Note 283 — ROBIN HOOD. Part II.

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281 Clowdel le. For an account of these worthies the reader may consult their old metrical legend in Percy’s “Reliques,” vol. i., or “Ancient Popular Poetry,” 1791.

282 A beseem’d.

283 Has.

284 A.

285 Lease.

286 Choose.

287 For an account of Tutbury bull-running, and the character of king of the minstrels there, see Dr. Plott’s “Natural History of Staffordshire,” chap. x. § 69; Sir J. Hawkins’s “History of Music,” vol. ii. p. 64; and Blount’s “Ancient Tenures,” by Beckwith, p. 303, 8vo edit.

288 See this old and popular ballad in the Appendix.

289 Robin Hood.

290 Robin Hood.

291 The editor thinks it his duty to retain, in some instances, even the manifest corruptions of the old copies; in hopes that earlier and better authorities may one day enable him to remove them.

292 In the bowers.

293 Did him.

294 Made then.

295 Nicke.

296 Soon from.

297 Chiefest.

298 Full froe.

299 This (from an old black letter copy in Major Pearson’s collection) is evidently the genuine second part of the present ballad, although constantly printed as an independent article, under the title of “Robin Hood, Will Scadlock, and Little John: Or, a narrative of their victories obtained against the prince of Aragon and the two giants; and how Will Scadlock married the princess. Tune of Robin Hood; or, Hey down, down, a down:” Instead of which, in all former editions, are given the following incoherent stanzas, which have all the appearance of being the fragment of a quite different ballad:—

Then bold Robin Hood to the north he would go,

With valour and mickle might,

With sword by his side, which oft had been tri’d,

To fight and recover his right.

The first that he met was a bonny bold Scot,

His servant he said he would be.

No, quoth Robin Hood, it cannot be good,

For thou wilt prove false unto me ;

Thou hast not been true to sire nor cuz.

Nay, marry, the Scot he said,

As true as your heart, Ile never part,

Gude master, be not afraid.

Then Robin turned his face to the east,

Fight on, my merry men stout :

Our cause is good, quod brave Robin Hood,

And we shall not be beaten out.

The battel grows hot on every side,

The Scotchman made great moan ;

Quoth Jockey, Gude faith, they fight on each side,

Would I were with my wife Joan !

The enemy compast brave Robin about,

’Tis long ere the battel ends ;

Ther’s neither will yield, nor give up the field,

For both are supplied with friends.

This song it was made in Robin Hoods dayes :

Let’s pray unto Jove above,

To give us true peace, that mischief may cease,

And war may give place unto love.

300 Of a.

301 Forth.

302 Acaron. This termagant prince seems intended for a sort of Mahometan Pagan. Alcaron is a deity formed by metathesis from Alcoran, a book: a conversion much more ancient than the present ballad. Thus in the old metrical romance of “The Sowdon of Babyloyne,” a MS. in the possession of Dr. Farmer:

“Whan Laban herde of this myschief,

A sory man was he,

He trumped his men to relefe,

For to cease that tyme mente he.

Mersadage kinge of Barbarye

He did carye to his tente,

And beryed him by right of Sarsenye,

With brennynge fire riche oynemente ;

And songe the dirige of ALKARON,

That bibill is of here laye ;

And wayled his deth everychon,

Seven nyghtis and seven dayes.”

Here Alkaron is expressly the name of a BOOK (i.e. the Koran or Alcoran); in the following passage it is that of a GOD:

“Now shall ye here of Laban :

Whan tidynges to him were comen,

Tho was he a fulle sory man,

Whan he herde howe his vitaile were nomen,

And howe his men were slayne,

And Gye was go safe hem froo ;

He defyed Mahounde, and Apolyne,

Jubiter, Astarol, and ALCARON also.”

Wynken de Worde printed “A lytell treatyse of the Turkes law called Alcaron, &c.” See Herbert, 224.

If, however, Acaron be the true reading, we shall find an idol of that name in the Bible, 2 Regum i. 16, ed. Vulgate.

It was, at the same time, a proper name in the East: as “Accaron princeps insulæ Cypri” is mentioned by Roger de Hoveden, 786.

303 We should probably read frantick baboon!

304 Ground near Moorfields, London, famous in old times for the archery practised there. “In the year 1498,” says Stow, “all the gardens which had continued time out of minde, without Mooregate, to wit, about and beyond the lordship of Fensberry, were destroyed. And of them was made a plaine field for archers to shoote in.” Survay of London, 1598, p. 351. See also p. 77, where it is observed that “about the feast of S. Bartlemew . . . the officers of the city . . . were challengers of all men in the suburbes, . . . before the ‘lord’ maior, aldermen, and sheriffes, in FENSBERY FIELDE, to shoote the standarde, broade arrow, and flight, for games.” There is a tract intitled, “Ayme for Finsburie archers, or an alphabetical table of the names of every marke within the same fields, with the true distances, both by the map, and dimensuration with the line. Published for the ease of the skilfull, and behoofe of the yoonge beginners in the famous exercise of archerie, by J. J. and E. B. To be sold at the signe of the Swan in Grub-street, by F. Sergeant, 1594.” 16mo. Republished by R. F. 1604; and again by James Partridge, 1628, 12mo.

These famous archers are mentioned by Ben Jonson (Every Man in his Humour, act i. scene 1): “Because I dwell at Hogsden I shall keep company with none but the archers of Finsbury.”

The practice of shooting here is alluded to by Cotton in his Virgile Travestie (b. iv.), 1667:

“And arrows loos’d from Grub-street bow,

In FINSBURY, to him are slow;”

and continued till within the memory of persons now living.

305 The situation of this chase cannot be ascertained. There is an ancient family seat in Westmoreland called Dalham-tower.

306 Either the bishop was a very bad reckoner, or there is some mistake in the copy: three hundred nobles are exactly a hundred pounds. The common editions read ninety-nine angels, which would be no more than £49, 10s. No such coin or denomination, however, as either angel or noble existed in Robin Hood’s time.

307 I see.

308 Then did.

309 He . . was.

310 Robin Hood.

311 To.

312 Robin Hood.

313 See before, p. 235.

314 Doubtless.

315 When I came here.

316 Doth . . . arrow gain.

317 Robin Hood.

318 Robin Hood.

319 He had.

320 Robin Hood.

321 That could not.

322 Is.

323 Down a.

324

Oh save, oh save, oh sheriff he said,

Oh save and you may see.

325 Me.

326 Wandring.

327 Till I blood letted be.

328 You blood shall letted be.

329 Get down.

330 Burnt. This stanza is omitted in one edition.

331

With verdant sods most neatly put,

Sweet as the green wood tree.

332 This line is manifestly impertinent and corrupt. We might read:

With a stone upon the sod.