IN

XI. Robin Hood and the Tanner:

OR,

Robin Hood met with his Match.

To the Tune of Robin Hood and the Stranger.

N Nottingham there lives a jolly Tanner,
With a Hey down, down, and a down;
His Name is Arthur a Bland;

There's never a 'Squire, in Nottinghamshire,
Dare bid bold Arthur to ftand:

With a long Pike-Staff upon his Shoulder,

With a Hey, &c.

So well he can clear his way,

By two and by three, he makes them to flee,
For he hath no List to stay.

And as he went out in a Summer-Morning,
With a Hey, &c.

Into the Foreft of merry Sherwood,

To view the red Deer, which run here and there,
There met he bold Robin Hood.

As foon as bold Robin did him espy,

With a Hey, &c.

He thought fome Sport he would make ; Therefore out of hand, he bid him to stand, And thus unto him he spake:

Why,

Why, what art thou, thou bold Fellow?
With a Hey, &c.

That rangest fo boldly here:

In footh, to be brief, thou look'ft like a Thief,
That comes to steal our King's Deer.

For I am a Keeper in this Forest,
With a Hey, &c.

The King puts me in Trust,

To look to his Deer, that range here and there;
Therefore stop thee I must.

If thou beeft a Keeper in this Foreft,
With a Hey, &c.

And haft fuch a great Command;

Yet you must have more Partakers in Store,
Before you make me to stand.

No, I have no more Partakers in Store,

With a Hey, &c.

Or any that I do need:

But I have Staff of another Oak-Graft,

I know it will do the Deed.

For thy Sword and thy Bow I care not a Straw,
With a Hey, &c.

Nor all thy Arrows to-boot :

If thou get'ft a Knock upon thy bare Scop,
Thou can'ft as well fh-t as shoot.

Speak cleanly, good Fellow, faid jolly Robin,
With a Hey, &c.

And give better Terms unto me;

Elfe I'll thee correct for thy Neglect,

And make thee more mannerly.

Marry

Marry gap with a wanion, quoth Arthur a Bland,
With a Hey, &c.

Art thou fuch a goodly Man?

I care not a Fig for thy looking so big;
Mend you your self where you can.

Then Robin Hood unbuckled his Belt,
With a Hey, &c.

And laid down his Bow fo long;

He took up his Staff of another Oak-Graft,
That was both stiff and strong.

I yield to thy Weapon, faid jolly Robin,
With a Hey, &c.

Since thou wilt not yield to mine;
For I have a Staff of another Oak-Graft,
Not Half a Foot longer than thine.

But let me measure, faid jolly Robin,
With a Hey, &c.

Before we begin the Fray;

For I will not have mine to be longer than thine,
For that will be counted foul Play.

I pass not for Length, bold Arthur reply'd,
With a Hey, &c.

My Staff is of Oak fo free;

Eight Foot and a half, it will knock down a Calf,
And I hope it will knock down thee.

Then Robin he could no longer forbear,
With a Hey, &c.

But gave him a very good Knock;
Quickly and foon the Blood it run down,
Before it was Ten o' Clock.

Then

Then Arthur foon recover'd himself,

With a Hey, &c.

And gave him a Knock on the Crown, That from every Side of Robin's Head The Blood it run trickling down.

Then Robin Hood raged like a wild Boar,
With a Hey, &c.

As foon as he saw his own Blood :
Then Bland was in haste, he laid on so fast,
As if he had been cleaving of Wood:

And about, and about, and about they went, With a Hey, &c.

Like Two wild Boars in a Chace; Striving to aim, each other to maim, Leg, Arm, or any other Place.

And Knock for Knock they luftily dealt,
With a Hey, &c.

Which held for Two Hours, or more;
That all the Wood rang, at every Bang,
They ply'd their Work fo fore.

Hold thy Hand, hold thy Hand, said Robin A With a Hey, &c.

And let our Quarrel fall;

For here we may thrash, our Bones all to Ma And get no Coin at all.

And in the Forest of merry Sherwood,

With a Hey, &c.

Hereafter thou shalt be free :

God ha' Mercy for nought, my Freedom I bou I may thank my good Staff, and not thee.

What Tradesman art thou, said jolly Robin ?
With a Hey, &c.

Good Fellow, I prithee, me show?

And also me tell, in what Place you dwell?
For both of these fain would I know.

I am a Tanner, bold Arthur reply'd,
With a Hey, &c,

In Nottingham long have I wrought;
And if thou come there, I do vow and swear,
I'll tan thy Hide for nought.

God ha' Mercy, Good Fellow, said jolly Robin,
With a Hey, &c.

Since thou art fo kind and free,

And if thou wilt tan my Hide for nought,
I'll do as much for thee.

But if thou'lt forfake thy Tanner's Trade,
With a Hey, &c.

And live in the green Wood with me;
My Name is Robin Hood, I fwear by the Wood,
I will give thee both Gold and Fee.

If thou be Robin Hood, bold Arthur reply'd,
With a Hey, &c.

As I think well thou art ;

Then here's my Hand, my Name's Arthur a Bland, We Two will never part.

But tell me, O tell me, where is Little John?

With a Hey, &c.

Of him fain would I hear;

For we are ally'd, by the Mother's Side,

And he is my Kinsman near.

Then