Robin Hood and the Stranger

Ritson's Robin Hood. ii. 69.

"From an old black-letter copy in the collection of Anthony à Wood. The title now given to this ballad is that which it seems to have originally borne; having been foolishly altered to Robin Hood newly revived. The circumstances attending the second part will be explained in a note." Ritson.

For the different versions of the first part of the story see Robin Hood and the Beggar, p. 188.

Come listen awhile, you gentlemen all,
With a hey down, down, a down, down,
That are this bower within,
For a story of gallant bold Robin Hood
I purpose now to begin.

"What time of day?" quod Robin Hood then;
Quoth Little John, "'Tis in the prime;"
"Why then we will to the greenwood gang,
For we have no vittles to dine."

As Robin Hood walkt the forrest along,
(It was in the mid of the day,)
There he was met of a deft young man
As ever walkt on the way.

His doublet was of silk, 'tis said,
His stockings like scarlet shone;
And he walked on along the way,
To Robin Hood then unknown.

A herd of deer was in the bend,
All feeding before his face:
"Now the best of you Ile have to my dinner,
And that in a little space."

Now the stranger he made no mickle adoe,
But he bends a right good bow,
And the best of all the herd he slew,
Forty good yards him froe.

"Well shot, well shot," quod Robin Hood then,
"That shot it was shot in time;
And if thou wilt accept of the place,
Thou shalt be a bold yeoman of mine."

"Go play the chiven," the stranger said,
"Make haste and quickly go,
Or with my fist, be sure of this,
Ile give thee buffets sto'."

"Thou had'st not best buffet me," quod Robin Hood,
"For though I seem forlorn,
Yet I have those will take my part,
If I but blow my horn."

"Thou wast not best wind thy horn," the stranger said,
"Beest thou never so much in haste,
For I can draw out a good broad sword,
And quickly cut the blast."

Then Robin Hood bent a very good bow,
To shoot, and that he would fain;
The stranger he bent a very good bow,
To shoot at bold Robin again.

"Hold thy hand, hold thy hand," quod Robin Hood,
"To shoot it would be in vain;
For if we should shoot the one at the other,
The one of us may be slain.

"But let's take our swords and our broad bucklèrs,
And gang under yonder tree:"
"As I hope to be sav'd," the stranger said,
"One foot I will not flee."

Then Robin Hood lent the stranger a blow,
'Most scar'd him out of his wit:
"Thou never delt blow," the stranger he said,
"That shall be better quit."

The stranger he drew out a good broad sword,
And hit Robin on the crown,
That from every haire of bold Robins head,
The blood ran trickling down.

"God a mercy, good fellow!" quod Robin Hood then,
"And for this that thou hast done,
Tell me, good fellow, what thou art,
Tell me where thou doest wone."

The stranger then answer'd bold Robin Hood,
"Ile tell thee where I do dwell;
In Maxwell town I was bred and born,
My name is young Gamwell.

"For killing of my own fathers steward,
I am forc'd to this English wood,
And for to seek an uncle of mine,
Some call him Robin Hood."

"But art thou a cousin of Robin Hood then?
The sooner we should have done:"
"As I hope to be sav'd," the stranger then said,
"I am his own sisters son."

But, lord! what kissing and courting was there,
When these two cousins did greet!
And they went all that summers day,
And Little John did [not] meet.

But when they met with Little John,
He unto them did say,
"O master, pray where have you been,
You have tarried so long away?"

"I met with a stranger," quod Robin Hood,
"Full sore he hath beaten me:"
"Then I'le have a bout with him," quod Little John,
"And try if he can beat me."

"Oh [no], oh no," quoth Robin Hood then,
"Little John, it may [not] be so;
For he is my own dear sisters son,
And cousins I have no mo.

"But he shall be a bold yeoman of mine,
My chief man next to thee;
And I Robin Hood, and thou Little John,
And Scadlock he shall be:

"And weel be three of the bravest outlàws
That live in the north country."
If you will hear more of bold Robin Hood,
In the second part it will be.

, and a. Ritson.

