Robin Hoods Birth, Breeding, Valour, and Marriage

Appendix.

Ritson's Robin Hood, ii. 1.

Ritson printed this piece from a black-letter copy in a large and valuable collection of old ballads which successively belonged to Major Pearson, the Duke of Roxburghe, and Mr. Bright, but which is now in the British Museum.

The full title of the original is: A new ballad of bold Robin Hood; shewing his birth, breeding, valour, and marriage at Tilbury Bull-running. Calculated for the meridian of Staffordshire, but may serve for Derbyshire or Kent.

The copy in A Collection of Old Ballads, i. 67, is the same.

Kind gentlemen, will you be patient awhile?
Ay, and then you shall hear anon
A very good ballad of bold Robin Hood,
And of his brave man Little John.

In Locksly town, in merry Nottinghamshire,
In merry sweet Locksly town,
There bold Robin Hood he was born and was bred,
Bold Robin of famous renown.

The father of Robin a forrester was,
And he shot in a lusty strong bow,
Two north country miles and an inch at a shot,
As the Pinder of Wakefield does know.

For he brought Adam Bell, and Clim of the Clough,
And William of Clowdesle,
To shoot with our forrester for forty mark,
And the forrester beat them all three.

His mother was neece to the Coventry knight,
Which Warwickshire men call sir Guy;
For he slew the blue bore that hangs up at the gate,
Or mine host of the Bull tells a lie.

Her brother was Gamwel, of Great Gamwel-Hall,
A noble house-keeper was he,
Ay, as ever broke bread in sweet Nottinghamshire,
And a 'squire of famous degree.

The mother of Robin said to her husbànd,
"My honey, my love, and my dear,
Let Robin and I ride this morning to Gamwel,
To taste of my brother's good cheer."

And he said, "I grant thee thy boon, gentle Joan,
Take one of my horses, I pray:
The sun is arising, and therefore make haste,
For to-morrow is Christmas-day."

Then Robin Hood's father's grey gelding was brought,
And sadled and bridled was he;
God wot a blue bonnet, his new suit of cloaths,
And a cloak that did reach to his knee.

She got on her holyday kirtle and gown,
They were of a light Lincoln green;
The cloath was homespun, but for colour and make
It might a beseem'd our queen.

And then Robin got on his basket-hilt sword,
And his dagger on his tother side;
And said, "My dear mother, let's haste to be gone,
We have forty long miles to ride."

When Robin had mounted his gelding so grey,
His father, without any trouble,
Set her up behind him, and bad her not fear,
For his gelding had oft carried double.

And when she was settled, they rode to their neighbours,
And drank and shook hands with them all;
And then Robin gallopt, and never gave o're,
'Till they lighted at Gamwel-Hall.

And now you may think the right worshipful 'squire
Was joyful his sister to see;
For he kist her, and kist her, and swore a great oath,
"Thou art welcome, kind sister, to me."

To-morrow, when mass had been said in the chappel,
Six tables were covered in the hall,
And in comes the 'squire, and makes a short speech,
It was, "Neighbours, you're welcome all.

"But not a man here shall taste my March beer,
'Till a Christmas carrol he does sing:"
Then all clapt their hands, and they shouted and sung,
'Till the hall and the parlour did ring.

Now mustard and brawn, roast beef and plumb pies,
Were set upon every table:
And noble George Gamwel said, "Eat and be merry
And drink too as long as you're able."

When dinner was ended, his chaplain 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 juggling, and twenty such tricks,
As shall make you both merry and glad.

When Little John came, to gambols they went,
Both gentlemen, yeomen, 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 here with me.

"Thou shalt have my land when I die, 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 fetch me my bow, my longest long bow,
And broad arrows, one, two, or three;
For when 'tis fair weather we'll 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 yeomen and bold
Before Robin Hood did appear.

"Where are your companions all?" said Robin Hood,
"For still I want forty and three:"
Then said a bold yeoman, "Lo, yonder they stand,
All under the green wood tree."

As that word was spoke, Clorinda came by,
The queen of the shepherds was she;
And her gown was of velvet as green as the grass,
And her buskin did reach to her knee.

Her gait it was graceful, her body was straight,
And her countenance free from pride;
A bow in her hand, and a quiver of arrows
Hung dangling by her sweet side.

Her eye-brows were black, ay, and so was her hair,
And her skin was as smooth as glass;
Her visage spoke wisdom, and modesty too;
Sets with Robin Hood such a lass!

