"Come thou hither to mee, thou lovely page,
Come thou hither to mee;
For thou must post to Nottingham,15
As fast as thou can dree.
"And as thou goest to Nottingham,
Search all the English wood,
Enquire of one good yeoman or another,
That can tell thee of Robin Hood."20
Sometimes hee went, sometimes hee ran,
As fast as hee could win;
And when hee came to Nottingham,
There hee took up his inne.
And when he came to Nottingham,25
And had tooke up his inne,
He calls for a pottle of Rhenish wine,
And dranke a health to his queene.
There sate a yeoman by his side,
"Tell mee, sweet page," said hee,30
"What is thy businesse and thy cause,
So far in the north countrey?"
"This is my businesse and the cause,
Sir, I'le tell it you for good,
To enquire of one good yeoman or another,35
To tell mee of Robin Hood."
"I'le get my horse betimes in the morne,
By it be break of day,
And I will shew thee bold Robin Hood,
And all his yeomen gay."40
When that he came at Robin Hoods place,
Hee fell down on his knee;
"Queen Katherine she doth greet you well,
She greets you well by mee;
"She bids you post to fair London court,45
Not fearing any thing:
For there shall be a little sport,
And she hath sent you her ring."
Robin Hood tooke his mantle from his back,
It was of the Lincolne greene,50
And sent it by this lovely page,
For a present unto the queene.