The Seventh Fytte


THE SEVENTH FYTTE

The king came to Nottingham,
With knights in great array,
For to take that gentle knight,
And Robin Hood, if he may.
He asked men of that countre,
After Robin Hood,
And after that gentle knight,
That was so bold and stout.

When they had told him the case,
Our king understood their tale,
And seised in his hand
The knightes landes all,

All the pass of Lancashire,
He went both far and near,
Till he came to Plompton park,
He failed many of his deer.
Where our king was wont to see
Herdes many one
He could unneth find one deer,
That bare any good horn.
The king was wonder wroth withal,
And swore by the trinite,
" I would I had Robin Hood,
With eyen I might him see;
And he that would smite off the knightes head,
And bring it to me,
He shall have the knightes lands,
Sir Rychard at the Lee;
I give it him with my charter,
And seal it with my hand,
To have and hold for ever-more,
In all merry England. "

Then bespake a fair old knight,
That was true in his fay,
" Ah, my liege lord the king,
One word I shall you say:
There is no man in this country
May have the knightes lands,
While Robin Hood may ride or gon,
And bear a bow in his hands,
ThaThe ne shall lose his head,
That is the best ball in his hood:
Give it no man, my lord the king,
That ye will any good! "

Half a year dwelled our comely king,
In Nottingham, and well more,
Could he noThear of Robin Hood,
In what country thaThe were;
But alway went good Robin
By halk and eke by hill,
And alway slew the kinges deer,
And welt them at his will.

Then bespake a proud forstere,
That stood by our king's knee,
" If ye will see good Robin,
Ye must do after me
Take five of the best knyghtes
That be in your lede,
And walk down by your abbey,
And get you monkes weed.
And I will be your ledes man,
And lede you the way,
And ere ye come to Nottingham,
Mine head then dare I lay,
That ye shall meet with good Robin,
Alive if thaThe be,
Ere ye come to Nottingham,
With eyen ye shall him see. "

Full hastily our king was dight,
So were his knightes five,
Each of them in monkes weed,
And hasted them thither blithe.
Our king was great above his cowl,
A broad hat on his crown,
Right as he were abbot-like,
They rode up into the town.
Stiff boots our king had on,
Forsooth as I you say,
He rode singing to green wood,
The convent was clothed in gray,
His mail horse, and his great somers,
Followed our king behind,
Till they came to greene wood,
A mile under the lind:
There they met with good Robin,
Standing on the way,
And so did many a bold archer,
For sooth as I you say.

Robin took the kinges horse,
Hastily in that stead;
And said, " Sir abbot, by your leave,
A while ye must abide;
We be yeomen of this forest,
Under the green wood tree,
We live by our kinges deer,
Other shift have not we;
And ye have churches and rentes both,
And gold full great plenty;
Give us some of your spending,
For saint Charity "

Than bespake our comely king,
Anon then said he,
" I brought no more to greene wood,
But forty pound with me.
I have lain at Nottingham,
This fortnight with our king,
And spent I have full much good,
On many a great lording;
And I have but forty pound,
No more then have I me;
But if I had an hundred pound,
I would give it to thee. "

Robin took the forty pound,
And departed it in two partye,
Halfendell he gave his merry men,
And bade them merry to be,
Full courteously Robin gan say,
" Sir, have this for your spending,
We shall meet another day. "

" Gramercy, " then said our king,
" But well thee greeteth Edward our king,
And sent to thee his seal,
And biddeth thee come to Nottingham,
Both to meat and meal.
He took out the broad tarpe,
And soon he let him see;
Robin coud his courtesy,
And set him on his knee:
" I love no man in all the world
So well as I do my king,
Welcome is my lordes seal;
And, monk, for thy tiding,
Sir abbot, for thy tidinges,
To-day thou shalt dine with me,
For the love of my king,
Under my trystell tree. "

Forth he led our comely king,
Full fair by the hand,
Many a deer there was slain,
And full fast dightand.
Robin took a full great horn,
And loud he gan blow;
Seven score of wight young men,
Came ready on a row,
All they kneeled on their knee,
Full fair before Robin.
The king said himself unto,
And swore by saint Austin,
" Here is a wonder seemly sight,
Me thinketh, by Goddes pine;
His men are more at his bidding,
Than my men be at mine! "

Full hastily was their dinner i-dight,
And thereto gan they gon,
They served our king with all their might,
Both Robin and Little John.
Anon before our king was set
The fatte venison,
The good white bread, the good red wine,
And thereto the fine ale brown
" Make good cheer, " said Robin,
" Abbot, for charity;
And for this ilke tidinge,
Blessed mote thou be.
Now shalt thou see what life we lead,
Or thou hennes wend,
Then thou may inform our king,
When ye together lend. "

Up they stert all in haste,
Their bows were smartly bent,
Our king was never so sore agast,
He weened to have be shent.
Two yardes there were up set,
Thereto gan they gang;
But fifty pace, our king said,
The markes were too long.
On every side a rose garland,
They shot under the line.
" Whose faileth of the rose garland, " said Robin,
" His tackle he shall tine,
And yield it to his master,
Be it never so fine, —
For no man will I spare,
So drinke I ale or wine, —
And bear a buffet on his head
I-wys right all bare. "

And all that fell in Robin's lot,
He smote them wonder sair.
Twies Robin shot about,
And ever he cleaved the wand,
And so did good Gilbert,
With the lily white hand;
Little John and good Scathelock,
For nothing would they spare,
When they failed of the garland,
Robin smote them fall sair.
At the last shot that Robin shot,
For all his friends fair,
YeThe failed of the garland,
Three fingers and mair.

Then bespake good Gilbert,
And thus he gan say,
" Master, " he said, " your tackle is lost,
Stand forth and take your pay. "
" If it be so, " said Robin,
" That may no better be:
Sir abbot, I deliver thee mine arrow,
I pray thee, sir, serve thou me. "

" It falleth not for mine order, " said our king;
" Robin, by thy leave,
For to smite no good yeoman,
For doubt I should him grieve.

" Smite on boldly! " said Robin,
" I give thee large leave. "

Anon our king, with that word,
He fold up his sleeve,
And such a buffeThe gave Robin,
To ground he yede full near.

" I make mine avow to God, " said Robin,
" Thou art a stalworthy frere;
There is pith in thine arm, " said Robin,
" I trow thou canst well shoot! "

Thus our king and Robin Hood
Together then they met.

Robin beheld our comely king
Wistly in the face,
So did Sir Richard at the Lee,
And kneeled down in that place;
And so did all the wild outlaws,
When they see them kneel.
" My lord the king of England,
Now I know you well.
Mercy, " then Robin said to our king,
" Under your trystal tree,
Of thy goodness and thy grace,
For my men and me!
Yes, fore God, " said Robin,
" And also God me save;
I ask mercy, my lord the king,
And for my men I crave. "

" Yes, fore God, " then said our king,
" Thy petition I grant thee,
With that thou leave the green wood,
And all thy company;
And come home, sir, to my court,
And there dwell with me. "

" I make mine avow, " said Robin,
" And right so shall it be;
I will come to your court,
Your service for to see,
And bring with me of my men
Seven score and three.
But me like well your service,
I come again full soon,
And shoot at the donne deer,
As I am wont to doon. "
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