*

It must be confeffed this epitaph is fufpicious, because in the most ancient poems on Robin Hood, there is no mention or bint of this imaginary earldom. He is exprefly afferted to have been a yeoman in a very old legend in verfe preferved in the archives of the public library at Cambridge in eight FYTTES or parts, printed in black letter quarto, thus infcribed "CHere begynneth a lytell geste of Kobyn hode and his mepne and of the proud s heryfe of Nottyngham.” The first lines are,

Lythe and lyften, gentylmen,

"That be of fre bore blode :
"I shall you tell of a good YEMAN,
"His name was Robin hode.

Robyn was a proude out lawe,
"Whiles he walked on grounde
"So curteyfe an outlawe as he was one,
"Was never none yfounde." &c.

The printer's colophon is "Explicit Kinge Edwarde "and Robyn bode and lytell Johan. Enprented at London in Fletefirete at the fygne of the fone by Wynkyn de Worde."

46

In Mr. Garrick's Collection is a different edition of the Same poem Imprinted at London upon the thre Crane wharfe by Wylliam Copland," containing a little dramatic piece on the fubject of Robin Hood and the Friar, not found in the former copy called "A newe play for to be played in “Maye games very plesaunte and full of paflpme. C (···)}.”

* See alfo the following ballad, v. 147. Old Flays 4to. K. vol. 10.

† Num. D. 5.2.

WHAN

HAN fhales beene sheene, and shraddes full fayre,
And leaves both large and longe,

WHAN

Itt's merrye walkyng in the fayre forrèst
To heare the small birdes fonge.

The woodweete fang, and wold not cease,
Sitting upon the spraye,

5

Soe lowde he wakend Robin Hood,
In the greenwood where he lay.

Now by faye, faid jollye Robin,
A fweaven I had this night;
I dreamt me of tow wighty yemen,
That fast with me can fight,

Methought they did me beate and binde,

And tooke my bowe me froe; Iff I be Robin alive in this lande, Ile be wroken on them towe.

Sweavens are swift, fayd lyttle John,
As the wind blowes over the hill;
For iff itt be never fo loude this night,
To morrow it may be ftill.

Bufke

yee, bowne yee, my merry men all, And John fhall goe with mee,

For Ile goe feeke yond wighty ycomen,
In greenwood where they bee.

Then they cast on theyr gownes of grene,
And tooke theyr bowes ech one ;
And they away to the greene forrèft
A fhooting forth are gone;

Untill they came to the merry greenwood,
Where they had gladdest to bee,

There they were ware of a wight yeoman,
That leaned agaynst a tree.

A fword and a dagger he wore by his fide,
Of manye a man the bane,

And he was clad in his capull hyde
Topp and tayll and mayne.

Ah! John, by me thou settest noe ftore,

And that I farley finde :

How often fend I my men before,
And tarry my felfe behinde ?

It is no curning a knave to ken,

And a man but heare him speake; And it were not for bursting òf my John, I thy head wold breake.

bowe,

45

As

For the proud sheriffe with seven score men
Faft after him is gone,

60

One shoote now I will fhoote, quoth John,"
With Chrift his might and mayne;

Ile make yond sheriffe that wends foe faft,

To stopp he shall be fayne.

Then John bent up his long bende-bowe,

65

And fetteled him to fhoote:

The bow was made of tender boughe,

And fell downe at his foote.

Woe worth, woe worth thee, wicked wood,

His shoote it was but loosely fhott,

Yet flewe not the arrowe in vaine, For itt mett one of the fherriffes men, And William a Trent was flaine.

75

It had bene better of William a Trent
To have bene abed with forrowe,

Than to be that day in the green wood flade
To meet with Little Johns arrowe.

But as it is faid, when men be mett
Fyve can doe more than three,
The sheriffe hath taken little John,
And bound him fast to a tree.

Thou shalt be drawen by dale and downe,

And hanged hye on a hill.

But thou mayft fayle of thy purpose, quoth John,

If it be Chrift his will.

Lett us leave talking of little John,

And thinke of Robin Hood,

80

85

90

Good morrowe, good fellowe, fayd Robin fo fayre,
"Good morrowe, good fellow quo' hee :"
Methinkes by this bowe thou beares in thy hande 95
A good archere thou sholdst bee.