numbers of outlaws, and especially of such as were the best marksmen. These naturally fled to the woods for shelter; and, forming into troops, endeavoured by their numbers to protect themselves from the dreadful penalties of their delinquency. The ancient punishment for killing the king's deer was loss of eyes and castration, a punishment far worse than death. This will easily account for the troops of banditti which formerly lurked in the royal forests, and, from their superior skill in archery and knowledge of all the recesses of those unfrequented solitudes, found it no difficult matter to resist or elude the civil power.

Among all those, none was ever more famous than the hero of this ballad, whose chief residence was in Shirewood forest, in Nottinghamshire; and the heads of whose story; as collected by Stow, are briefly these.

In this time [about the year 1190, in the reign of Richard I.] were many robbers, and outlawes, among the which Robin Hood, and Little John, renowned theeves, continued in woods, despoyling and robbing the goods of the rich. They killed none but such as would invade them, or by resistance for their own defence.

"The saide Robert entertained an hundred tall men and good archers with such spoiles and thefts as he got, upon whom four hundred (were they ever so strong) durst not give the onset. He suffered no woman to be oppressed, violated, or otherwise molested poore mens goods he spared, abundantlie relieving them with that which by theft he got from abbeys and the houses of rich carles: whom Maior (the historian) blame th for his rapine and theft, but of all theeves he affirmeth him to be the prince, and the most gentle theefe." Annals. p. 159.

The personal courage of this celebrated outlaw, his skill in archery, his humanity, and especially his levelling principle of taking from the rich and giving to the poor, have in all ages rendered him the favourite of the common people, who, not content to celebrate his memory by innumerable songs and stories, have erected him into the dignity of an earl. Indeed, it is not impossible, but our hero, to gain the more respect from his followers, or they to derive the more credit to their profession, may have given rise to such a report themselves: for we find it recorded in an epitaph, which, if genuine, must have been Inscribed on his tombstone near the nunnery of Kirklees in Yorkshire; where (as the story goes) he was bled to death by a treacherous nun to whom he applied for phlebotomy:

* Hear undernead dis laitl stean
laiz robert earl of huntingtun
nea arcir ver az hie sae geud
an pipl kauld im Robin Heud
stek utlawz as hi an is men
vil England nibir si agen.

obiit 24 kal, dekembris, 1247.

This Epitaph appears to me suspicious: however, a late Antiquary has given a pedigree of Robin Hood, which, if genuine, shows that he had real pretensions to the Earldom of Huntington, and that his true name was Robert Fitz-ootht. Yet the most ancient poems on Robin Hood make no mention of this Earldom. He is expressly asserted to have been a yeo

See Thoresby's Ducat. Leod. p. 576. Biog. Brit. vi. 3933. Stukeley, in his Palæographia Britannica, No. II. 1746.

inscribed:

21

man in a very old legend in verse preserved in the
archives of the public library at Cambridget, in eight
fyttes or parts, printed in black letter, quarto, thus
Here begynneth a lytell geste of
Robyn hode and his meyne, and of the proude
sheryfe of Notyngham." The first lines are,
"Lythe and lysten, gentylmen,
That be of free-bore blode :
I shall you tell of a good yeman,
His name was Robyn hode.

Robyn was a proude out-lawe,
Whiles he walked on grounde;
So curteyse an outlawe as he was one,
Was never none yfounde." &c.

The printer's colophon is," Explicit Kinge Edwarde and Robin Hode and Lyttel Johan. Enprented at London in Fletestrete at the sygne of the sone by Wynkin de Worde."--In Mr. Garrick's Collection is a different edition of the same poem "C Imprinted at London upon the thre Crane wharfe by Wyllyam Copland," containing at the end a little dramatic piece on the subject of Robin Hood and the Friar, not found in the former copy, called, "A newe playe for to be played in Maye games very plesaunte and full of pastyme. (..) D.”

I shall conclude these preliminary remarks with observing, that the hero of this ballad was the favourite subject of popular songs so early as the time of K. Edward III. In the Visions of Pierce Plowman, written in that reign, a monk says,

I can rimes of Roben Hod and Randal of Chester,
But of our Lorde and our Lady, I lerne nothygn at
all.
Fol. 26, Ed. 1550.

See also in Bp. Latimer's Sermons a very curious and characteristical story, which shows what respect was shown to the memory of our archer in the time of that prelate.

The curious reader will find many other particulars relating to this celebrated Outlaw, in Sir John Hawkins's Hist. of Music, vol. iii. p. 410, 4to.

For the catastrophe of Little John, who, it seems, was executed for a robbery on Arbor-hill, Dublin (with some curious particulars relating to his skill in archery), see Mr. J. C. Walker's ingenious "Memoir on the Armour and Weapons of the Irish," p. 129, annexed to his Historical Essay on the Dress of the Ancient and Modern Irish." Dublin, 1788, 4to.

Some liberties were, by the Editor, taken with this ballad; which, in this Edition, hath been brought nearer to the folio MS.

WHEN Shaws beene sheene, and shradds full fayre,
And leaves both large and longe,

Itt is merrye walking in the fayre forrèst
To heare the small birdes songe.

The woodweele sang, and wold not cease,
Sitting upon the spraye,

Soe lowde, he awakened Robin Hood,

In the greenwood where he lay.

5

* See also the following ballad, v. 147. + Num. D. 5, 2. Old Plays, 4to. K. vol. x.

