Lythe and lysten, gentylmen,
And herken unto your songe,
How the proude sheryfe of Notyngham,
And men of armes stronge,
Full faste came to the hye sheryfe,5
The countre up to rout,
And they beset the knyghts castèll,
The walles all about.
The proude sheryfe loude gan crye,
And sayd, "Thou traytour knyght,10
Thou kepeste here the kynges enemye,
Agayne the lawes and ryght."
"Syr, I wyll avowe that I have done,
[The] dedes that here be dyght,
Upon all the londes that I have,15
As I am a trewe knyght.
"Wende forthe, syrs, on your waye,
And doth do more to me,
Tyll ye wytte our kynges wyll,
What he woll say to the."20
The sheref thus had his answere,
With out ony leasynge;
Forthe he yode to London toune,
All for to tel our kynge.
There he tolde hym of that knyght,25
And eke of Robyn Hode,
And also of the bolde archeres,
That noble were and good.
"He wolde avowe that he had done,
To mayntayne the outlawes stronge,30
He wolde be lorde, and set you at nought,
In all the north londe."
"I woll be at Notyngham," sayd the kynge,
"Within this fourtynyght,
And take I wyll Robyn Hode,35
And so I wyll that knyght.
"Go home, thou proud sheryf,
And do as [I bydde] the,
And ordayne good archeres inowe
Of all the wyde countree."40