, full froe.

, felt. Ritson.

, won, R.

[Part the Second.]

Now Robin Hood, Will Scadlock, and Little John
Are walking over the plain,
With a good fat buck, which Will Scadlòck
With his strong bow had slain.

"Jog on, jog on," cries Robin Hood,
"The day it runs full fast;
For tho' my nephew me a breakfast gave,
I have not yet broke my fast.

"Then to yonder lodge let us take our way,—
I think it wondrous good,—
Where my nephew by my bold yeomèn
Shall be welcom'd unto the greenwood."

With that he took his bugle-horn,
Full well he could it blow;
Streight from the woods came marching down
One hundred tall fellows and mo.

"Stand, stand to your arms," says Will Scadlòck,
"Lo! the enemies are within ken:"
With that Robin Hood he laugh'd aloud,
Crying, "They are my bold yeomèn."

Who, when they arrived, and Robin espy'd,
Cry'd "Master, what is your will?
We thought you had in danger been,
Your horn did sound so shrill."

"Now nay, now nay," quoth Robin Hood,
"The danger is past and gone;
I would have you welcome my nephew here,
That has paid me two for one."

In feasting and sporting they pass'd the day,
Till Phœbus sunk into the deep;
Then each one to his quarters hy'd,
His guard there for to keep.

Long had they not walked within the greenwood,
When Robin he soon espy'd
A beautiful damsel all alone,
That on a black palfrey did ride.

Her riding-suit was of sable hew black,
Cypress over her face,
Through which her rose-like cheeks did blush,
All with a comely grace.

"Come tell me the cause, thou pretty one,"
Quoth Robin, "and tell me aright,
From whence thou comest, and whither thou goest,
All in this mournful plight?"

"From London I came," the damsel reply'd,
"From London upon the Thames,
"Which circled is, O grief to tell!
Besieg'd with foreign arms;

"By the proud prince of Arragon,
Who swears by his martial hand
To have the princess to his spouse,
Or else to waste this land;

"Except such champions can be found,
That dare fight three to three,
Against the prince, and giants twain,
Most horrid for to see;

"Whose grisly looks, and eyes like brands,
Strike terrour where they come,
With serpents hissing on their helms,
Instead of feathered plume.

"The princess shall be the victor's prize,
The king hath vow'd and said,
And he that shall the conquest win,
Shall have her to his bride.

"Now we are four damsels sent abroad,
To the east, west, north, and south,
To try whose fortune is so good
To find these champions forth.

"But all in vain we have sought about,
For none so bold there are
That dare adventure life and blood,
To free a lady fair."

"When is the day?" quoth Robin Hood,
"Tell me this and no more:"
"On Midsummer next," the dam'sel said,
"Which is June the twenty-four."

With that the tears trickled down her cheeks,
And silent was her tongue:
With sighs and sobs she took her leave,
Away her palfrey sprung.

The news struck Robin to the heart,
He fell down on the grass;
His actions and his troubled mind
Shew'd he perplexed was.

"Where lies your grief?" quoth Will Scadlòck,
"O master, tell to me:
If the damsel's eyes have pierc'd your heart,
I'll fetch her back to thee."

"Now nay, now nay," quoth Robin Hood,
"She doth not cause my smart;
But 'tis the poor distress'd princèss,
That wounds me to the heart.

"I'll go fight the giants all
To set the lady free:"
"The devil take my soul," quoth Little John,
"If I part with thy company."

"Must I stay behind?" quoth Will Scadlòck,
"No, no, that must not be;
I'le make the third man in the fight,
So we shall be three to three."

These words cheer'd Robin to the heart,
Joy shone within his face;
Within his arms he hugged them both,
And kindly did imbrace.

Quoth he, "We'll put on motley gray,
And long staves in our hands,
A scrip and bottle by our sides,
As come from the holy land.

"So may we pass along the high-way,
None will ask from whence we came,
But take us pilgrims for to be,
Or else some holy men."

