ROBIN HOOD AND THE MONK.
This excellent ballad, which appears to be the oldest of the class preserved, and is possibly as old as the reign of Edward II. (see Wright's Essays, &c., ii. 174), is found in a manuscript belonging to the public library of the University of Cambridge (Ff. 5, 48). It was first printed by Jamieson, Popular Ballads, ii. 54, afterwards in Hartshorne's Metrical Tales, p. 179, and is here given from the second edition of Ritson's Robin Hood, (ii. 221,) as collated by Sir Frederic Madden.
The story is nearly the same in Adam Bel, Clym of the Cloughe, and Wyllyam of Cloudeslè.
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.
To se the dere draw to the dale,5
And leve the hilles hee,
And shadow hem in the leves grene,
Vndur the grene-wode tre.
Hit befell on Whitsontide,
Erly in a may mornyng,10
The son vp fayre can shyne,
And the briddis mery can syng.
"This is a mery mornyng," seid Litulle Johne,
"Be hym that dyed on tre;
A more mery man then I am one15
Lyves not in Cristianté."
"Pluk vp thi hert, my dere mayster,"
Litulle Johne can sey,
"And thynk hit is a fulle fayre tyme
In a mornynge of may."20
"Ze on thynge greves me," seid Robyne,
"And does my hert mych woo,
That I may not so solem day
To mas nor matyns goo.
"Hit is a fourtnet and more," seyd hee,25
"Syn I my Sauyour see;
To day will I to Notyngham," seid Robyn,
"With the myght of mylde Mary."