A Proper New Ballad of Bold Robin Hood.
Shewing his Birth, his Breeding, his Valour, and Marriage, at Ti[t]bery Bull-Running.
Calculated for the Meridian of Staffordshire, but may serve for Derbyshire or Kent.
To a pleasant New Northern Tune .
|
K Ind Gentlemen, will you be patient a while,
|
I, and then you shall hear anon,
|
A very good Ballad of bold Robin Hood
|
and of his Man brave little John.
|
And Locksley Town in merry Nottinghamshire,
|
in merry sweet Locksley Town;
|
There bold Robin Hood he was born & was bred,
|
bold Robin of famous renown.
|
The Father of Robin a Forrester was,
|
and he shot in a lusty long Bow,
|
Two North Country miles and an inch at a shoot
|
as the Pinder of Wakefield does know.
|
For he brought Adam Bell, and Clim of the Clugh,
|
with William a Clowdel Lee:
|
To shoot with our Forrester for Forty Mark,
|
and the Forrester beat 'um all three.
|
His mother was Neece to the Coventry Knight,
|
which Warwickshire men call Sir Guy;
|
For he slew the blew Bore that hangs up at that gate,
|
or mine Host of the Bull tells a lye.
|
Her Brother was Gamwel of great Gamwel- Hall,
|
and a noble House-keeper was he:
|
I, as ever broke Bread in sweet Nottinghamshire,
|
and a Squire of a famous Degree.
|
This Mother of Robin said to her Husband,
|
my Honey, my Love, and my Dear;
|
Let Robin and I ride this Morning to Gamwell,
|
to taste of my Brothers good chear.
|
And he said, I grant thee thy boon, gentle Joan,
|
take one of my Horses I pray:
|
The Sun is a rising, and therefore make haste,
|
for to morrow is Christmas-day,
|
Then Robin Hoods Fathers gray Gelding was brought
|
and Sadled and Bridled was he
|
Got on his blew Bonnet, his new suit of Cloeths
|
and a Cloak that did reach to his knee.
|
She got on her Holy-day Kirtle and gown,
|
they were of a light Lincoln-Green:
|
The Cloath was home spun, but for colour & make
|
it might a beseemed our Queen.
|
And then Robin got on his Basket-hilt Sword,
|
and Dagger on his tother side:
|
And said, my dear Mother lets hast to be gone,
|
we have forty long miles to ride.
|
When Robin had mounted this Gelding so gra[y,]
|
his Father without any trouble;
|
Set her up behind him, and bad her not fear,
|
for his Gelding has oft carried double.
|
When she was settled, they rode to their Neig[h]bo[urs]
|
and drunk, and shook hands with them all:
|
And then Robin gallopt and never gave o're,
|
till they lighted at great Gamwel-Hall.
|
And now you may think the right worshipful Squire
|
was joyful his Sister to see;
|
For he kist her, & kist her, and swore a great Oath[,]
|
thou art welcome kind Sister to me.
|
To morrow when Mass had been said in the Chap-pel
|
six tables were coverd ith Hall;
|
And in comes the Squire, and makes a short speech
|
it was, Neighbours y're Welcome all.
|
But not a Man here shall taste my March-beer
|
till a Christmas -Carrol be sung;
|
Then all clapt their hands, & they shouted & sung
|
till the Hall and the Parlor did ring.
|
Now Mustard & Brawn, Roast-Beef & Plumb-pies
|
were set upon every Table:
|
And noble George Gamwel said eat and be merry
|
and Drink too, as long as y'are able.
|
When dinner was ended this Chaplin said Grace,
|
and be merry my friends said the Squire;
|
It rains and it blows, but call for more Ale
|
and lay some more Wood on the Fire.
|
And now call ye little John hither to me,
|
for little John is a Fine Lad;
|
At Gambols and Jugling, and twenty such tricks
|
as shall make you both merry and glad.
|
When Little John came, to Gambals they went,
|
both Gentleman Yeoman and Clown,
|
And what do you think? why, as true as I live,
|
bold Robin Hood put them all down.
|
And now you may think the right worshipful squire
|
was joyful this sight for to see:
|
For he said Cousin Robin thou'st go no more home
|
but tarry and dwell with me.
|
Thou shalt have my Land when I dye and till then
|
thou shalt be the staff of my Age:
|
Then grant me my boon dear Uncle, said Robin
|
that Little John may be my Page.
|
And he said kind Cousin I grant thee thy boon,
|
with all my heart so let it be;
|
Then come hither little John, said Robin Hood,
|
come hither my Page unto me.
|
Go and fetch my Bow- my longest long Bow,
|
and broad Arrows one, two and three;
|
For when 'tis fair weather we'l into Sherwood
|
some merry pastime to see.
|
When Robin Hood came into merry Sherwood
|
he winded his Bugle so clear;
|
And twice five and twenty good Yeoman and bold
|
before Robin Hood did appear.
|
Where are your Companions all, said R.Hood,
|
for still I want forty and three?
|
Then said a bold Yeoman, lo yonder they stand,
|
all under a Green-Wood Tree.
|
As that word was spoken, Clorinda came by,
|
the Queen of the Shepherds was she;
|
And her Gown was of velvet as green as the grass
|
and her buskins did reach to her knee.
