'O dinna' 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.

She had not gane a mile but twa,2

20

25

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,
To know his meaning trulye.'

And tarry my-selfe behinde?

30

How offt send I my men beffore,

'It is noe cunning a knave to ken,18

35

My boote when thou shold bee!'

15

65

nyew 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 tydes':

'J'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 shroggs? 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 garlande10; 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. 130 '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.'

'I dwell by dale and downe,' quoth Guye, 135 'And I have done many a curst turne; And he that calles me by my right name, Calles me Guye of good Gysborne.'

'My dwelling is in the wood,' sayes Robin; 'By thee I set right nought; My name is Robin Hood of Barnesdale, A ffellow thou has long sought.'

He that had neither beene a kithe nor kin Might have seene a full fayre sight,

140

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 reacheles1 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.'

4 trials of skill

5 not appointed, unexpected • hour

marks, targets

10 circle around the mark 11 target-rod

150

155

12 heedless 13 maid

He was war a the doughetie Doglas commynge,

With him a myghtte meany.

Both with spear, bylle, 10 and brande,
Yt was a myghtti sight to se;
Hardyar men, both off hart nor hande, 45
Wear not in Cristiante.

The wear twenti hondrith spear-men good,
Withoute any feale11;

The wear borne along be the watter a Twyde, Yth bowndes of Tividale.

50

We have kyld, and cast1s to carry them away.'

70

'Be my troth,' sayd the doughete Dogglas

agayn,

"Therfor the ton19 of us shall de20 this day.'

Then sayd the doughte Doglas

Unto the lord Perse:

'To kyll alle thes giltles men,

Alas, it wear great pitte!

'But, Perse, thowe art a lord of lande,

75

I am a yerle callyd within my contre; Let all our men uppone a parti stande, And do the battell off the and of me.' so

'Nowe Cristes cors22 on his crowne,' sayd the lord Perse,

'Who-so-ever ther-to says nay! Be my troth, doughtte Doglas,' he says, 'Thow shalt never se that day,

'Nethar in Ynglonde, Skottlonde, nar France,

85

Nor for no man of a woman born, But, and fortune be my chance, I dar met him, on man for on.' Then bespayke a squyar off Northombarlonde,

Richard Wytharyngton was his nam; 90 'It shall never be told in Sothe-Ynglonde,' he says,

"To Kyng Herry the Fourth for sham.

'I wat24 youe byn great lordes twaw,25 I am a poor squyar of lande;

I wylle never se my captayne fyght on a fylde,

And stande my selffe and loocke on, But whylle I may my weppone welde,

95

I wylle not [fayle] both hart and hande.'

That day, that day, that dredfull day!
The first fit26 here I fynde;

100

And youe wyll here any mor a the hountynge a the Chyviat,

Yet ys ther mor behynde.

The Yngglyshe men hade ther bowys yebent,

Ther hartes were good yenoughe; The first off arros that the shote off, Seven skore spear-men the sloughe.

19 the one 20 die

21 earl

22 curse

15 live coal

17 chase

23 head

12 in the

24 know

11 fail

23 two

105

26 canto, part of song