Printed by Copland at the end of his edition of the Lytell Geste. The whole title runs: Here beginnethe the playe of Robyn Hoode, very proper to be played in Maye games. A few corrections were made by Ritson from White's edition of 1634.
The fragment here preserved is founded upon the ballads of Robin Hood and the Curtall Fryer, (p. 271,) and Robin Hood and the Potter (p. 17.) Were the whole play recovered, we should probably find it a pot pourri of the most favorite stories of Robin Hood.
ROBYN HODE.
Now stand ye forth, my mery men all,
And harke what I shall say;
Of an adventure I shal you tell,
The which befell this other day.
As I went by the hygh way,
With a stout frere I met,
And a quarter-staffe in his hande.
Lyghtely to me he lept,
And styll he bade me stande.
There were strypes two or three,10
But I cannot tell who had the worse,
But well I wote the horeson lept within me,
And fro me he toke my purse.
Is there any of my mery men all,
That to that frere wyll go,
And bryng hym to me forth withall,
Whether he wyll or no?
LYTELL JOHN.
Yes, mayster, I make god a vowe,
To that frere wyll I go,
And bring him to you,20
Whether he wyl or no.
FRYER TUCKE.
Deus hic, deus hic, god be here!
Is not this a holy worde for a frere?
God save all this company!
But am not I a jolly fryer?
For I can shote both farre and nere,
And handle the sworde and bucklèr,
And this quarter-staffe also.
If I mete with a gentylman or yemàn,
I am not afrayde to loke hym upon,30
Nor boldly with him to carpe;
If he speake any wordes to me,
He shall have strypes two or thre,
That shal make his body smarte.
But, [maisters], to shew you the matter,
Wherfore and why I am come hither,
In fayth I wyl not spare.
I am come to seke a good yeman,
In Bernisdale men sai is his habitacion,
His name is Robyn Hode.40
And if that he be better man than I,
His servaunt wyll I be, and serve him truely;
But if that I be better man than he,
By my truth my knave shall he be,
And leade these dogges all three.
ROBYN HODE.
Yelde the, fryer, in thy long cote.