They cut them down two summer shoggs,

That grew both under a briar,

And set them threescore rod, in twain,

To shoot the pricks+ y-fere.‡

Lead on, good fellow, quoth Robin Hood,

Lead on, I do bid thee.

Nay by my faith, good fellow, he said,

My leader thou shalt be.

The first time Robin shot at the prick,
He miss'd but an inch it fro';
The yeoman he was an archer good,
But he could never shoot so.

The second shoot had the wighty yeoman,
He shot within the garland ;§

But Robin he shot far better than he,
For he clave the good prick-wand.

A blessing upon thy heart, he said;
Good fellow, thy shooting is good;
For an thy heart be as good as thy hand,
Thou wert better than Robin Hood.

* Twigs.

*

+ Marks. + Together. § A ring round the prick.

Now tell me thy name, good fellow, said he,

Under the leaves of lyne.*

Nay, by my faith, quoth bold Robin,

Till thou have told me thine.

I dwell by dale and down, quoth he,
And Robin to take I'm sworn;

And when I am called by my right name,
I am Guy of good Gisborne.

My dwelling is in this wood, says Robin,
By thee I set right nought:

I am Robin Hood of Barnèsdale,
Whom thou so long hast sought.

He that had neither been kith nor kin,
Might have seen a full fair sight,
To see how together these yeomen went
With blades both brown and bright.

To see how these yeomen together they fought
Two hours of a summer's day :

Yet neither Robin Hood nor sir Guy

Them fettled to fly away.

* Lime.