184. all on a row.
140
ROBIN HOOD RESCUING THREE SQUIRES
A. Percy MS., p. 5; Hales and Furnivall, I, 13; Jamieson’s Popular Ballads, II, 49.
B. a. ‘Robin Hood rescuing the Widow’s Three Sons from the Sheriff, when going to be executed,’ The English Archer, York, N. Nickson, n. d. b. The English Archer, Paisley, John Neilson, 1786. c. Adventures of ... Robin Hood, Falkirk, T. Johnston, 1808. All in the Bodleian Library, Douce, F.F. 71.
C. ‘Robin Hood rescuing the Three Squires from Nottingham Gallows.’ a. Robin Hood’s Garland, London, Printed by W. & C. Dicey, n. d. b. R. H.’s Garland, London, L. How, in Peticoat Lane, n. d. c. R. H.’s Garland, York, T. Wilson and R. Spence, n. d. d. R. H.’s Garland, Preston, W. Sergent, n. d. e. R. H.’s Garland, London, J. Marshall & Co., n. d. f. R. H.’s Garland, Wolverhampton, J. Smart, n. d. a-d, Douce, FF. 71, f, Douce, Add. 262, Bodleian Library.
B is given by Ritson, Robin Hood, 1795, II, 151, “from the York edition of Robin Hood’s garland;” C, the same, II, 216, from an Aldermary Churchyard garland, and by Evans, Old Ballads, 1777, 1784, I, 215.
B. Robin Hood, while on his way to Nottingham, meets an old woman who is weeping for three squires condemned to die that day, not for recognized crimes, but for killing the king’s deer. These seem to be his own men: st. 6. Pursuing his way, he meets an old “palmer,” really a beggar, who confirms the bad news. He changes clothes with the palmer (who at first thinks the proposal a mock), and at Nottingham comes upon the sheriff, and asks what he will give an old fellow to be his hangman. The sheriff offers suits and pence; Robin says, hangmen be cursed, he will never take to that business. He has a horn in his pocket which would blow the sheriff little good; the sheriff bids him blow his fill. The first blast brings a hundred and fifty of Robin’s men; the second brings three score more. They free their own men and hang the sheriff.
In C the three squires are expressly said to be the woman’s sons;[[114]] for the palmer we have a beggar; Robin asks it as a boon that he may be hangman, and will have nothing for his service but three blasts on his horn, ‘that their souls to heaven may flee.’ The horn brings a hundred and ten men, and the sheriff surrenders the three squires.
In the fragment A, Robin changes clothes with an old man, who appears by stanza 11 to be a beggar. His men are with him meanwhile, and he orders them to conceal themselves in a wood until they hear his horn. A blast brings three hundred of them; Robin casts off his beggar’s gear and stands in his red velvet doublet;[[115]] his men bend their bows and beset the gallows. The sheriff throws up his hands and begs for terms; Robin demands the three squires. The sheriff objects, for they are the king’s felons; Robin will have them, or the sheriff shall be the first man to flower the tree.
‘Robin Hood and the Beggar,’ No 133, from stanza 16, is another version of this ballad. Robin changes clothes with a beggar, after a hard fight in which he has had the worse, goes to Nottingham, and hears that three brothers are condemned to die. He hies to the sheriff to plead for them; a gentleman at the door tells him they must be hanged for deer-stealing clearly proved. At the gallows Robin blows his horn; a hundred archers present themselves, and ask his will. He commands them to shoot east and west and spare no man. The sheriff and his men, all that are not laid low, fly, and the three brothers, who have already shown their quality, are added to Robin’s company.