152A: Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow

152A.1	 WHEN as the sheriff of Nottingham
	 Was come, with mickle grief,
	 He talkd no good of Robin Hood,
	 That strong and sturdy thief.
	 Fal lal dal de
152A.2	 So unto London-road he past,
	 His losses to unfold
	 To King Richard, who did regard
	 The tale that he had told.
152A.3	 ‘Why,’ quoth the king, ’what shall I do?
	 Art thou not sheriff for me?
	 The law is in force, go take thy course
	 Of them that injure thee.
152A.4	 ‘Go get thee gone, and by thyself
	 Devise some tricking game
	 For to enthral yon rebels all;
	 Go take thy course with them.’
152A.5	 So away the sheriff he returnd,
	 And by the way he thought
	 Of the words of the king, and how the thing
	 To pass might well be brought.
152A.6	 For within his mind he imagined
	 That when such matches were,
	 Those outlaws stout, without [all] doubt,
	 Would be the bowmen there.
152A.7	 So an arrow with a golden head
	 And shaft of silver white,
	 Who won the day should bear away
	 For his own proper right.
152A.8	 Tidings came to brave Robin Hood,
	 Under the green-wood tree:
	 ‘Come prepare you then, my merry men,
	 We’ll go yon sport to see.’
152A.9	 With that stept forth a brave young man,
	 David of Doncaster:
	 ‘Master,’ said he, ’Be ruld by me,
	 From the green-wood we’ll not stir.
152A.10	 ‘To tell the truth, I’m well informed
	 Yon match is a wile;
	 The sheriff, I wiss, devises this
	 Us archers to beguile.’
152A.11	 ‘O thou smells of a coward,’ said Robin Hood,
	 ‘Thy words does not please me;
	 Come on’t what will, I’ll try my skill
	 At yon brave archery.’
152A.12	 O then bespoke brave Little John:
	 Come, let us thither gang;
	 Come listen to me, how it shall be
	 That we need not be kend.
152A.13	 Our mantles, all of Lincoln green,
	 Behind us we will leave;
	 We’ll dress us all so several
	 They shall not us perceive.
152A.14	 One shall wear white, another red,
	 One yellow, another blue;
	 Thus in disguise, to the exercise
	 We’ll gang, whateer ensue.
152A.15	 Forth from the green-wood they are gone,
	 With hearts all firm and stout,
	 Resolving [then] with the sheriff’s men
	 To have a hearty bout.
152A.16	 So themselves they mixed with the rest,
	 To prevent all suspicion;
	 For if they should together hold
	 They thought [it] no discretion.
152A.17	 So the sheriff looking round about,
	 Amongst eight hundred men,
	 But could not see the sight that he
	 Had long expected then.
152A.18	 Some said, If Robin Hood was here,
	 And all his men to boot,
	 Sure none of them could pass these men,
	 So bravely they do shoot.
152A.19	 ‘Ay,’ quoth the sheriff, and scratchd his head,
	 ‘I thought he would have been here;
	 I thought he would, but, tho he’s bold,
	 He durst not now appear.’
152A.20	 O that word grieved Robin Hood to the heart;
	 He vex d in his blood;
	 Eer long, thought he, thou shalt well see
	 That here was Robin Hood.
152A.21	 Some cried, Blue jacket! another cried, Brown!
	 And the third cried, Brave Yellow!
	 But the fourth man said, Yon man in red
	 In this place has no fellow.
152A.22	 For that was Robin Hood himself,
	 For he was cloathd in red;
	 At every shot the prize he got,
	 For he was both sure and dead.
152A.23	 So the arrow with the golden head
	 And shaft of silver white
	 Brave Robin Hood won, and bore with him
	 For his own proper right.
152A.24	 These outlaws there, that very day,
	 To shun all kind of doubt,
	 By three or four, no less no more,
	 As they went in came out.
152A.25	 Until they all assembled were
	 Under the green-wood shade,
	 Where they report, in pleasant sport,
	 What brave pastime they made.
152A.26	 Says Robin Hood, All my care is,
	 How that yon sheriff may
	 Know certainly that it was I
	 That bore his arrow away.
152A.27	 Says Little John, My counsel good
	 Did take effect before,
	 So therefore now, if you’ll allow,
	 I will advise once more.
152A.28	 ‘Speak on, speak on,’ said Robin Hood,
	 ‘Thy wit’s both quick and sound;
	 [I know no man amongst us can
	 For wit like thee be found.’]
152A.29	 ‘This I advise,’ said Little John;
	 ‘That a letter shall be pend,
	 And when it is done, to Nottingham
	 You to the sheriff shall send.’
152A.30	 ‘That is well advised,’ said Robin Hood,
	 ‘But how must it be sent?’
	 ‘Pugh! when you please, it’s done with ease,
	 Master, be you content.
152A.31	 ‘I’ll stick it on my arrow’s head,
	 And shoot it into the town;
	 The mark shall show where it must go,
	 When ever it lights down.’
152A.32	 The project it was full performd;
	 The sheriff that letter had;
	 Which when he read, he scratchd his head,
	 And rav’d like one that’s mad.
152A.33	 So we’ll leave him chafing in his grease,
	 Which will do him no good;
	 Now, my friends, attend, and hear the end
	 Of honest Robin Hood.