With that bespake one Clifton then,

Full quickly and full soone;

"Measure no markes for us, most soveraigne liege,

Wee'l shoot at sun and moone."

"Ful fifteene score your marke shall be,

66

Ful fifteene score shall stand;"

"I'll lay my bow," said Clifton then,

"I'll cleave the willow wand."

With that the kings archers led about,
While it was three and none;
With that the ladies began to shout,
"Madam, your game is gone."

"A boone, a boone," queen Katherine cries,
"I crave it on my bare knee;

Is there any knight of your privy counsèl
Of queen Katherines part will be?

"Come hither to mee, sir Richard Lee,
Thou art a knight full good:
For I do knowe by thy pedigree
Thou sprung'st from Gowers blood.

"Come hither to me, thou bishop of Herefordshire,"

For a noble priest was hee;

"By my silver miter," said the Bishop then,

"Ile not bet one peny."

"The king hath archers of his own,

Full ready and full light,

And these be strangers every one,

No man knowes what they hight."

"What wilt thou bet," said Robin Hood,
"Thou seest our game the worst ?"
"By my silver miter," then said the bishop,
"All the money within my purse."

"What is in thy purse?" said Robin Hood, "Throw it downe on the ground."

"Fiftren score nobles," said the bishop; "It's neere an hundred pound."

Robin Hood took his bagge from his side, And threw it downe on the greene; William Scadlocke then went smiling away, "I know who this money must win."

With that the kings archers led about,
While it was three and three;
With that the ladies gave a shout,
"Woodcock, beware thy knee!"

"It is three and three, now," said the king, "The next three pays for all :"

Robin Hood went and whispered the queen, "The kings part shall be but small."

Robin Hood hee led about,

Hee shot it under hand;
And Clifton, with a bearing arrow,
Hee clave the willow wand.

And little Midge, the millers son,
He shot not much the worse;
He shot within a finger of the prick :
"Now, bishop, beware thy purse!"

"A boone, a boone," queen Katherine cries, "I crave it on my bare knee,

That you will angry be with none,

That are of my partie."

"They shall have forty daies to come,

And forty daies to goe,

And three times forty to sport and play;

Then welcome friend or foe."

"Thou art welcome, Robin Hood," said the queene,

"And so is Little John,

And so is Midge, the millers son;

Thrice welcome every one."

"Is this Robin Hood?" now said the king;

"For it was told to me

That he was slain in the palace gates,

So far in the north country."

"Is this Robin Hood?" quoth the bishop then,

"As I see well to be:

Had I knowne it had been that bold outlaw,

I would not have bet one peny.

"Hee tooke me late one Saturday at night,
And bound mee fast to a tree,

And made mee sing a masse, God wot,
To him and his yeomandree."

"What an if I did?" saies Robin Hood, "Of that masse I was faine;

For recompence of that," he saies, "Here's halfe thy gold againe."

"Now nay, now nay," saies Little John,

Master, that shall not be;

We must give gifts to the kings officers;

That gold will serve thee and me."

ROBIN HOOD AND ALLIN A DALE.

Or, a pleasant relation how a young gentleman, being in love with a voung damsel, she was taken from him to be an old knights bride: and how Robin Hood, pittying the young mans case, took her from the old knight, when they were going to be marryed, and restored her to her own love again. To a pleasant northern tune, "Robin Hood in the green

wood stood."

Bold Robin Hood he did the young man right,
And took the damsel from the doting knight.

From an old black-letter copy in Major Pearson's collection.-RITSON.

SOME listen to me, you gallants so free,

All you that love mirth for to hear,
And I will tell you of a bold outlaw
That lived in Nottinghamshire.

As Robin Hood in the forest stood,
All under the green-wood tree,

There he was aware of a brave young man,

As fine as fine might be.

The youngster was cloathed in scarlet red,

In scarlet fine and gay;

And he did frisk it over the plain,
And chanted a round-de-lay.

As Robin Hood next morning stood

Amongst the leaves so gay,

There did he espy the same young man,
Come drooping along the way.

H