The Ballads and Songs of Yorkshire. Various

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ hanged hye on a hill."

      "But thou mayst fayle of thy purpose," quoth John,

      "If it be Christ his will."

      Lett us leave talking of Little John,

      And thinke of Robin Hood,

      How he is gone to the wight yeoman,

      Where under the leaves he stood.

      "Good morrowe, good fellowe," sayd Robin so fayre,

      "Good morrowe, good fellow," quo' he:

      "Methinkes by this bowe thou beares in thy hande,

      A good archere thou sholdst bee."

      "I am wilfulle of my waye," quo' the yeman,

      "And of my morning tyde."

      "Ile lead thee through the wood," sayd Robin;

      "Good fellow, Ile be thy guide."

      "I seeke an outlawe," the straunger sayd,

      "Men call him Robin Hood;

      Rather Ild meet with that proud outlawe,

      Than fortye pound soe good."

      "Now come with me, thou wighty yeman,

      And Robin thou soone shalt see:

      But first let us some pastime find

      Under the greenwood tree.

      "First let us some masterye make

      Among the woods so even,

      We may chance to meet with Robin Hood,

      Here at some unsett steven."[27]

      They cut them down two summer shroggs,[28]

      That grew both under a breere,

      And sett them threescore rood in twaine,

      To shoote the prickes y-fere.[29]

      "Leade on, good fellowe," quoth Robin Hood,

      "Leade on, I do bidd thee."

      "Nay, by my faith, good fellowe," hee sayd,

      "My leader thou shalt bee."

      The first time Robin shot at the pricke,

      He mist but an inch it fro;

      The yeoman he was an archer good,

      But he cold never do soe.

      The second shoote had the wighty yeman,

      He shot within the garland:

      But Robin he shott far better than hee,

      For he clave the good pricke-wande.

      "A blessing upon thy heart," he sayd,

      "Good fellowe, thy shooting is goode;

      For an thy hart be as good as thy hand,

      Thou wert better than Robin Hood.

      "Now tell me thy name, good fellowe," sayd he,

      "Under the leaves of lyne."

      "Nay, by my faith," quoth bold Robin,

      "Till thou have told me thine."

      "I dwell by dale and downe," quoth hee,

      "And Robin to take I am sworne;

      And when I am called by my right name

      I am Guy of good Gisborne."

      "My dwelling is in the wood," says Robin,

      "By thee I set right nought:

      I am Robin Hood of Barnesdale,

      Whom thou so long hast sought."

      He that had neyther beene kythe nor kin,

      Might have seen a full fayre fight,

      To see how together these yeomen went,

      With blades both browne and bright.

      To see how these yeomen together they fought

      Two howres of a summer's day':

      Yet neither Robin Hood nor sir[30] Guy

      Them settled to flye away.

      Robin was reachles on a roote,

      And stumbled at that tyde;

      And Guy was quicke and nimble withall

      And hitt him upon the syde.

      "Ah, deere ladye," says Robin Hood tho,

      "That art but mother and may,

      I think it was never man's destinye

      To dye before his day."

      Robin thought on our ladye deere,

      And soone leapt up again,

      And strait he came with an awkwarde stroke

      And he sir Guy hath slayne.

      He took sir Guy's head by the hayre,

      And stuck it upon his bowes end:

      "Thou hast beene a traytor all thy life,

      Which thing must have an end."

      Robin pulled forth an Irish knife,

      And nicked sir Guy in the face,

      That he was never on woman born

      Cold know whose head it was.

      Sayes, "Lye there, lye there, now Sir Guye,

      And with me be not wrothe;

      Iff thou have had the worst strokes at my hand,

      Thou shalt have the better clothe."

      Robin did off his gown of greene,

СКАЧАТЬ