For this day thou art my bale,
My boote when thou shold bee!'

This shoote it was but looselye shott,
The arrowe flew in vaine,

And it mett one of the sheriffes men ;
Good William a Trent was slaine.

It had beene better for William a Trent
To hange upon a gallowe

Then for to lye in the greenwoode,
There slaine with an arrowe.

And it is sayd, when men be mett,

Six can doe mere than three: And they have tane Little John,

And bound him ffast too a tree.

'Thou shalt be drawen by dale and downe,'

Quothe the sheriffe,

'And hanged hye on a hill:'

But thou may ffayle,' quoth Little John, 'If itt be Christ's owne will.'

Let us leave talking of Little John,
For hee is bound fast to a tree,

And talke of Guy and Robin Hood
In the greenwoode where they bee.

How these two yeomen together they mett,
Under the leaves of lyne,

To see what marchandise they made
Even at that same time.

'Good morrow, good fellow,' quoth Sir Guy ;
'Good morrow, good ffellow,' quothe hee;
'Methinks by this bow thou beares in thy hand,
A good archer thou seems to bee.

'I am wilfull of my way,' quote Sir Guye,

And of my morning tyde: '

'I'le lead thee through the wood,' quoth Robin, 'Good ffellow, I'le be thy guide.'

'I seeke an outlaw,' quoth Sir Guye,
'Men call him Robin Hood;

I had rather meet with him upon a day
Then forty pound of golde.'

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'If you tow mett, itt wold be seene whether were better

Afore yee did part awaye;

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Let us some other pastime find,

Good ffellow, I thee pray.

'Let us some other masteryes make,

And wee will walke in the woods even;

Wee may
chance meet with Robin Hoode
Att some unsett steven.'

They cut them downe the summer shroggs
Which grew both under a bryar,
And sett them three score rood in twinn,
To shoote the prickes full neare.

'Leade on, good ffellow,' sayd Sir Guye,
'Leade on, I doe bidd thee: '
'Nay, by my faith,' quoth Robin Hood,
'The leader thou shall bee.'

The first good shoot that Robin ledd,
Did not shoote an inch the pricke ffroe;

Guy was an archer good enoughe,

But he cold neere shoote soe.

The second shoote Sir Guy shott,
He shott within the garlande;

But Robin Hoode shott it better than hee,
For he clove the good pricke-wande.

'God's blessing on thy heart!' sayes Guye,

'Goode ffellow, thy shooting is goode ; For an thy hart be as good as thy hands, Thou wert better than Robin Hood.

Tell me thy name, good ffellow,' quoth Guy, 'Under the leaves of the lyne :'

'Nay, by my faith,' quoth good Robin,

'Till thou have told me thine.'

'I dwell by dale and downe,' quoth Guye,

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And I have done many a curst turne; And he that calles me by my right name, Calls me Guye of good Gysborne.'

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'My dwelling is in the wood,' sayes Robin;

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And Guy was quicke and nimble with-all,

And hitt him ore the left side.

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Saies, 'Lye there, lye there, good Sir Guye,

And with me be not wrothe;

If thou have had the worse stroakes at my hand,

That beheard the sheriffe of Nottingham,
As he leaned under a lowe.

'Hearken! hearken!' sayd the sheriffe,
'I heard noe tydings but good;

For yonder I heare Sir Guy's horne blowe,
For he hath slaine Robin Hoode.

For yonder I heare Sir Guy's horne blow,
Itt blowes soe well in tyde,

For yonder comes that wighty yeoman,
Cladd in his capull-hyde.

'Come hither, thou good Sir Guy,

Aske of mee what thou wilt have: '

'I'le none of thy gold,' sayes Robin Hood, 'Nor I'le none of itt have.

'But now I have slaine the master,' he sayd, 'Let me goe strike the knave ;

This is all the reward I aske,

Nor noe other will I have.'

'Thou art a madman,' said the sheriffe,

'Thou sholdest have had a knight's ffee;

Seeing thy asking hath beene soe badd,
Well granted it shall be.'

But Little John heard his master speake,
Well he knew that was his steven;
'Now shall I be loset,' quoth Little John,
'With Christs might in heaven.'

But Robin hee hyed him towards Little John,

Hee thought hee wold loose him belive;

The sheriffe and all his companye

Fast after him did drive.

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