'O dinna1 ye mind, young man,' said she, 'When ye was in the tavern a drinking, That ye made the healths gae round and round,

And slighted Barbara Allan?'

He turnd his face unto the wall,

And death was with him dealing: 'Adieu, adieu, my dear friends all, And be kind to Barbara Allan.'

And slowly, slowly raise she up,
And slowly, slowly left him,
And sighing said, she could not stay,
Since death of life had reft him.

20

25

She had not gane a mile but twa,2
When she heard the dead-bell ringing, 30
And every jow3 that the dead-bell geid,
It cryd, Woe to Barbara Allan!

'O mother, mother, make my bed!
O make it saft and narrow!
Since my love died for me to-day,
I'll die for him to-morrow.'

ROBIN HOOD AND GUY OF GISBORNE

The cast on their gowne of greene,

A shooting gone are they,

Untill they came to the merry greenwood, Where they had gladdest bee;

There were they ware of a wight yeoman, 25
His body leaned to a tree.

A sword and a dagger he wore by his side,
Had beene many a mans bane,

And he was cladd in his capull-hyde,16
Topp, and tayle, and mayne.

'Stand you still, master,' quoth Litle John, 'Under this trusty tree,

And I will goe to yong wight yeoman,

And tarry my-selfe behinde?

30

To know his meaning trulye.'

How offt send I my men beffore,

'It is noe cunning a knave to ken,18

35

John is gone to Barnesdale,

The gates he knowes eche one.

And when hee came to Barnesdale, Great heavinesse there hee hadd; He ffound two of his fellowes

Were slaine both in a slade,20 And Scarlett a ffoote flyinge was, Over stockes and stone,

For the sheriffe with seven score men Fast after him is gone.

50

My boote25 when thou shold bee!'

15

65

2 yew 23 made ready 24 be, come to

% help

'Good morrow, good fellow,' quoth Sir Guy;

'Good morrow, good ffellow,' quoth hee; 'Methinkes by this bow thou beares in thy hand,

A good archer thou seems to bee.'

'I am wilfull of my way,' quoth Sir Guye, 95 And of my morning tyde':

'I'le lead thee through the wood,' quoth Robin,

'Good ffellow, I'le be thy guide.'

'I seeke an outlaw,' quoth Sir Guye,
'Men call him Robin Hood;

I had rather meet with him upon a day
Then forty pound of golde.'

100

They cutt them downe the summer shroggs7 Which grew both under a bryar,

And sett them three score rood in twinn,s To shoote the prickes full neare.

'Leade on, good ffellow,' sayd Sir Guye, 115 'Lead on, I doe bidd thee':

'Nay, by my faith,' quoth Robin Hood,
'The leader thou shalt bee.'

The first good shoot that Robin ledd,
Did not shoote an inch the pricke ffroe; 120
Guy was an archer good enoughe,

But he cold neere shoote soe.

The second shoote Sir Guy shott, He shott within the garlande1o; But Robin Hoode shott it better then hee, 125 For he clove the good pricke-wande." 'Gods blessing on thy heart!' sayes Guye, 'Goode ffellow, thy shooting is goode; For an thy hart be as good as thy hands, Thou were better then Robin Hood. 'Tell me thy name, good ffellow,' quoth Guy, 'Under the leaves of lyne': Nay, by my faith,' quoth good Robin, "Till thou have told me thine.'

130

He that had neither beene a kithe nor kin
Might have seene a full fayre sight,
To see how together these yeomen went, 145
With blades both browne and bright.

To have seene how these yeomen together fought,

Two howers of a summers day;

Itt was neither Guy nor Robin Hood
That ffettled them to flye away.

Robin was reacheles12 on a roote,
And stumbled at that tyde,
And Guy was quicke and nimble withall,
And hitt him ore the left side.

'Ah, deere Lady!' sayd Robin Hoode,
'Thou art both mother and may13!
I thinke it was never man's destinye
To dye before his day.'

10 circle around the mark

11 target-rod

150

155

12 heedless 13 maid

But Robin hee hyed him towards Litle John, Hee thought hee wold loose him belive, The sheriffe and all his companye

Fast after him did drive.

'Stand abacke! stand abacke!' sayd Robin;

'Why draw you mee soe neere?

Itt was never the use in our countrye
Ones shrift another shold heere.'

But Robin pulled forth an Irysh kniffe,
And losed John hand and ffoote,
And gave him Sir Guyes bow in his hand,
And bade it be his boote.

But John tooke Guyes bow in his hand

215

220

But I have a cousin lives down below, Please God, she will bleed me.'

10