And talk of Guy and Robin Hood

In the greenwood where they be.

How these two yeomen together they met,
Under the leaves of lime,

To see what merchandise they made
Even at that same time.

85

90

The second shot Sir Guy shot,
He shot within the garland;21
But Robin Hood shot it better than he,
For he clove the good prick-wand.

"God's blessing on thy heart!" says Guy,
"Good fellow, thy shooting is good;
For an thy heart be as good as thy hands,
Thou were better than Robin Hood.

"Tell me thy name, good fellow," quoth Guy, "Under the leaves of lyne:"

"Nay, by my faith," quoth good Robín, "Till thou have told me thine."

"I dwell by dale and down," quoth Guy, "And I have done many a curst turn; And he that calls me by my right name, Calls me Guy of good Gisborne."

"My dwelling is in the wood," says Robin; 'By thee I set right nought;

My name is Robin Hood of Barnesdale,
A fellow thou hast long sought."

He that had neither been of kith nor kin
Might have seen a full fair sight,

To see how together these yeomen went,
With blades both brown and bright.

130

136

140

145

150

To have seen how these yeomen together fought

Two hours of a summer's day;

It was neither Guy nor Robin Hood
That fettled22 them to fly away.

Robin was reckless of a root,
And stumbled at that tide, 23
And Guy was quick and nimble withal,
And hit him o'er the left side.

"Ah, dear Lady!" said Robin Hood,
"Thou art both mother and may!
I think it was never man's destiny
To die before his day."

Robin thought on Our Lady dear,

And soon leapt up again,

24

155

160

And thus he came with an awkward 25 stroke; 165
Good Sir Guy he has slain.

He took Sir Guy's head by the hair,
And stuck it on his bow's end:
"Thou hast been traitor all thy life,
Which thing must have an end."

21 The ring around the centre of the target.

22 Made ready.

24 Maid, virgin.

170

23 Time. 25 Unexpected.

"I'll none of thy gold," says Robin Hood, "Nor I'll none of it have.

Towards his house in Nottingham

He fled full fast away,

And so did all his company,

Not one behind did stay.

But he could neither so fast go,

Nor away so fast run,

But Little John, with an arrow broad,

Did cleave his heart in twinn.32

THE HUNTING OF THE CHEVIOT

The Percy out of Northumberland,

And a vow to God made he

That he would hunt in the mountains

Of Cheviot within days three,

In the maugre of doughty Douglas,

And all that ever with him be.

The fattest harts in all Cheviot

235

He said he would kill, and carry them away: "By my faith," said the doughty Douglas again, "I will let that hunting if I may."

Then the Percy out of Bamboro came,

With him a mighty meyne,2

10

With fifteen hundred archers bold of blood and

bone;

They were chosen out of shires three.

This began on a Monday at morn,

In Cheviot the hills so hie;3

The child may rue that is unborn,

It was the more pitie.

The drivers through the woodės went,
For to rouse the deer;

Bowmen bickered upon the bent
With their broad arrows clear.

Then the wild through the woodes went,
On every side sheer;"

Greyhoundės through the groves glent,
For to kill their deer.

This began in Cheviot the hills aboun,
Early on a Monnyn-day;8

By that it drew to the hour of noon,

A hundred fat harts dead there lay. They blew a mort' upon the bent, They assembled on sides sheer; To the quarry then the Percy went, To see the brittling 10 of the deer." 30 Remedy. 31 Prepare.

27 Time.

29 Quickly.

10 Quartering, or cutting up.

3 High.

32 Twain.

6 Wild creatures. 8 Monday.

Blast of the horn indicating the taking of the deer