Come hither, come hither, thou good Sir Guy, o I will none of thy gold, said Robin, But now I have slain the master, he says, Let me go strike the knave; This is all the reward I ask, Thou art a madman, said the sheriff, Thou shouldest have had a knight's fee* When little John heard his master speak, Fast Robin he hied him to little John Stand back! stand back! said Robin, But Robin pulled forth an Irish knife And gave him Sir Guy's bow into his hand Then John he took Guy's bow in his hand His bolts and arrows each one, * This was of different value in different king's reigns, perhaps it may be computed on an average at 400 acres. + Voice. When the sheriff saw little John bend his bow, He settled him to be gone. Towards his house, in Nottingham town, He fled full fast away, And so did all his company, Not one behind would stay. But he could neither run so fast, But little John with an arrow so broad, PERCY. ROBIN HOOD AND The Curtal Friar of Fountain-Dale. In summer-time, when leaves grow green, Then some would leap, and some would run, And some would use artillery,- Which of you can kill a buck, Or who can kill a hart of grease, † Will Scarlet he did kill a buck, And little John killed a hart of grease Five hundred feet him fro'. God's blessing on thy heart! said Robin Hood, That shot such a shot for me, I would ride my horse a hundred miles, To find one could match thee. * Ritson derives this epithet from the dogs by which he was attendedcurtails, or curs. + Hart of greece, or grease,—a technical appellation, given to a deer of a particular age and size. ROBIN HOOD AND THE CURTAL FRIAR. That caused Will Scarlet to laugh He laughed full heartily, There is a friar in Fountain's Abbey,* The Curtal Friar in Fountain's Abbey Robin Hood took a solemn oath, That he would neither eat nor drink Robin Hood put on his harness good, He took his bow into his hand, With a sheaf of arrows by his side, And coming to fair Fountain-dale, 99 "De Fontibus," or "Fountain's" Abbey, of the Cistercian order, was founded at the beginning of the twelfth century, in a place before called Skeldale, near Rippon. At the dissolution, its revenues amounted according to Dugdale, who gives the clear income, to 9981. 68. 8d., and according to Speed, who reckons in all the outgoings and rent-charges, to 11737. valuation places it amongst the greater monasteries, though not Mitred. Its This ruins are extensive, and highly picturesque and beautiful: they have been often engraved. Fountain's-abbey was the mother of an Abbey of some note, of the same order, at Woburn, in Bedfordshire. The friar had on a harness good; Robin Hood lighted from off his horse, And tied him to a thorn: Carry me over the water, thou Curtal Friar, The friar took Robin Hood on his back, And neither spoke good word nor bad, Lightly stept Robin off the friar's back, Carry me over the water, thou fine fellow ! Robin Hood took the friar on his back, And spoke neither good word nor bad, Lighty leapt the friar off Robin Hood's back, Carry me over the water, thou Curtal Friar, The friar took Robin on his back again, * As the Monks were accustomed to appoint some of their order to various offices connected with their domestic concerns,-as "cellarer," "kitchener," &c. &c.; it is not very unlikely that they might sometimes appoint one as overseer over their Chases and harbours for game: but whether delegated or not, they occasionally assumed such strange employments as this friar appears to have done, |