Then away they went from merry Sherwood,45
And into Yorkshire he did hye;
And the king did follow, with a hoop and a hallow,
But could not come him nigh.
Yet jolly Robin he passed along,
And went strait to Newcastle town;50
And there he stayed hours two or three,
[And then to Barwick is gone].
When the king did see how Robin did flee,
He was vexed wondrous sore;
With a hoop and a hallow he vowed to follow,55
And take him, or never give ore.
"Come now, let's away," then crys Little John,
"Let any man follow that dare;
To Carlisle we'l hye with our company,
And so then to Lancastèr."60
From Lancaster then to Chester they went,
And so did king Henry;
But Robin [went] away, for he durst not stay,
For fear of some treachery.
Says Robin, "Come, let us for London goe,65
To see our noble queens face;
It may be she wants our company,
Which makes the king so us chase."
When Robin he came queene Katherin before,
He fell low upon his knee:70
"If it please your grace, I am come to this place,
For to speak with king Henry."
Queen Katherine answered bold [Robin] again,
"The king is gone to merry Sherwood:
And when he went away, to me he did say,75
He would go and seek Robin Hood."
"Then fare you well, my gracious queen,
For to Sherwood I will hye apace;
For fain would I see what he would with me,
If I could but meet with his grace."80
But when king Henry he came home,
Full weary, and vexed in mind,
And that he did hear Robin had been there,
He blamed dame Fortune unkind.