lord mercy can he cry.
"He was my master," said Little John,
"That thou has brought in bale;
Shall thou never come at our king
For to tell him tale."
John smote off the monk's head,
No longer would he dwell;
So did Much the little page,
For fear lest he would tell.
There they buried them both
In neither moss nor ling,
And Little John and Much infere
Bare the letters to our king.
He kneeled down upon his knee,
"God you save, my liege lord,
"Jesus you save and see.
"God you save, my liege king,"
To speak John was full bold;
He gave him the letters in his hand,
The king did it unfold.
(bale, trouble.)
The king read the letters anon,
And said, "so mot I thee,
There was never yeoman in merry England
I longed so sore to see.
"Where is the monk that these should have brought?"
Our king gan say;
"By my troth," said Little John,
"He died after the way."
The king gave Much and Little John
Twenty pound in certain,
And made them yeomen of the crown,
And bade them go again.
He gave John the seal in hand,
The sheriff for to bear,
To bring Robin him to,
And no man do him dere.
John took his leave at our king,
The sooth as I you say;
The next way to Nottingham
To take he yede the way.
When John came to Nottingham
The gates were sparred each one;
John called up the porter,
He answered soon anon.
(dere, harm. yede, went.)
"What is the cause," said Little John,
"Thou sparrest the gates so fast?"
"Because of Robin Hood," said [the] porter,
In deep prison is cast.
"John, and Much, and Will Scathlock,
Forsooth as I you say,
There slew our men upon our walls,
And sawten us every day."
Little John speered after the sheriff,
And soon he him found;
He opened the king's privy seal,
And gave him in his hand.
When the sheriff saw the king's seal,
He did off his hood anon;
"Where is the monk that bare the letters?"
He said to Little John.
"He is so fain of him," said Little John,
"Forsooth as I you say,
He has made him abbot of Westminster,
A lord of that abbey."
The sheriff made John good cheer,
And gave him wine of the best;
At night they went to their bed,
And every man to his rest.
(sawten, sought.)
When the sheriff was on sleep
Drunken of wine and ale,
Little John and Much forsooth
Took the way into the jail.
Little John called up the jailor,
And bade him rise anon;
He said Robin Hood had broken prison,
And out of it was gone.
The porter rose anon certain,
As soon as he heard John call;
Little John was ready with a sword,
And bare him to the wall.
"Now will I be porter," said Little John,
"And take the keys in hand;"
He took the way to Robin Hood,
And soon he him unbound.
He gave him a good sword in his hand,
His head therewith for to keep,
And there as the wall was lowest
Anon down can they leap.
By that the cock began to crow,
The day began to spring,
The sheriff found the jailor dead,
The coming bell made he ring.
He made a cry throughout all the tow[n],
Whether he be yeoman or knave,
That could bring him Robin Hood,
His warison he should have.
"For I dare never," said the sheriff,
"Come before our king,
For if I do, I wot certain,
Forsooth he will me hang."
The sheriff made to seek Nottingham,
Both by street and stye,
And Robin was in merry Sherwood
As list as leaf on lind.
Then bespake good Little John,
To Robin Hood can he say,
"I have done thee a good turn for an evil,
Quit thee when thou may.
"I have done thee a good turn,"said Littlejohn,
"Forsooth as I you say;
I have brought thee under green wood lind;
Farewell, and have good day."
"Nay, by my troth," said Robin Hood,
"So shall it never be;
I make thee master," said Robin Hood,
"Of all my men and me."
(warison, reward. stye, lane. list, pleased.)
"Nay, by my troth," said Little John,
"So shall it never be,
But let me be a fellow," said Little John,
"None other kepe I'll be."
Thus John got Robin Hood out of prison,
Certain withouten lain;
When his men saw him whole and sound,
Forsooth they were full fain.
They filled in wine, and made them glad,
Under the leaves small,
And eat pasties of venison,
That good was with ale.
Then word came to our king,
How Robin Hood was gone,
And how the sheriff of Nottingham
Durst never look him upon.
Then bespake our comely king,
In an anger high,
"Little John has beguiled the sheriff,
In faith so has he me,
"Little John has beguiled us both,
And that full well I see,
Or else the sheriff of Nottingham
High hanged should he be.
(kepe I'll be, relations I'll have. lain, deception.)
"I made them yeomen of the crown,
And gave them fee with my hand,
I gave them grith," said our king,
Throughout all merry England.
"I gave them grith," then said our king,
"I say, so might I thee,
Forsooth such a yeoman as he is one
In all England are not three.
"He is true to his master," said our king,
"I say, by sweet Saint John;
He loves better Robin Hood,
Then he does us each one.
"Robin Hood is ever bound to him,
Both in street and stall;
Speak no more of this matter," said our king,
"But John has beguiled us all."
Thus ends the talking of the monk
And Robin Hood i-wis;
God, that is ever a crowned king,
Bring us all to his bliss.
(grith, protection.)