The Jolly Pinder of Wakefield

With Robin Hood, Scarlet, and John.

Ritson's Robin Hood, ii. 18.

"From an old black-letter copy, in A. à Wood's collection, compared with two others in the British Museum, one in black-letter.

"Several lines of this ballad are quoted in the two old plays of the Downfall and Death of Robert earle of Huntington, 1601, 4to. b. l. but acted many years before. It is also alluded to in Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor, act i. scene 1, and again in his Second Part of King Henry IV., act v. scene 3.

"In 1557 certain 'ballets' are entered on the books of the Stationers' Company, 'to John Wallye and Mrs. Toye,' one of which is entitled Of Wakefylde and a grene; meaning apparently the ballad here reprinted." Ritson.

In Wakefield there lives a jolly pindèr,
In Wakefield all on a green,
In Wakefield all on a green.

"There is neither knight nor squire," said the pinder,
"Nor baron that is so bold,
Nor baron that is so bold,
Dare make a trespàss to the town of Wakefield,
But his pledge goes to the pinfold," &c.

All this beheard three wighty yeomen,
'Twas Robin Hood, Scarlet and John;
With that they espy'd the jolly pindèr,
As he sat under a thorn.

"Now turn again, turn again," said the pindèr,
"For a wrong way you have gone;
For you have forsaken the kings highway,
And made a path over the corn."

"O that were a shame," said jolly Robìn,
"We being three, and thou but one:"
The pinder leapt back then thirty good foot,
'Twas thirty good foot and one.

He leaned his back fast unto a thorn,
And his foot against a stone,
And there he fought a long summers day,
A summers day so long,
Till that their swords on their broad bucklèrs,
Were broke fast into their hands.

"Hold thy hand, hold thy hand," said bold Robin Hood,
"And my merry men stand aside;
For this is one of the best pindèrs,
That with sword ever I tryed.

"And wilt thou forsake thy pinders craft,
And go to the greenwood with me?
Thou shalt have a livery twice in the year,
Th' one greene, 'tither brown shall be."

"At Michaelmas next my cov'nant comes out,
When every man gathers his fee,
Then I'le take my blew blade all in my hand,
And plod to the green-wood with thee."

"Hast thou either meat or drink," said Robin Hood,
"For my merry men and me?"

"I have both bread and beef," said the pinder,
"And good ale of the best:"
"And that is meat good enough," said Robin Hood,
For such unbidden 'guest.'

"O wilt thou forsake the pinder his craft,
And go to the green-wood with me?
Thou shalt have a livery twice in the year,
The one green, the other brown [shall be]."

"If Michaelmas day was come and gone,
And my master had paid me my fee,
Then would I set as little by him,
As my master doth by me."

, witty young men. Ritson

29, 30. This is the reading in one black-letter copy that has come under the Editor's notice, instead of

"For this is one of the best pinders
That ever I tried with sword."—Gutch.

33, 34. From the same.