“ I pray thee, sir knight, tell me. And welcome be thou, gentle knight, Why hast thou be so long?" "For the abbot and the high justice Would have had my lond." "Hast thou thy land again?" said Robin, "Truth then tell thou me." "Yea, fore God," said the knight, "And that thank I God and thee. But take not a grief," said the knight, "That I have been so long; I came by a wresteling, And there I did help a poor yeom-an, With wrong was put behind." "Nay, fore God," said Rob-in, "Sir knight, that thank I thee; What man that helpeth a good yeom-an, His friend then will I be." ”

“ That without my consent do chase And kill my fallow deer." The first man that did answer make Was noble Piercy, he, Who said, "We list not to declare, Nor show whose men we be; "Yet we will spend our dearest blood Thy chiefest harts to slay." Then Douglas swore a solemn oath, And thus in rage did say, "Ere thus I will outbrav-ed be, One of us two shall die! I know thee well! an earl thou art, Lord Piercy! so am I. "But trust me, Piercy, pity it were, And great offence, to kill Any of these our guiltless men For they have done no ill; "Let thou and I the battle try, And set our men aside." ”

“ There might no man to thee trust, The whiles thou were alive." His men drew out their bright swords That were so sharp and keen, And laid on the sher-iff's men, And drived them down bidene. Robin stert to that knight, And cut atwo his band, And took him in his hand a bow, And bade him by him stand. "Leav-e thy horse thee behind, And learn for to ren; Thou shalt with me to green wood, Through mire, moss, and fen; Thou shalt with me to green wood, Without an-y leas-ing, Till that I have get us grace, Of Edward our comely king." ”

“ Now when the fair company every one, Had heard the strange tale in the song he had shown, They all were amaz-ed, as well they might be, Both at the blind beggar, and pretty Bessee. With that the fair bride they all did embrace, Saying, "Sure thou art come of an honourable race, Thy father likewise is of noble degree, And thou art well worthy a lady to be." Thus was the feast ended with joy and delight, A bridegroom most happy then was the young knight, In joy and felicity long liv-ed he, All with his fair lady, the pretty Bessee. ”

“ Thus be these good yeomen gone to the wood, As light as leaf on linde; They laugh and be merry in their mood, Their en'mies were far behind. When they came to Inglewood, Under their trysting tree, There they found bow-es full good, And arrows great plent-y. "So help me God," said Adam Bell, And Clym of the Clough so free, "I would we were now in merry Carlisle, Before that fair meynie!" They sit them down and make good cheer, And eat and drink full well.— Here is a fytte of these wight yeomen, And another I shall you tell. ”

“ Cloudeslie with a bearing arrow Clave the wand in two. "Thou art the best archer," said the King, "Forsooth that ever I see."— "And yet for your love," said William, "I will do more mastrie. "I have a son is seven year old; He is to me full dear; I will tie him to a stake, All shall see him that be here, And lay an apple upon his head, And go six score paces him fro, And I myself with a broad arrow Shall cleave the apple in two."— "Now haste thee, then," said the King, "By him that died on a tree, But if thou do not as thou hast said, Hang-ed shalt thou be. ”

“ An hundred winter here before, Mine aunsetters knights have be. But oft it hath befal, Rob-in, A man hath be disgrate; But God that sitteth in heaven above May amend his state. Within two or three year, Robin," he said, "My neighbours well it kend, Four hundred pound of good mon-ey Full well then might I spend. Now have I no good," said the knight, "But my children and my wife; God hath shapen such an end, Till he it may amend." "In what manner," said Rob-in, "Hast thou lore thy rich-esse?" "For my great folly," he said, "And for my kind-enesse. ”

