3. "Me thought they did mee beate and binde,

And tooke my bowe mee froe;
If I bee Robin alive in this lande,
I'le be wrocken10 on both them
towe."

4. "Sweavens11 are swift, master," quoth John,

"As the wind that blowes ore a hill; Ffor if itt be never soe lowde this night,

To-morrow it may be still."

5. "Buske12 yee, bowne13 yee, my merry men all,

Ffor John shall goe with mee;
For I'le goe seeke yond wight yeomen
In greenwood where the11 bee."

14

3 stable.

• copses.

8 of the linden tree.

11 dreams. 14 they.

10 avenged.

13 dress yourselves.

mett,

Under the leaves of lyne,

To see what marchandise1 they made Even at that same time.

Did not shoote an inch the pricke

ffroe;

Guy was an archer good enoughe,

But he cold neere shoote soe.

Sir Guy;

"Good morrow, good ffellow," quoth

He shott within the garlande;

But Robin Hoode shott it better than

hee,

For he clove the good prickewande.

3 help.

4 dealing.

57. Towards his house in Nottingam
He ffled ful fast away,
And soe did all his companye,

Not one behind did stay.

58. But he cold neither soe fast goe,
Nor away soe fast runn,
But Litle John, with an arrow broade,
Did cleave his heart in twinn.

ROBIN HOOD'S DEATH AND
BURIAL

1. When Robin Hood and Little John
Down a down a down a down
Went oer yon bank of broom

Said Robin Hood bold to Little
John,

"We have shot for many a pound."
Hey, etc.

2. "But I am not able to shoot one shot more,

My broad arrows will not flee;
But I have a cousin lives down below,
Please God, she will bleed me."

3. Now Robin he is to fair Kirkly gone, As fast as he can win;

But before he came there, as we do hear,

He was taken very ill.

4. And when he came to fair Kirkly-hall, He knockd all at the ring,

But none was so ready as his cousin herself

For to let bold Robin in.

5. "Will you please to sit down, cousin Robin," she said,

"And drink some beer with me?" "No, I will neither eat nor drink, Till I am blooded by thee."

6. "Well, I have a room, cousin Robin," she said,

"Which you did never see,
And if you please to walk therein,
You blooded by me shall be."

7. She took him by the lily-white hand,
And led him to a private room,
And there she blooded bold Robin

Hood,

While one drop of blood would run down.