All the people of Notyngham
They stode and behelde;
They sawe nothynge but mantels of grene
That covered all the felde.40
Than every man to other gan say,
"I drede our kynge be slone;
Come Robyn Hode to the towne i-wys,
On lyve he [leveth not one]."
Full hastly they began to fle,45
Both yemen and knaves,
And olde wyves that myght evyll goo,
They hypped on theyr staves.
The kynge [loughe] full fast,
And commanded theym agayne;50
When they se our comly kynge,
I-wys they were full fayne.
They ete and dranke, and made them glad,
And sange with notes hye;
Than bespake our comly kynge55
To syr Rycharde at the Lee.
He gave hym there his londe agayne,
A good man he bad hym be;
Robyn thanked our comly kynge,
And set hym on his kne.60
Had Robyn dwelled in the kynges courte
But twelve monethes and thre,
That he had spent an hondred pounde,
And all his mennes fe.
In every place where Robyn came65
Evermore he layde downe,
Both for knyghtes and for squyres,
To gete hym grete renowne.
By than the yere was all agone
He had no man but twayne,70
Lytell Johan and good Scathelocke,
Wyth hym all for to gone.
Robyn sawe yonge men shote,
Full [fayre] upon a day;
["Alas!" than sayd good Robyn,]75
"My welthe is went away.