Argument.--The king, coming with a great array to Nottingham to take Robin Hood and the knight, and finding nothing but a great scarcity of deer, is wondrous wroth, and promises the knight's lands to any one who will bring him his head. For half a year the king has no news of Robin; at length, at the suggestion of a forester, he disguises himself as an abbot and five of his men as monks, and goes into the greenwood. He is met and stopped by Robin Hood, gives up forty pounds to him, and alleges he is a messenger from the king. Thereupon Robin entertains him and his men on the king's own deer, and the outlaws hold an archery competition, Robin smiting those that miss. At his last shot, Robin himself misses, and asks the abbot to smite him in his turn. The abbot gives him such a buffet that Robin is nearly felled; on looking more closely, he recognises the king, of whom he and his men ask pardon on their knees. The king grants it, on condition that they will enter his service. Robin agrees, but reserves the right to return to the greenwood if he mislikes the court.
This fytte is based on the story, extremely common and essentially popular, especially in England, of a meeting between a king in disguise and one of his subjects. Doubtless there was a ballad of Robin Hood and the king; but the only one we possess, The King's Disguise and Friendship with Robin Hood, is a late and a loose paraphrase of this fytte and the next. The commonest stories and ballads of this type in English are The King and the Barker (i.e. Tanner), King Edward the Fourth and the Tanner of Tamworth, King James and the Tinker, and King Henry II. and the Miller of Mansfield. Usually the point of the story is the lack of ceremony displayed by the subject, and the royal good-humour and largesse of the king.
There is only an arbitrary division between Fyttes VII. and VIII.; and one or two other points will be discussed in introducing the next and last fytte.
THE SEVENTH FYTTE
354.
The kynge came to Notynghame,
With knyght's in grete araye,
For to take that gentyll knyght
And Robyn Hode, and yf he may.
355.
He ask'd men of that countr'
After Robyn Hode,
And after that gentyll knyght,
That was so bolde and stout.
356.
Whan they had tolde hym the case
Our kynge understode ther tale,
And seased in his honde
The knyght's lond's all.
357.
All the passe of Lancasshyre
He went both ferre and nere,
Tyll he came to Plomton Parke;
He faylyd many of his dere.
358.
There our kynge was wont to se
Herd's many one,
He coud unneth fynde one dere,
That bare ony good home.
359.
The kynge was wonder wroth withall,
And swore by the Trynyt',
'I wolde I had Robyn Hode,
With eyen I myght hym se.
360.
'And he that wolde smyte of the knyght's hede,
And brynge it to me,
He shall have the knyght's londes,
Syr Rycharde at the Le.
361.
'I gyve it hym with my charter,
And sele it with my honde,
To have and holde for ever more,
In all mery Englonde.'
362.
Than bespake a fayre olde knyght,
That was treue in his fay:
'A, my leeg' lorde the kynge,
One worde I shall you say.
363.
'There is no man in this countr'
May have the knyght's londes,
Whyle Robyn Hode may ryde or gone,
And bere a bowe in his hondes,
364.
'That he ne shall lese his hede,
That is the best ball in his hode:
Give it no man, my lorde the kynge,
That ye wyll any good.'
365.
Half a yere dwelled our comly kynge
In Notyngham, and well more;
Coude he not here of Robyn Hode,
In what countr' that he were.
366.
But alway went good Robyn
By halke and eke by hyll,
And alway slewe the kyng's dere,
And welt them at his wyll.
367.
Than bespake a proude fostere,
That stode by our kyng's kne:
'Yf ye wyll see good Robyn,
Ye must do after me.
368.
'Take fyve of the best knyghtes
That be in your lede,
And walke downe by yon abbay,
And gete you monk's wede.
369.
'And I wyll be your ledes-man,
And lede you the way,
And or ye come to Notyngham,
Myn hede then dare I lay,
370.
'That ye shall mete with good Robyn,
On lyve yf that he be;
Or ye come to Notyngham,
With eyen ye shall hym se.'
371.
Full hastely our kynge was dyght,
were his knyght's fyve,
Everych of them in monk's wede,
And hasted them thyder blyve.
372.
Our kynge was grete above his cole,
A brode hat on his crowne,
Ryght as he were abbot-lyke,
They rode up into the towne.
373.
Styf bot's our kynge had on,
Forsoth as I you say;
He rode syngynge to gren' wode;
The covent was clothed in graye.
374.
His male-hors and his grete somers
Folowed our kynge behynde,
Tyll they came to grene wode,
A myle under the lynde.
375.
There they met with good Robyn,
Stondynge on the waye,
And so dyde many a bolde archere,
For soth as I you say.
376.
Robyn toke the kyng's hors,
Hastely in that stede,
And sayd, 'Syr abbot, by your leve,
A whyle ye must abyde.
377.
'We be yemen of this foreste,
Under the grene-wode tre;
We lyve by our kyng's dere,
Other shyft have not we.
378.
'And ye have chyrches and rent's both,
And gold full grete plent';
Gyve us some of your spendynge,
For saynt charyt'.'
379.
Than bespake our cumly kynge,
Anone than sayd he;
'I brought no more to grene-wode
But forty pounde with me.
380.
'I have layne at Notyngham,
This fourtynyght with our kynge,
And spent I have full moche good
On many a grete lordynge.