Said Robin Hood, "Lady fair, whither away?
O whither, fair lady, away?"
And she made him an answer, "To kill a fat buck;
For to-morrow is Titbury day."

Said Robin Hood, "Lady fair, wander with me
A little to yonder green bower;
There set down to rest you, and you shall be sure
Of a brace or a leash in an hour."

And as we were going towàrds 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, or com'st thou from west,
Thou needst not beg venison of me.

"However, along to my bower you shall go,
And taste of a forrester's meat:"
And when we came thither we found as good cheer
As any man needs for to eat.

For there was hot venison, and warden pies cold,
Cream clouted, with honey-combs plenty;
And the servitors they were, besides 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 Gamwel's my 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," Clorinda reply'd.
"But oh," said bold Robin, "how sweet would it be,
If Clorinda would be my bride!"

She blusht at the motion; yet, after a pause
Said, "Yes, sir, and with all my heart:"
"Then let us send for a priest," said Robin Hood,
"And be married 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'll make him the most welcome guest."

Said Robin Hood, "Reach me that buck, Little John,
For I'll go along with my dear;
And bid my yeomen kill six brace of bucks,
And meet me to-morrow just here."

Before he had ridden five Staffordshire miles,
Eight yeomen, that were 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 by me, and we'll beat 'em all:"
Then both drew their swords, and so cut 'em, and slasht 'em,
That five of them did fall.

The three that remain'd call'd to Robin for quarter,
And pitiful John begg'd their lives;
When John's boon was granted, he gave them good counsel,
And sent them all home to their wives.

This battle was fought near to Titbury town,
When the bagpipes baited the bull;
I'm the king of the fidlers, and I swear 'tis truth,
And I call him that doubts it a gull:

For I saw them fighting, and fiddled the while,
And Clorinda sung "Hey derry down!
The bumkins are beaten, put up thy sword, Bob,
And now let's dance into the town."

Before we came in, we heard a strange shouting,
And all that were in it look'd madly;
For some were on bull-back, some dancing a morris,
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 kiss'd 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 bad them take hands,
And 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 sight of the bower,
"Where are my yeomen?" said he:
And Little John answer'd, "Lo, yonder they stand,
All under the green wood tree."

Then a garland they brought her by two and by two,
And plac'd them all on the bride's head:
The music struck up, and we all fell to dance,
'Till the bride and bridegroom were a-bed.

And what they did there must be counsel to me,
Because they lay long the next day;
And I had haste home, but I got a good piece
Of bride-cake, and so came away.

Now out, alas! I had forgotten to tell ye,
That marry'd 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'll make ballads in Robin Hood's bower,
And sing 'em in merry Sherwood.

, Clowdel le.

, has.

, a.

, lease.

, choose.

. Tutbury, or Stutesbury, Staffordshire. This celebrated place lies about four miles from Burton-upon-Trent, on the west bank of the river Don. Its castle, it is supposed, was built a considerable time before the Norman conquest. Being the principal seat of the Dukes of Lancaster, it was long distinguished as the scene of festivity and splendour. The number of minstrels which crowded it was so great, that it was found necessary to have recourse to some expedient for preserving order among them, and determining their claims of precedence. Accordingly, one of their number, with the title of king of the minstrels, was appointed, and under him several inferior officers, to assist in the execution of the laws. To this chief a charter was granted by John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, 22nd August, 4th Richard II., 1381. This king of the minstrels and his officers having inflicted fines and punishments which exceeded the due bounds of justice, a court for hearing and determining complaints and controversies was instituted, which was yearly held with many forms and ceremonies. The business of the court being concluded, the officers withdraw to partake of a sumptuous repast, prepared for them by the steward of the lordship. In the afternoon the minstrels assembled at the gate of the priory, where, by way of amusement for the multitude, a bull, having his horns, ears, and tail cut off, his body besmeared with soap, and his nose blown full of pepper, was then let loose. If the minstrels could take and hold him, even so long as to deprive him of the smallest portion of his hair, he was declared their property, provided this was done within the confines of Staffordshire, and before sunset. The bull was next collared and roped, and being brought to the market cross, was baited with dogs. After this he was delivered to the minstrels, who might dispose of him as they deemed proper. Vide Blount's Ancient Tenures, Hawkins's History of Music, Strutt's Sports and Pastimes, for fuller particulars of this ancient custom. Gutch.