Classic Poem

" I WILL neuer eate nor drinke," Robin Hood said,
" Nor meate will doo me noe good,
Till I haue beene att merry Churchlees,
My vaines for to let blood

" That I reade not," said Will Scarllett,
" M aster , by the assente of me,
Without halfe a hundred of yo u r best bowmen
You take to goe with yee.

" For there a good yeoman doth abide
Will be sure to quarrell w it h thee,
And if thou haue need of vs, m aster ,
In faith we will not flee."

" And thou be feard, thou Will iam Scarlett,
Att home I read thee bee:"
" And you be wrothe, my deare m aster ,
You shall neuer heare more of mee."

*****

" For there shall noe man w i th me goe,
Nor man w i th mee ryde,
And Litle Iohn shall be my man,
And beare my benbow by my side."

" You'st beare yo u r bowe, m aster , yo u r selfe,
And shoote for a peny w i th mee:"
" To that I doe assent," Robin Hood sayd,
" And soe, Iohn, lett it bee."

They two bolde children shotten together,
All day theire selfe in ranke,
Vntill they came to blacke water,
And over it laid a planke.

Vpon it there kneeled an old woman,
Was banning Robin Hoode;
" Why dost thou bann R obin Hoode?" said Robin,
. . . . .

*****

. . . . . . .
" To giue to Robin Hoode;
Wee weepen for his deare body,
Tha t this day must be lett bloode."

" The dame prior is my aunts daughter,
And nie vnto my kinue;
I know shee wold me noe harme this day,
For all the world to winne."

Forth then shotten these children two,
And they did neuer lin,
Vntill they came to merry Churchlees,
To merry Churchlee[s] w i th-in.

And when they came to merry Churchlees,
They knoced vpon a pin;
Vpp then rose dame prioresse,
And lett good Robin in.

Then Robin gaue to dame prioresse
Twenty pound in gold,
And bad her spend while that wold last,
And shee shold haue more when shee wold.

And downe then came dame prioresse,
Downe she came in that ilke,
W i th a p air off blood-irons in her hands,
Were wrapped all in silke.

" Sett a chaffing-dish to the fyer," s ai d dame prioresse,
" And stripp thou vp thy sleeue:"
I hold him but an vnwise man
Tha t will noe warning leeve.

Shee laid the blood-irons to R obin Hoods vaine,
Alacke, the more pitye!
And pearet the vaine, and let out the bloode,
That full red was to see.

And first it bled, the thicke, thicke bloode,
And afterwards the thinne,
And well then wist good Robin Hoode
Treason there was within.

" What cheere my m aster ?" said Litle Iohn;
" In faith, Iohn, litle goode;"
. . . . . .
. . . . .

*****

" I haue upon a gowne of greene,
Is cut short by my knee,
And in my hand a bright browne brand
Tha t will well bite of thee."

But forth then of a shot-windowe
Good R obin Hood he could glide;
Red Roger, w i th a grounden glaue,
Thrust him through the milke-white side.

But R obin was light and nimble of foote,
And thought to abate his pride,
Ffor betwixt his head and his shoulders
He made a wound full wide.

Says, Ly there, ly there, Red Roger,
The doggs they must thee eate;
" For I may haue my houzle," he said,
" For I may both goe and speake.

" Now giue me mood," Robin said to Litle Iohn,
" Giue me mood w i th thy hand;
I trust to God in heauen soe hye
My houzle will me bestand."

" Now giue me leaue, giue me leaue, m aster ," he said,
" For Christs loue giue leaue to me,
To set a fier within this hall,
And to burne vp all Churchlee."

" That I reade not," said R obin Hoode then,
" Litle Iohn, for it may not be;
If I shold doe any widow hurt, at my latter end,
God," he said, " wold blame me;

" But take me vpon thy backe, Litle Iohn,
And beare me to yonder streete,
And there make me a full fayre graue,
Of grauell and of greete.

" And sett my bright sword at my head,
Mine arrowes at my feete,
And lay my vew-bow by my side,
My met-yard wi . . . .