381.
'And I have but forty pounde,
No more than have I me:
But if I had an hondred pounde,
I wolde vouch it safe on thee.'
382.
Robyn toke the forty pounde,
And departed it in two partye;
Halfendell he gave his mery men,
And bad them mery to be.
383.
Full curteysly Robyn gan say;
'Syr, have this for your spendyng;
We shall mete another day';
'Gramercy,' than sayd our kynge.
384.
'But well thee greteth Edwarde our kynge,
And sent to thee his seale,
And byddeth thee com to Notyngham,
Both to mete and mele.'
385.
He toke out the brode targe,
And sone he lete hym se;
Robyn coud his courteysy,
And set hym on his kne.
386.
'I love no man in all the worlde
So well as I do my kynge;
Welcome is my lord's seale;
And, monke, for thy tydynge,
387.
'Syr abbot, for thy tydynges,
To day thou shalt dyne with me,
For the love of my kynge,
Under my trystell-tre.'
388.
Forth he lad our comly kynge,
Full fayre by the honde;
Many a dere there was slayne,
And full fast dyghtande.
389.
Robyn toke a full grete home,
And loude he gan blowe;
Seven score of wyght yonge men
Came redy on a rowe.
390.
All they kneled on theyr kne,
Full fayre before Robyn:
The kynge sayd hymselfe untyll,
And swore by Saynt Austyn,
391.
'Here is a wonder semely sight;
Me thynketh, by Godd's pyne,
His men are more at his byddynge
Then my men be at myn.'
392.
Full hastely was theyr dyner i-dyght,
And therto gan they gone;
They served our kynge with all theyr myght,
Both Robyn and Lytell Johan.
393.
Anone before our kynge was set
The fatt' venyson,
The good whyte brede, the good rede wyne,
And therto the fyne ale and browne.
394.
'Make good chere,' said Robyn,
'Abbot, for charyt';
And for this ylk' tydynge,
Blyssed mote thou be.
395.
'Now shalte thou se what lyfe we lede,
Or thou hens wende;
Than thou may enfourme our kynge,
Whan ye togyder lende.'
396.
Up they stert' all in hast,
Theyr bowes were smartly bent;
Our kynge was never so sore agast,
He wende to have be shente.
397.
Two yerdes there were up set,
Thereto gan they gange;
By fyfty pase, our kynge sayd,
The merk's were to longe.
398.
On every syde a rose-garlonde,
They shot under the lyne:
'Who so fayleth of the rose-garlonde,' sayd Robyn,
'His takyll he shall tyne,
399.
'And yelde it to his mayster,
Be it never so fyne;
For no man wyll I spare,
So drynke I ale or wyne;
400.
'And bere a buffet on his hede,
I-wys ryght all bare':
And all that fell in Robyns lote,
He smote them wonder sare.
401.
Twyse Robyn shot aboute,
And ever he cleved the wande,
And so dyde good Gylberte
With the Whyt' Hande.
402.
Lytell Johan and good Scathelocke,
For nothynge wolde they spare;
When they fayled of the garlonde,
Robyn smote them full sore.
403.
At the last shot that Robyn shot,
For all his frend's fare,
Yet he fayled of the garlonde
Thre fyngers and mare.
404.
Than bespake good Gylberte,
And thus he gan say;
'Mayster,' he sayd, 'your takyll is lost;
Stande forth and take your pay.'
405.
'If it be so,' sayd Robyn,
'That may no better be,
Syr abbot, I delyver thee myn arowe,
I pray thee, syr, serve thou me.'
406.
'It falleth not for myn ordre,' sayd our kynge,
'Robyn, by thy leve,
For to smyte no good yeman,
For doute I sholde hym greve.'
407.
'Smyte on boldely,' sayd Robyn,
'I give thee larg' leve':
Anone our kynge, with that worde,
He folde up his sleve,
408.
And sych a buffet he gave Robyn,
To grounde he yede full nere:
'I make myn avowe to God,' sayd Robyn,
'Thou arte a stalworthe frere.
409.
'There is pith in thyn arme,' sayd Robyn,
'I trowe thou canst well shete.'
Thus our kynge and Robyn Hode
Togeder gan they mete.
410.
Robyn behelde our comly kynge
Wystly in the face,
So dyde Syr Rycharde at the Le,
And kneled downe in that place.
411.
And so dyde all the wylde outlawes,
Whan they se them knele:
'My lorde the kynge of Englonde,
Now I knowe you well.'
412.
'Mercy then, Robyn,' sayd our kynge,
'Under your trystyll-tre,
Of thy goodnesse and thy grace,
For my men and me!'
413.
'Yes, for God,' sayd Robyn,
'And also God me save,
I aske mercy, my lorde the kynge,
And for my men I crave.'
414.
'Yes, for God,' than sayd our kynge,
'And therto sent I me,
With that thou leve the gren'-wode
And all thy company;
415.
'And come home, syr, to my courte,
And there dwell with me.'
'I make myn avowe to God,' sayd Robyn,
'And ryght so shall it be.
416.
'I wyll come to your courte,
Your servyse for to se,
And brynge with me of my men
Seven score and thre.
417.
'But me lyke well your servyse,
I wyll come agayne full soone,
And shote at the donn' dere,
As I am wonte to done.'