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Bold Robbin Hood and Little John,

With the rest of their traine,

Not dreading law, set them upon,

And did their gold obtaine.

The king much moved at the same,

And the abbot’s talke also,

In this his anger did proclaime,

And sent w яord to and fro,

That whosoe’re, alive or dead,

Could bring him Robbin Hood,

Should have one thousand markes, well payd

In gold and silver good.

This promise of the king did make

Full many yeomen bold

Attempt stout Robbin Hood to take,

With all the force they could.

But still when any came to him,

Within the gay greene wood,

He entertainement gave to them,

With venson fat and good.

And shewd to them such martiall sport,

With his long bow and arrow,

That they of him did give report,

How that it was great sorow,

That such a worthy man as he

Should thus be put to shift,

Being late a lord of high degree,

Of living quite bereft.

The king, to take him, more and more

Sent men of mickle might:

But he and his still beate them sore,

And conquered them in fight.

Or else, with love and courtesie,

To him he won their hearts:

Thus still he lived by robbery,

Throughout the northerne parts.

And all the country stood in dread

Of Robbin Hood and’s men;

For stouter lads nere liv’d by bread,

In those dayes nor since then.

The abbot which before I nam’d

Sought all the meanes he could

To have by force this rebell tane,

And his adherents bold.

Therefore he arm’d five hundred men,

With furniture compleate,

But the outlawes slew halfe of them,

And made the rest retreate.

The long bow and the arrow keene

They were so us’d unto

That still they kept the forest greene,

In spight o’th’ proudest foe.

Twelve of the abbot’s men he tooke,

Who came him to have tane;

When all the rest the field forsooke,

These he did entertaine

With banquetting and merriment,

And, having us’d them well,

He to their lord them safely sent,

And will’d them him to tell

That if he would be pleas’d at last

To beg of our good king

That he might pardon what was past,

And him to favour bring,

He would surrender backe agen

The money which before

Was taken by him and his men,

From him and many more.

Poore men might safely passe by him,

And some that way would chuse,

For well they knew that to helpe them

He evermore did use.

But where he knew a miser rich,

That did the poore oppresse,

To feele his coyne his hand did itch;

Hee’de have it, more or lesse.

And sometimes, when the high-way fayld,

Then he his courage rouses;

He and his men have oft assayld

Such rich men in their houses.

So that, through dread of Robbin then

And his adventurous crew,

The mizers kept great store of men,

Which else maintayn’d but few.

King Richard, of that name the first,

Sirnamed Cuer de Lyon,

Went to defeate the Pagans curst,

Who kept the coasts of Syon.

The Bishop of Ely, chancelor,

Was left as vice-roy here,

Who like a potent emperor

Did proudly domminere.

Our chronicles of him report

That commonly he rode

With a thousand horse from court to court,

Where he would make abode.

He, riding downe towards the north,

With his aforesayd traine,

Robbin and his did issue forth,

Them all to entertaine.

And, with the gallant gray-goose wing,

They shewed to them such play,

That made their horses kicke and fling,

And downe their riders lay.

Full glad and faine the bishop was,

For all his thousand men,

To seeke what meanes he could to passe

From out of Robbins ken.

Two hundred of his men were kil’d,

And fourescore horses good;

Thirty, who did as captives yeeld,

Were carryed to the greene wood.

Which afterwards were ransomed,

For twenty markes a man;

The rest set spurres to horse, and fled

To th’town of Warrington.

The bishop, sore enraged then,

Did, in King Richards name,

Muster a power of northerne men,

These outlawes bold to tame.

But Robbin, with his courtesie,

So wonne the meaner sort,

That they were loath on him to try

What rigor did import.

So that bold Robbin and his traine

Did live unhurt of them,

Untill King Richard came againe

From faire Jerusalem.

And then the talke of Robbin Hood

His royall eares did fill;

His Grace admir’d that i’th’ greene wood

He thus continued still.

So that the country farre and neare