" I will neuer eate nor drinke," Robin Hood said,
" Nor meate will doo me noe good,
Till I haue beene att merry Churchlees,
My vaines for to let blood."

" That I reade not," said Will Scarllett,
" Master , by the assente of me,
W i thout halfe a hundred of yo u r best bowmen
You take to goe with yee.

" For there a good yeoman doth abide
Will be sure to quarrell w i th thee,
And if thou haue need of vs, m aster ,
In faith we will not flee."

" And thou be feard, thou Will iam Scarlett,
Att home I read thee bee:"
" And you be wrothe, my deare m aster ,
You shall neuer heare more of mee."

*****

" For there shall noe man with me goe,
Nor man w i th mee ryde,
And Litle Iohn shall be my man,
And beare my benbow by my side."

" You'st beare yo u r bowe, m aster , yo u r selfe,
And shoote for a peny w i th mee:"
" To that I doe assent," Robin Hood sayd,
" And soe, Iohn, lett it bee."

They two bolde children shotten together,
All day theire selfe in ranke,
Vntill they came to blacke water,
And over it laid a planke.

Vpon it there kneeled an old woman,
Was banning Robin Hoode;
" Why dost thou bann Ro bin Hoode?" said Robin,
. . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . .
" To giue to Robin Hoode;
Wee weepen for his deare body,
That this day must be lett bloode."

" The dame prior is my aunts daughter,
And nie vnto my kinne;
I know shee wold me noe harme this day,
For all the world to winne."

Forth then shotten these children two,
And they did neuer lin,
Vntill they came to merry Churchlees,
To merry Churchlee[s] w i th-in.

And when they came to merry Churchlees,
They knoced vpon a pin;
Vpp then rose dame prioresse,
And lett good Robin in.

Then Robin gaue to dame prioresse
Twenty pound in gold,
And bad her spend while that wold last,
And shee shold haue more when shee wold.

And downe then came dame prioresse,
Downe she came in that ilke,
W i th a p air off blood-irons in her hands,
Were wrapped all in silke.

" Sett a chaffing-dish to the fyer," s ai d dame prioresse,
" And stripp thou vp thy sleeue:"
I hold him but an vnwise man
That will noe warning leeve.

Shee laid the blood-irons to Ro bin Hoods vaine,
Alacke, the more pitye!
And pearct the vaine, and let out the bloode,
That full red was to see.

And first it bled, the thicke, thicke bloode,
And afterwards the thinne,
And well then wist good Robin Hoode
Treason there was within.

" What cheere my m aster ?" said Litle Iohn;
" In faith, Iohn, litle goode;"
. . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . .

*****

" I haue upon a gowne of greene,
Is cut short by my knee,
And in my hand a bright browne brand
That will well bite of thee."

But forth then of a shot-windowe
Good Ro bin Hood he could glide;
Red Roger, w i th a grounden glaue,
Thrust him through the milke-white side.

But Ro bin was light and nimble of foote,
And thought to abate his pride,
Ffor betwixt his head and his shoulders
He made a wound full wide.

Says, Ly there, ly there, Red Roger,
The doggs they must thee eate;
" For I may haue my houzle," he said,
" For I may both goe and speake.

" Now giue me mood," Robin said to Litle Iohn,
" Giue me mood with thy hand;
I trust to God in heauen soe hye
My houzle will me bestand."

" Now giue me leaue, giue me leaue, m aster ," he said,
" For Christs loue giue leaue to me,
To set a fier within this hall,
And to burne vp all Churchlee."

" That I reade not," said Ro bin Hoode then,
" Litle Iohn, for it may not be;
If I shold doe any widow hurt, at my latter end,
God," he said, " wold blame me;

" But take me vpon thy backe, Litle Iohn,
And beare me to yonder streete,
And there make me a full fayre graue,
Of grauell and of greete.

" And sett my bright sword at my head,
Mine arrowes at my feete,
And lay my vew-bow by my side,
My met-yard wi . . . .