“ Leave me not within this city, For to die in heaviness: Thou hast set this present day my body free, But my heart in prison still remains with thee." "How should'st thou, fair lady, love me, Whom thou know'st thy country's foe? Thy fair words make me suspect thee: Serpents lie where flowers grow."— "All the harm I wish to thee, most courteous knight: God grant the same upon my head may fully light. "Blessed be the time and season, That ye came on Spanish ground; If our foes ye may be term-ed, Gentle foes we have you found: With our city ye have won our hearts each one ”

“ Like lions wood they laid on load, They made a cruel fight. They fought, until they both did sweat, With swords of tempered steel, Till blood adown their cheeks like rain They trickling down did feel. "O yield thee, Piercy!" Douglas said, "And in faith I will thee bring Where thou shalt high advanc-ed be By James our Scottish king; "Thy ransom I will freely give, And this report of thee, Thou art the most courageous knight That ever I did see." ”

“ Thus then holp him good Rob-in, The knight of all his care. God, that sitteth in heaven high, Grant us well to fare.
THE FIFTH FYTTE. Now hath the knight his leave i-take, And went him on his way; Robin Hood and his merry men Dwelled still full many a day. Lithe and listen, gentle men, And hearken what I shall say, How the proud sheriff of Nottingham Did cry a full fair play; That all the best archers of the north Should come upon a day, And they that shoot all of the best The game shall bear away. ”

“ Robin Hood said, "Nay; For I dread Our Lady be wroth with me, For she sent me not my pay." "Have no doubt, master," said Little John, "Yet is not the sun at rest, For I dare say, and safely sware, The knight is true and trust." "Take thy bow in thy hand," said Robin, "Let Much wende with thee, And so shall William Scathelock, And no man abide with me, And walk up into the Sa-yl-es, And to Watling Street, And wait after such unketh gest, Up-chance ye may them meet. Whether he be messeng-er, Or a man that mirth-es can, Or if he be a poor man, Of my good he shall have some." ”

“ But Percy, an I brook my life, thy death well quite shall be." As our noble king made his avow, like a noble prince of renown, For the death of the Lord Perc-y he did the battle of Homildoun, Where six and thirty Scottish knights on a day were beaten down; Glendale glittered on their armour bright, over castle, tower, and town. This was the hunting of the Cheviot; that tear began this spurn; Old men that knowen the ground well enough call it the battle of Otterburn. At Otterburn began this spurn upon a Monenday; There was the doughty Douglas slain, the Percy never went away. ”

“ God prosper long our noble king, Our lives and safeties all! A woeful hunting once there did In Chevy Chase befall. To drive the deer with hound and horn Earl Piercy took the way; The child may rue that is unborn The hunting of that day! The stout Earl of Northumberland, A vow to God did make, His pleasure in the Scottish woods Three summers' days to take, The chiefest harts in Chevy Chase To kill and bear away; These tidings to Earl Douglas came In Scotland where he lay, Who sent Earl Piercy present word He would prevent his sport. ”

“ Adieu to Barbara Allen!" As she was walking o'er the fields, She heard the bell a knellin'; And every stroke did seem to say,— UNWORTHY BARBARA ALLEN. She turned her body round about, And spied the corpse a coming: "Lay down, lay down the corpse," she said, "That I may look upon him." With scornful eye she look-ed down, Her cheek with laughter swellin'; Whilst all her friends cried out amain, UNWORTHY BARBARA ALLEN. When he was dead, and laid in grave, Her heart was struck with sorrow, "O mother, mother, make my bed, For I shall die to-morrow! ”

“ I am the knight. I come by night, As secret as I can; Saying, "Alas! thus standeth the case, I am a banished man." And I your will for to fulfil In this will not refuse; Trusting to shew, in word-es few, That men have an ill use (To their own shame) women to blame, And causeless them accuse: Therefore to you I answer now, All women to excuse,— "Mine own heart dear, with you what cheer? I pray you, tell anone: For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone." HE. "It standeth so: a deed is do Whereof much harm shall grow; My destiny is for to die A shameful death, I trow ”

