William Stanley Braithwaite, ed. The Book of Restoration Verse. 1910.
Robin Hood and the ButcherAnonymous
C
With hey down, down, an a down,
That are in the bowers within;
For of Robin Hood, that archer good,
A song I intend for to sing.
Bold Robin in forrest did ’spy
A jolly butcher, with a bonny fine mare,
With his flesh to the market did hye.
‘What food hast? tell unto me;
Thy trade to me tell, and where thou dost dwell,
For I like well thy company.’
‘No matter where I dwell;
For a butcher I am, and to Notingham
I am going, my flesh to sell.’
‘Come, tell it soon unto me;
And the price of thy mare, be she never so dear,
For a butcher fain would I be.’
‘I soon will tell unto thee;
With my bonny mare, and they are not dear,
Four mark thou must give unto me.’
‘Four mark it shall be thy fee;
The money come count, and let me mount,
For a butcher I fain would be.’
His butchers trade for to begin;
With good intent to the sheriff he went,
And there he took up his inn.
Bold Robin he then begun;
But how for to sell he knew not well,
For a butcher he was but young.
Robin got both gold and fee;
For he sold more meat for one peny
Than others could do for three.
No butcher by him could thrive;
For he sold more meat for one peny
Than others could do for five.
To study as they did stand,
Saying, ‘Surely he was some prodigal,
That hath sold his fathers land.’
Acquainted with him for to be;
‘Come, brother,’ one said, ‘we be all of one trade,
‘Come, will you go dine with me?’
‘That a butcher doth deny;
I will go with you, my brethren true,
As fast as I can hie.’
To dinner they hied apace,
And Robin he the man must be
Before them all to say grace.
‘And our meat within this place;
A cup of sack so good will nourish our blood,
And so do I end my grace.’
‘Let us be merry while we do stay;
For wine and good cheer, be it never so dear,
I vow I the reckning will pay.
‘Let us drink, and never give ore;
For the shot I will pay, ere I go my way,
If it cost me five pounds and more.’
Saies the sheriff, ‘He is some prodigal,
That some land has sold, for silver and gold,
And now he doth mean to spend all.
‘Good fellow, to sell unto me?’
‘Yes, that I have, good master sheriff,
I have hundreds two or three;
If you please it to see:
And I’le make you as good assurance of it,
As ever my father made me.’
With three hundred pound in gold,
Away he went with bold Robin Hood,
His horned beasts to behold.
To the forrest of merry Sherwood;
Then the sheriff did say, ‘God bless us this day
From a man they call Robin Hood!’
Bold Robin he chancëd to spy
A hundred head of good red deer,
Come tripping the sheriff full nigh.
They be fat and fair for to see;’
‘I tell thee, good fellow, I would I were gone,
For I like not thy company.’
And blew but blasts three;
Then quickly anon there came Little John,
And all his company.
‘Good master, come tell it to me;’
‘I have brought hither the sheriff of Notingham
This day to dine with thee.’
‘I hope he will honestly pay;
I know he has gold, if it be but well told,
Will serve us to drink a whole day.’
And laid it upon the ground:
And out of the sheriffs portmantle
He told three hundred pound.
And set him on his dapple gray;
‘O have me commended to your wife at home;’
So Robin went laughing away.