Now they are on their journey gone,
As fast as they may speed,
Yet for all their haste, ere they arriv'd,
The princess forth was led,

To be deliver'd to the prince,
Who in the list did stand,
Prepar'd to fight, or else receive
His lady by the hand.

With that he walk'd about the lists,
With giants by his side:
"Bring forth," said he, "your champions,
Or bring me forth my bride.

"This is the four and twentieth day,
The day prefixt upon:
Bring forth my bride, or London burns,
I swear by Alcaron."

Then cries the king, and queen likewise,
Both weeping as they spake,
"Lo! we have brought our daughter dear,
Whom we are forc'd to forsake."

With that stept out bold Robin Hood,
Crys, "My liege, it must not be so;
Such beauty as the fair princèss
Is not for a tyrant's mow."

The prince he then began to storm,
Cries, "Fool, fanatick, baboon!
How dare you stop my valour's prize?
I'll kill thee with a frown."

"Thou tyrant Turk, thou infidel,"
Thus Robin began to reply,
"Thy frowns I scorn; lo! here's my gage,
And thus I thee defie.

"And for those two Goliahs there,
That stand on either side,
Here are two little Davids by,
That soon can tame their pride."

Then the king did for armour send,
For lances, swords, and shields:
And thus all three in armour bright
Came marching to the field.

The trumpets began to sound a charge,
Each singled out his man;
Their arms in pieces soon were hew'd,
Blood sprang from every vain.

The prince he reacht Robin Hood a blow,
He struck with might and main,
Which forc'd him to reel about the field,
As though he had been slain.

"God-a-mercy," quoth Robin, "for that blow!
The quarrel shall soon be try'd;
This stroke shall shew a full divorce
Betwixt thee and thy bride."

So from his shoulders he's cut his head,
Which on the ground did fall,
And grumbling sore at Robin Hood,
To be so dealt withal.

The giants then began to rage
To see their prince lie dead:
"Thou's be the next," quoth little John,
"Unless thou well guard thy head."

With that his faulchion he wherled about,
It was both keen and sharp;
He clove the giant to the belt,
And cut in twain his heart.

Will Scadlock well had play'd his part,
The giant he had brought to his knee;
Quoth Will, "The devil cannot break his fast,
Unless he have you all three."

So with his faulchion he run him through,
A deep and ghastly wound;
Who dam'd and foam'd, curst and blasphem'd,
And then fell to the ground.

Now all the lists with shouts were fill'd,
The skies they did resound,
Which brought the princess to herself,
Who had fal'n in a swound.

The king and queen and princess fair,
Came walking to the place,
And gave the champions many thanks,
And did them further grace.

"Tell me," quoth the king, "whence you are,
That thus disguised came,
Whose valour speaks that noble blood
Doth run through every vain."

"A boon, a boon," quoth Robin Hood,
"On my knees I beg and crave;"
"By my crown," quoth the king, "I grant;
Ask what, and thou shalt have."

"Then pardon I beg for my merry men,
Which are in the green-wood,
For Little John, and Will Scadlock,
And for me bold Robin Hood."

"Art thou Robin Hood?" then quoth the king;
"For the valour thou hast shewn,
Your pardons I do freely grant,
And welcome every one.

"The princess I promis'd the victor's prize;
She cannot have you all three."
"She shall chuse," quoth Robin; said Little John,
"Then little share falls to me."

Then did the princess view all three,
With a comely lovely grace,
And took Will Scadlock by the hand,
Saying "Here I make my choice."

With that a noble lord stept forth,
Of Maxfield earl was he,
Who look'd Will Scadlock in the face,
And wept most bitterly.

Quoth he, "I had a son like thee,
Whom I lov'd wondrous well;
But he is gone, or rather dead,
His name it is young Gamwell."

Then did Will Scadlock fall on his knees,
Cries, "Father! father! here,
Here kneels your son, your young Gamwell,
You said you lov'd so dear."

But, lord! what imbracing and kissing was there,
When all these friends were met!
They are gone to the wedding, and so to bedding:
And so I bid you good night.

, Of a.

, Acaron.

, promise. Ritson.