“ William said to his brethren two: "Together let us live and dee; If e'er you have need, as I have now, The same shall ye find by me." They shot so well in that tide, For their strings were of silk full sure, That they kept the streets on every side, That battle did long endure. They fought together as brethren true, Like hardy men and bold; Many a man to the ground they threw, And many an heart made cold. But when their arrows were all gone, Men pressed to them full fast; They drew their sword-es then anon, And their bow-es from them cast. ”

“ Our king and Robin rode together, For sooth as I you say, And they shot pluck-buffet, As they went by the way; And many a buffet our king wan, Of Robin Hood that day: And nothing spar-ed good Rob-in Our king in his pay. "So God me help-e," said our king, "Thy name is nought to lere, I should not get a shot of thee, Though I shot all this year." All the people of Nottingham They stood and beheld, They saw nothing but mantles of green, They covered all the feld; Then every man to other gan say, "I dread our king be slone; Come Robin Hood to the town, i-wis, On live he leaveth not one." ”

“ While I have power to wield my sword, I'll fight with heart and hand!" Our English archers bent their bows— Their hearts were good and true,— At the first flight of arrows sent, Full fourscore Scots they slew. To drive the deer with hound and horn, Douglas bade on the bent; Two captains moved with mickle might, Their spears to shivers went. They closed full fast on every side, No slackness there was found, But many a gallant gentleman Lay gasping on the ground. O Christ! it was great grief to see How each man chose his spear, And how the blood out of their breasts Did gush like water clear! ”

“ Lo here we have the King-es seal; What, lourdain, art thou wood?" The porter weened it had been so, And lightly did off his hood. "Welcome be my lord's seal," said he, "For that shall ye come in." He opened the gate right shortelie, An evil open-ing for him. "Now are we in," said Adam Bell, "Thereof we are full fain, But Christ he knoweth, that harrowed hell, How we shall come out again." "Had we the keys," said Clym of the Clough, "Right well then should we speed; Then might we come out well enough When we see time and need." ”

“ These speeches then their brother spake To this sick couple there,— "The keeping of your little ones, Sweet sister, do not fear: God never prosper me nor mine, Nor aught else that I have, If I do wrong your children dear, When you are laid in grave!" The parents being dead and gone, The children home he takes, And brings them straight unto his house, Where much of them he makes. He had not kept these pretty babes A twelvemonth and a day, But, for their wealth, he did devise To make them both away. ”

“ Thus ended the hunting in Chevy Chase Made by the Earl Piercy. God save our king, and bless this land With plenty, joy, and peace, And grant henceforth that foul debate Twixt noble men may cease!
THE NUT-BROWN MAID Be it right or wrong, these men among On women do complain; Affirming this, how that it is A labour spent in vain To love them wele; for never a dele They love a man again: For let a man do what he can, Their favour to attain, Yet, if a new to them pursue, Their first true lover than Laboureth for naught ”

“ Let never man reprove them than, Or call them vari-able; But, rather, pray God that we may To them be comfort-able, Which sometime proveth such as he loveth, If they be charit-able. For sith men would that women should Be meek to them each one; Much more ought they to God obey, And serve but Him alone.
ADAM BELL, CLYM OF THE CLOUGH, AND WILLIAM OF CLOUDESLIE. THE FIRST FYTTE. Merry it was in green for-est, Among the leav-es green, Where that men walk both east and west With bows and arrows keen, To raise the deer out of their den, Such sights as hath oft been seen ”

“ For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone." HE. "For an out-law, this is the law, That men him take and bind; Without pit-ie, hang-ed to be, And waver with the wind. If I had nede (as God forbede!) What rescues could ye find? Forsooth, I trow, you and your bow Should draw for fear behind. And no mervayle: for little avail Were in your counsel than: Wherefore I to the wood will go, Alone, a banished man." SHE "Full well know ye, that women be Full feeble for to fight; No womanhede it is indeed To be bold as a knight ”