Ver. 1. For shaws the MS. has shales: and shradds should perhaps be swards: i. e. the surface of the ground: viz. when the fields were in their beauty:" or perhaps shades. Ser. 6th before K. Ed. Apr. 12. fol. 75, Gilpin's Life of Lat. p. 122.

eve:

"And by his side he bare a rusty blade."
Prol. ver. 620.

And even thus the god Mars :

"And in his hand he had a rousty sword." Test of Cressid. 188. Spenser has sometimes used the same epithet. See Warton's Observ. vol. ii. p. 62. It should seem, from this particularity, that our ancesters did not pique themselves upon keeping their weapons bright: perhaps they deemed it more honourable to carry them stained with the blood of their

enemics

Thou sholdest have had a knight's fee: But seeing thy asking hath beene soe bad, Well granted it shale be.

When Litle John heard his master speake,
Well knewe he it was his steven:
Now shall I be looset, quoth Litle John,
With Christ his might in heaven.
Fast Robin hee hyed him to Little John,
He thought to loose him belive ;
The sheriffe and all his companye
Fast after him did drive.

Ver. 163, awkwarde, MS.

210

215

The subject of this poem which was written by Skelton, is the death of Henry Percy, fourth Earl of Northumberland, who fell a victim to the avarice of Henry VII. In 1489 the parliament had granted the king a subsidy for carrying on the war in Bretagne. This tax was found so heavy in the North that the whole country was in a flame. The E. of Northumberland, then lord lieutenant for Yorkshire, wrote to inform the king of the discontent, and praying an abatement. But nothing is so unrelenting as avarice; the king wrote back that not a penny should be abated. This message being delivered by the earl with too little caution, the populace rose, and, supposing him to be the promoter of their calamity, broke into his house, and murdered him, with several of his attendants, who yet are charged by Skelton with being backward in their duty on this occasion. This melancholy event happened at the earl's seat at Cocklodge, near Thirske, in Yorkshire, April 28, 1489. See Lord Bacon, &c.

If the reader does not find much poetical merit in this old poem, (which yet is one of Skelton's best,) he will see a striking picture of the state and magnificence kept up by our ancient nobility during the feudal times. This great earl is described here as having, among his menial servants, knights, squires, and even barons: see ver 32, 183, &c. which, however different from modern manners, formerly not unusual with our greater Barons, whose castles had all the splendour and offices of a royal court, before the laws against retainers abridged and limited the number of their attendants.

was

John Skelton, who commonly styled himself Pcet Laureat, died June 21, 1529. The following poem, which appears to have been written soon after the event, is printed from an ancient MS. copy preserved in the British Museum, being much more correct than that printed among Skelton's Poems, in bl. let. 12mo, 1568. It is addressed to Henry Percy fifth Earl of Northumberland, and is prefaced &c. in the following manner :

The mother of Henry, first Earl of Northumberland, was Mary daughter to Henry Earl of Lancaster, whose father Edmond was second son of King Henry III.--The mother and wife of the second Earl of Northumberland were both lineal descendants of King Edward III.-The Percys also were lineally descended from the Emperor Charlemagne and the ancient Kings of France, by his ancestor Josceline du Lovain (son of Godfrey Duke of Brabant), who took the name of Percy on marrying the heiress of that house in the reign of Hen. II., Vid. Camden Britan. Edmondson, &c.

Of noble actes auncyently enrolde,

Of famous princis and lordes of astate, By thy report ar wonte to be extold,

15

Regestringe trewly every futmare date:
Of thy bountie after the usuall rate,
Kyndle in me suche plenty of thy noblès,
Thes sorrowfulle dities that I may shew expres. 20

In sesons past who hathe harde or sene
Of formar writinge by any presidente
That vilane bastarddis in ther furious tene,
Fulfyld with malice of froward entente,
Confeterd togeder of commoun concente
Falsly to slo ther moste singular goode lorde?
It may be registerde of shamefull recorde.

So noble a man, so valiaunt lorde and knight,

25

Fulfilled with honor, as all the worlde dothe ken; 30 At his commaundement, whiche had both day and Knyghtis and squyers, at every season when [night He calde upon them, as menyall houshold men. Were no thes commones uncurteis karlis of kynde To slo their owne lorde? God was not in their [minde. 35

And were not they to blame, I say also,
That were aboute hym, his owne servants of trust,
To suffre hym slayn of his mortall fo?

Fled away from hym, let hym ly in the dust: They bode not till the rekening were discust. 40 What shuld I flatter? what shulde I glose or paynt? Fy, fy for shame, their harts wer to faint.

In Englande and Fraunce, which gretly was redouted; Of whom both Flaunders and Scotland stode in drede;

To whome grete astates obeyde and lowttede :

45

A mayny of rude villayns made him for to blede: Unkindly they slew him, that holp them oft at nede He was their bulwark, their paves, and their wall, Yet shamfully they slew hym; that shame mot them befal.

I say, ye commoners, why wer ye so stark mad? 50
What frantyk frensy fyll in youre brayne?
Where was your wit and reson, ye shuld have had?
What willfull foly made yow to ryse agayne
Your naturall lord? alas! I can not fayne.

Ye armed you with will, and left your wit behynd;

Well may you be called comones most unkynd.

23

55

Alas for pite! that Percy thus was spylt, The famous erle of Northumberlande:

105