Have owre, have owre to Aberdour,* And thair lies guid Sir Patrick Spence, VIII. ROBIN HOOD AND GUY OF GISBORNE. We have here a ballad of Robin Hood (from the editor's folio MS.) which was never before printed, and carries marks of much greater antiquity than any of the common popular songs on this subject. The severity of those tyrannical forest-laws, that were introduced by our Norman kings, and the great temptation of breaking them by such as lived near the royal forests, at a time when the yeomanry of this kingdom were every where trained up to the long-bow, and excelled all other nations in the art of shooting, must constantly have occasioned great numbers of outlaws, and especially of such as were the best marksmen. These naturally fled to the woods for shelter; and, forming into troops, endeavoured by their numbers to protect themselves from the dreadful penalties of their delinquency. The ancient punishment for killing the king's deer was loss of eyes and castration, a punishment far worse than death. This will easily account for the troops of banditti which formerly lurked in the royal forests, and, from their superior skill in archery and knowledge of all the recesses of those unfrequented solitudes, found it no difficult matter to resist or elude the civil power. Among all those, none was ever more famous than the hero of this ballad, whose chief residence was in Shirewood forest, in Nottinghamshire; and the heads of whose story, as collected by Stow, are briefly these. *A village lying upon the river Forth, the entrance to which is sometimes denominated "De mortuo mari." An ingenious friend thinks the author of "Hardyknute" has borrowed several expressions and sentiments from the foregoing, and other old Scottish songs in this collection. "In this time [about the year 1190, in the reign of Richard I.] were many robbers, and outlawes, among the which Robin Hood, and Little John, renowned theeves, continued in woods, despoyling and robbing the goods of the rich. They killed none but such as would invade them; or by resistance for their own defence. "The saide Robert entertained an hundred tall men and good archers with such spoiles and thefts as he got, upon whom four hundred (were they ever so strong) durst not give the onset. He suffered no woman to be oppressed, violated, or otherwise molested poore mens goods he spared, abundantlie relieving them with that which by theft he got from abbeys and the houses of rich carles: whom Maior (the historian) blameth for his rapine and theft, but of all theeves he affirmeth him to be the prince, and the most gentle theefe." "Annals," p. 159. The personal courage of this celebrated outlaw, his skill in archery, his humanity, and especially his levelling principle of taking from the rich and giving to the poor, have in all ages rendered him the favourite of the common people, who, not content to celebrate his memory by innumerable songs and stories, have erected him into the dignity of an earl. Indeed, it is not impossible, but our hero, to gain the more respect from his followers, or they to derive the more credit to their profession, may have given rise to such a report themselves: for we find it recorded in an epitaph, which, if genuine, must have been inscribed on his tombstone near the nunnery of Kirklees in Yorkshire; where (as the story goes) he was bled to death by a treacherous nun to whom he applied for phlebotomy. * Hear undernead dis laitl stean obiit 24 kal. dekembris, 1247. This Epitaph appears to me suspicious; however, a late Antiquary has given a pedigree of Robin Hood, which, if genuine, shews that he had real pretensions to the Earldom of Huntington, and that his true name was Robert Fitz-ooth.† Yet the most ancient poems on Robin Hood make no mention of this Earldom. He is expressly asserted to have been a yeoman in a very old legend in verse, preserved in the archives of the public library at Cambridge, § in eight Fyttes or Parts, * See Thoresby's "Ducat. Leod." p. 576. Biog. Brit. vi. 3933. + Stukeley, in his "Palæographia Britannica," No. ii. 1746. See also the following ballad, v. 147. Num. D. 5. 2. printed in black letter, quarto, thus inscribed: "Here begynneth a lytell geste of Robyn hode and his meyne, and of The first lines are, the proude sheryfe of Notyngham " "Lithe and lysten, gentylmen, I shall you tell of a good YEMAN, The printer's colophon is, " Explicit Kinge Edwarde and Robin hode and Lyttel Johan. Enprented at London in Fletestrete at the sygne of the sone by Wynkin de Worde."-In Mr. Garrick's Collection is a different edition of the same poem "Imprinted at London upon the thre Crane wharfe by Wyllyam Copland," containing at the end a little dramatic piece on the subject of Robin Hood and the Friar, not found in the former copy, called, "A newe playe for to be played in Maye games very plesaunte and full of pastyme. (..) D." I shall conclude these preliminary remarks with observing, that the hero of this ballad was the favourite subject of popular songs so early as the time of K. Edward III. In the "Visions of Pierce Plowman," written in that reign, a monk says, I can rimes of Roben Hod, and Randal of Chester, Fol. 26, Ed. 1550. See also in Bp. Latimer's Sermons † a very curious and characteristical story, which shews what respect was shewn to the memory of our archer in the time of that prelate. The curious reader will find many other particulars relating to this celebrated Outlaw, in Sir John Hawkins's "Hist. of Music," vol. iii. p. 410, 4to. For the catastrophe of Little John, who, it seems, was executed for a robbery on Arbor-hill, Dublin (with some curious particulars relating to his skill in archery), see Mr. J. C. Walker's ingenious "Memoir on the Armour and Weapons of the Irish," p. 129, annexed to his "Historical Essay on the Dress of the Ancient and Modern Irish." Dublin, 1788, 4to. Some liberties were, by the editor, taken with this ballad ; which, in this edition, hath been brought nearer to the folio MS. *Old Plays, 4to. K. vol. x. + Ser. 6th before K. Ed. Apr. 12. fol. 75. Gilpin's life of Lat. p. 122. WHEN shaws beene sheene, and shradds full fayre, Itt is merrye walking in the fayre forrèst The woodweele sang, and wold not cease, Soe lowde, he wakened Robin Hood, "Now by my faye," sayd jollye Robin, I dreamt me of tow wighty yemen, Methought they did mee beate and binde, "Sweavens are swift, Master," quoth John, For if itt be never so loude this night, "Buske yee, bowne yee, my merry men all, 5 10 15 20 For Ile goe seeke yond wight yeomen, Then the cast on their gownes of grene, 25 And they away to the greene forrèst Untill they came to the merry greenwood, There were the ware of a wight yeoman, 30 Ver. 1. for "shaws" the MS. has "shales" and "shradds " should perhaps be "Swards" i. e. the surface of the ground: viz."when the fields are in their beauty": or perhaps "shades ". A sword and a dagger he wore by his side, And he was clad in his capull hyde "Stand you still, master," quoth Litle John, And I will go to yond wight yeoman "Ah! John, by me thou settest noe store, And that I farley finde: How offt send I my men beffore, And tarry my selfe behinde ? It is no cunning a knave to ken, And a man but heare him speake; And itt were not for bursting of my bowe, 35 40 45 As often wordes they breeden bale, 50 And John is gone to Barnesdale : But when he came to Barnesdale, Great heavinesse there hee hadd, For he found tow of his owne fellowes Were slaine both in a slade. And Scarlette he was flyinge a-foote For the sheriffe with seven score men Fast after him is gone. "One shoote now, I will shoote," quoth John, "With Christ his might and mayne; Ile make yond fellow that flyes soe fast, To stopp he shall be fayne." 55 60 *i. e. ways, passes, paths, ridings. "Gate" is a common word the North for "Way." |