By Lands-Dale Hey Ho

"This strange and whimsical performance is taken from a very rare and curious publication, entitled Deuteromelia: or the second part of musicks melodie, or melodius musicke, 1609.

"In the collection of old printed ballads made by Anthony à Wood, is an inaccurate copy of this ancient and singular production, in his own hand-writing. "'This song,' says he, 'was esteemed an old song before the rebellion broke out in 1641.'" Ritson's Robin Hood, ii. 204.

By Lands-dale hey ho,
By mery Lands-dale hey ho,
There dwelt a jolly miller,
And a very good old man was he, hey ho.

He had, he had and a sonne a,
Men called him Renold,
And mickle of his might
Was he, was he, hey ho.

And from his father a wode a,
His fortune for to seeke,
From mery Lands-dale
Wode he, wode he, hey ho.

His father would him seeke a,
And found him fast asleepe;
Among the leaves greene
Was he, was he, hey ho.

He tooke, he tooke him up a,
All by the lilly-white hand,
And set him on his feet,
And bad him stand, hey ho.

He gave to him a benbow,
Made all of a trusty tree,
And arrowes in his hand,
And bad him let them flee.

And shoote was that, that a did a,
Some say he shot a mile,
But halfe a mile and more
Was it, was it, hey ho.

And at the halfe miles end [a,]
There stood an armed man;
The childe he shot him through,
And through and through, hey ho.

His beard was all on a white a,
As white as whaleis bone,
His eyes they were as cleare
As christall stone, hey ho.

And there of him they made [a]
Good yeoman Robin Hood,
Scarlet, and Little John,
And Little John, hey ho.