|
Her gate it was graceful, her body was straight,
|
and her Countenance free from Pride;
|
A Bow in her Hand, and Quiver of Arrows,
|
hung dangling by her sweet side.
|
Her Eye-brows were black, I and so was her hair,
|
and her skin was as smooth as glass;
|
Her Visage spoke Wisdom and Modesty too:
|
setts with Robin Hood such a Lass.
|
Said Robin Hood Lady fair whether away;
|
Oh whether fair Lady away?
|
And she made him answer, to kill a fat Buck,
|
for to morrow is Tilbery-Day.
|
Said Robin Hood, Lady fair, Wander with me,
|
a little to yonder Green Bower:
|
There sit down to rest you, and you shall be sure
|
of a Brace or a Leafe in an hour.
|
And as we ware going towards the green Bower,
|
two hundred good Bucks we espy'd:
|
She chose out the fattest that was in the Herd,
|
and she shot him through side and side.
|
By the faith of my body, said bold Robin Hood ,
|
I never saw woman like thee:
|
And com'st thou from East, I, or comst thou from West,
|
thou need'st not beg Venison of me.
|
However a long to my Bower you shall go,
|
and taste of a Forresters Meat,
|
And when we came thither, we found as good chear,
|
as any Man needs for to eat.
|
For there was hot Venison, & Warden-pies cold,
|
Cream clouted, with Honey-Combs plenty,
|
And the Serviters they were beside Little John
|
good Yeomen, at least four and twenty.
|
Clorinda said, tell me your name gentle Sir?
|
and he said 'tis bold Robin Hood ,
|
Squire Gamwells mine Uncle, but all my delight
|
is to dwell in the merry Sherwood.
|
For 'tis a fine Life, and 'tis void of all strife,
|
so 'tis Sir, Ciorinda reply'd:
|
But Oh said bold Robin how sweet wou'd it be,
|
if Clorinda wou'd be my Bride.
|
She blusht at the motion yet after a pause,
|
said, Yes Sir, and withal my heart:
|
Then let us send for a Priest, said Robin Hood,
|
and be merry before we do part.
|
But she said, it may not be so gentle Sir,
|
for I must be at Titbury Feast:
|
And if Robin Hood will go thither with me,
|
I'le make him the most Welcome Guest.
|
Said Robin Hood reach me that Buck little John
|
for i'le go along with my Dear;
|
Go bid my good Yeomen kill six brace of Bucks,
|
and meet me to morrow just here.
|
Before we had ridden five Staffordshire miles,
|
six Yeomen that were too too bold:
|
Bid Robin Hood Stand and deliver his Buck,
|
a truer Tale never was told.
|
I will not, faith, said bold Robin, come John,
|
stand to me and we'l beat 'um all;
|
Then both drew their Swords and so cut 'um & slasht 'um,
|
that five of the Six did fall.
|
The three that remain'd call'd to Robin for quar,ter
|
and pittiful John beg'd their Lives;
|
When Johns boon was granted, he gave them good counsel,
|
and so sent them home to their Wives.
|
This battel was fought near to Titbery Town,
|
when the Bagpipes baited the Bull:
|
I am King of the Fidlers, and sware 'tis a truth,
|
and I call him that doubts it a Gull.
|
For I saw them Fighting, and Fiddl'd the while,
|
and Clorinda sung, Hey derry down:
|
The Bumpkins are beaten, put up thy Sword Rob.
|
and now lets Dance into the Town.
|
Before we came to it we heard a strange shouting
|
and all that were in it lookt madly;
|
For some ware a Bull-back, some dancing a Mor-ris,
|
and some singing Arthur-a-Bradley.
|
And there we see Thomas our Justices Clerk,
|
and Mary to whom he was kind;
|
For Tom rode before her and call'd Mary Madam,
|
and kist her full sweetly behind.
|
And so may your Worships, but we went to dinner
|
with Thomas , and mary , and Nan .
|
They all drank a health to Clorinda, and told her,
|
bold Robin Hood was a fine Man.
|
When Dinner was ended, Sir Roger the Parson
|
of Dubbridge, was sent for in haste;
|
He brought his Mass-Book, and he had them take hands
|
and he joyn'd them in Marriage full fast.
|
And then as bold Robin Hood and his sweet Bride
|
went hand in hand to the green Bower;
|
The Birds sung with pleasure in merry Sherwood
|
and 'twas a most joyful hour.
|
And when Robin came in the sight of his Bower,
|
where are my Yeomen, said he,
|
And little John answered, lo yonder they stand,
|
all under a Green-wood Tree.
|
Then a Garland they brought her by two & by two
|
and plac'd them upon the Brides bed;
|
The Musick struck up and we all fell to Dance,
|
till the Bribe and the Groom were a bed.
|
And what they did there must be counsel to me,
|
because they lay long the next day:
|
And I had hast home, but I got a good piece
|
of the Bride-Cake, and so came away,
|
Now, out alass, I had forgotten to tell ye,
|
that married they were with a Ring:
|
And so will Nan Knight, or be buried a maiden,
|
and now let us pray for the King.
|
That he may get Children and they may get more
|
to Govern and do us some good:
|
And then I'le make Ballads in R. Hoods bower,
|
and sing 'um in merry Sherwood.
|
|
FINIS.
|
|
|
|