In deepe revolving thought he stoode,

And musde a little space;

Then raisde faire Emmeline from the grounde, With many a fond embrace.

"Here take her, Child of Elle," he sayd,

And gave her lillye hand;

"Here take my deare and only child,

And with her half my land.

Thy father once mine honour wrongde,

In dayes of youthful pride; Do thou the injurye repayre

In fondnesse for thy bride.

And as thou love and hold her deare,
Heaven prosper thee and thine;
And nowe my blessing wend wi' thee,
My lovelye Emmeline."

ROBIN HOOD AND THE CURTALL FRYER.

"From an old black-letter copy in the collection of Anthony à Wood; corrected by a much earlier one in the Pepysian library, printed by I. Gosson, about the year 1610; compared with a later one in the same collection. The full title is: The famous battell betweene Robin Hood and To a new Northern tune."-RITSON.

the Curtall Fryer.

N summer time, when leaves grow green,

And flowers are fresh and gay,

Robin Hood and his merry men

Were disposed to play.

Then some would leape, and some would runne,

And some would use artillery;

"Which of you can a good bow draw,
A good archer for to be?

Which of you can kill a bucke,
Or who can kill a doe?
Or who can kill a hart of greece
Five hundreth foot him fro?"

Will Scadlocke he kild a bucke,
And Midge he kild a doe,

And Little John kild a hart of greece,

Five hundreth foot him fro.

"Gods blessings on thy heart," said Robin Hood,

"That hath such a shot for me;

I would ride my horse a hundred miles,

To find one could match thee."

This caused Will Scadlocke to laugh,

He laught full heartily:

"There lives a curtall fryer in Fountaine's Abbey

Will beate both him and thee.

The curtall fryer in Fountaine's Abbey
Well can a strong bow draw;
He will beat you and your yeomèn,

Set them all on a row."

Robin Hood he tooke a solemne oath,

It was by Mary free,

That he would neither eate nor drinke

Till the fryer he did see.

Robin Hood put on his harnesse good,
On his head a cap of steel,

Broad sword and buckler by his side,
And they became him weele.

He tooke his bow into his hand,
It was made of a trusty tree,
With a sheafe of arrowes at his belt,
And to Fountaine Dale went he.

And comming unto Fountaine Dale,
No farther would he ride;

There he was aware of the curtall fryer,
Walking by the water side.

The fryer had on a harnesse good,
On his head a cap of steel,
Broad sword and buckler by his side,

And they became him weele.

Robin Hood lighted off his horse,

And tyed him to a thorne:

Carry me over the water, thou curtall fryer,
Or else thy life's forlorne."

The fryer tooke Robin Hood on his backe,
Deepe water he did bestride.

And spake neither good word nor bad,

Till he came at the other side.

Lightly leapt Robin offe the fryer's backe;
The fryer said to him againe,

66

Carry me over this water, thou fine fellow,
Or it shall breed thy paine."

Robin Hood took the fryer on his backe,
Deepe water he did bestride,

And spake neither good word nor bad,
Till he came at the other side.

Lightly leapt the fryer off Robin Hood's backe; Robin Hood said to him againe,

"Carry me over this water, thou curtall fryer,

Or it shall breede thy pain."

The fryer took Robin on's backe againe,

And stept in to the knee;

Till he came at the middle streame,
Neither good nor bad spake he.

And comming to the middle streame,
There he threw Robin in ;

"And chuse thee, chuse thee, fine fellow,
Whether thou wilt sink or swim."

Robin Hood swam to a bush of broome,
The fryer to a wigger* wand;
Bold Robin Hood is gone to shore,
And took his bow in his hand.

One of his best arrowes under his belt

To the fryer he let fly;

The curtall fryer with his steel buckler

Did put that arrow by.

"Shoot on, shoot on, thou fine fellow,
Shoot as thou hast begun,

If thou shoot here a summer's day,
Thy marke I will not shun."

* Willow.