RHYMING LATIN VERSION OF THE SONG ON ROBIN GOODFELLOW.
In the same MS. from which I extracted Braithwait's Latin Drinking Song, the following version
of the well-known song on Robin Goodfellow occurs. It is apparently by the same hand. I give the English, as it contains but six stanzas, and affords some variations from the copy printed by Percy; and indeed one stanza not given by him. Peck attributes the song to Ben Jonson, but we know not on what foundation. It must be confessed that internal evidence is against it. The publication of Percy's Reliques had a no less beneficial influence on the literature of Germany than it had on our own; and Voss had given an admirable version of nine stanzas of this song as early as the year 1793. The first stanza will afford some notion of his manner:
"Von Oberon in Feenland,
Dem Könige der Geister,
Komm' ich, Knecht Robert, abgesandt,
Von meinem Herrn und Meister.
Als Kobolt und Pux,
Wohlkundig des Spuks,
Durchschwarm' ich Nacht vor Nacht.