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115A: Robyn and Gandeleyn
115A.1 I HERDE a carpyng of a clerk,
Al at y+oone wodes ende,
Of gode Robyn and Gandeleyn;
Was ther non other thynge.
Robynn lyth in grene wode bowndyn
115A.2 Stronge theuys wern tho chylderin non,
But bowmen gode and hende;
He wentyn to wode to getyn hem fleych,
If God wold it hem sende.
115A.3 Al day wentyn tho chylderin too,
And fleych fowndyn he non,
Til it were a-geyn euyn;
THe chylderin wold gon hom.
115A.4 Half an honderid of fat falyf der
He comyn a-y+oon,
And alle he wern fayr and fat i-now,
But markyd was ther non:
Be dere God, seyde gode Robyn,
Here of we xul haue on.
115A.5 Robyn bent his joly bowe,
RRther in he set a flo;
THe fattest der of alle
THe herte he clef a to.
115A.6 He hadde not the der i-flawe,
Ne half out of the hyde,
There cam a schrewde arwe out of the west,
RRthat felde Robertes pryde.
115A.7 Gandeleyn lokyd hym est and west,
Be euery syde:
Hoo hat myn mayster slayin?
Ho hat don this dede?
Xal I neuer out of grene wode go
Til I se [his] sydis blede.
115A.8 Gandeleyn lokyd hym est and lokyd west,
And sowt vnder the sunne;
He saw a lytil boy
He clepyn Wrennok of Donne.
115A.9 A good bowe in his hond,
A brod arwe ther ine,
And fowre and twenti goode arwys,
Trusyd in a thrumme:
Be war the, war the, Gandeleyn,
Her-of thu xalt han summe.
115A.10 Be war the, war the, Gandeleyn,
Her of thu gyst plente:
Euer on for an other, seyde Gandeleyn;
Mysaunter haue he xal fle.
115A.11 Qwer-at xal our marke be?
Seyde Gandeleyn:
Eueryche at otheris herte,
Seyde Wrennok ageyn.
115A.12 Ho xal y+oeue the ferste schote?
Seyde Gandeleyn:
And I xul y+oeue the on be-forn,
Seyde Wrennok ageyn.
115A.13 Wrennok schette a ful good schote,
And he schet not to hye;
THrow the sanchothis of his bryk;
It towchyd neyther thye.
115A.14 Now hast thu y+oouyn me on be-forn,
Al thus to Wrennok seyde he,
And throw the myy+ot of our lady
A bettere I xal y+oeue the.
115A.15 Gandeleyn bent his goode bowe,
And set ther in a flo;
He schet throw his grene certyl,
His herte he clef on too.
115A.16 Now xalt thu neuer y+oelpe, Wrennok,
At ale ne at wyn,
RRthat thu hast slawe goode Robyn,
And his knaue Gandeleyn.
115A.17 Now xalt thu neuer y+oelpe, Wrennok,
At wyn ne at ale,
RRthat thu hast slawe goode Robyn,
And Gandeleyn his knaue.
Robyn lyy+oth in grene wode bowndyn
Next: 116. Adam Bell, Clim of the Clough and William of Cloudesly