English and Scottish Ballads
Chapter 253 : 117, shefes, C.118, ballockes, C.154, maryet, C.155, the, C.158, not breake, in C.187,

117, shefes, C.

118, ballockes, C.

154, maryet, C.

155, the, C.

158, not breake, in C.

187, to do, C.; _to_ or _so_ omitted in W.

189, wedded, C, wed, W.

197, your, C.

FRAGMENT OF AN INTERLUDE (?) OF ROBIN HOOD.

The lines which follow would seem to be part of an Interlude, in which, as in the play just given, the incidents of several ballads are rudely combined. The present fragment is manifestly founded on _Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne_. We owe this curious relic to a correspondent of _Notes and Queries_ (vol. xii. p. 321), who found it in an interleaved copy of _Robin Hood's Garland_, formerly belonging to Dr. Stukely, the inventor of the preposterous pedigree of Robin Hood. The Doctor has prefixed these remarks:--"It is not to be doubted but that many of subsequent songs are compiled from old ballads wrote in the time, or soon after Robin Hood, with alterations from time to time into the more modern language. Mr. Le Neve (Norroy) has a large half-sheet of paper which was taken from the inside of some old book, which preserves in an old hand a fragment of this sort.

On the back of it is wrote, among other accounts, this, 'It^m, R. S.

of Richard Whitway, penter for his house, sent in full payment, jx.

_s._, the vij. day of November, Edw'^d iij. xv.'; and in a later hand as follows."

"Syr Sheryffe, for thy sake Robyn Hode wull y take."

I wyll the gyffe golde and fee, This beheste thow holde me.

"Robyn Hode ffayre and fre, 5 Undre this lynde shote we."

With the shote y wyll, Alle thy l.u.s.tes to fullfyll.

"Have at the pryke,"

And y cleve the styke. 10 "Late us caste the stone,"

I grante well, be Seynte John.

"Late us caste the exaltre,"

Have a foote before the.

Syr knyght, ye have a falle. 15 "And I the, Robyn, qwyte shall.

Owte on the, I blewe my horne, Hitt ware better be unborne."

"Let us fight at oltrance.

"He that fleth, G.o.d gyfe hym myschaunce." 20

Now I have the maystry here, Off I smyte this sory swyre.

This knygthys clothis wolle I were, And on my hede his hyde will bere.[L24]

Well mete, felowe myn.[L25] 25 What herst thou of G.o.de Robyn?

"Robyn Hode and his menye With the Sheryffe takyn be."

Sette on foote with G.o.de wyll, And the Sheryffe wull we kyll. 30

Beholde wele Frere Tuke, Howe he dothe his bowe pluke.

"Yeld yow, Syrs, to the Sheryffe, Or elles shall ye blowes pryffe[L34]."

Now we be bounden alle in same; 35 Frere Tuke, this is no game.

"Come thou forth, thou fals outlawe; Thou shall be hangyde and y-drawe."

Now alias, what shall we doo!

We moste to the prysone goo." 40 Opyn the gates faste anon,[L41]

And [late] theis thevys ynne gon."[L42]

24, hede.

25, folowe.

34, elyffe.

41, ory the yatn.

42, theif thouys yune.

BY LANDS-DALE HEY HO.

"This strange and whimsical performance is taken from a very rare and curious publication, ent.i.tled _Deuteromelia_: _or the second part of musicks melodie, or melodius musicke_, 1609.

"In the collection of old printed ballads made by Anthony a 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, 5 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, 10 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 15 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. 20

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, 25 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; 30 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 35 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. 40