211.

Forth then stert Lytel Johan, Half in tray and tene, And gyrde hym with a full good swerde, Under a mantel of grene.

212.

They went up to the Sayles, These yemen all thre; They loked est, they loked west, They myght no man se.

213.

But as they loked in Bernysdale, By the hye waye, Than were they ware of two blacke monkes, Eche on a good palferay.

214.

Then bespake Lytell Johan, To Much he gan say, 'I dare lay my lyfe to wedde, That these monkes have brought our pay.

215.

'Make glad chere,' sayd Lytell Johan, 'And frese your bowes of ewe, And loke your hertes be seker and sad, Your strynges trusty and trewe.

216.

'The monke hath two and fifty men, And seven somers full stronge; There rydeth no bysshop in this londe So ryally, I understond.

217.

'Brethern,' sayd Lytell Johan, 'Here are no more but we thre; But we brynge them to dyner, Our mayster dare we not se.

218.

'Bende your bowes,' sayd Lytell Johan, 'Make all yon prese to stonde; The formost monke, his lyfe and his deth Is closed in my honde.

219.

'Abyde, chorle monke,' sayd Lytell Johan, 'No ferther that thou gone; Yf thou doost, by dere worthy G.o.d, Thy deth is in my honde.

220.

'And evyll thryfte on thy hede,' sayd Lytell Johan, 'Ryght under thy hatte's bonde, For thou hast made our mayster wroth, He is fastynge so longe.'

221.

'Who is your mayster?' sayd the monke.

Lytell Johan sayd, 'Robyn Hode.'

'He is a stronge thefe,' sayd the monke, 'Of hym herd I never good.'

222.

'Thou lyest,' than sayd Lytell Johan, 'And that shall rewe thee; He is a yeman of the forest, To dyne he hath bode thee.'

223.

Much was redy with a bolte, Redly and anone, He set the monke to-fore the brest, To the grounde that he can gone.

224.

Of two and fyfty wyght yonge yemen, There abode not one, Saf a lytell page and a grome, To lede the somers with Lytel Johan.

225.

They brought the monke to the lodge-dore, Whether he were loth or lefe, For to speke with Robyn Hode, Maugre in theyr tethe.

226.

Robyn dyde adowne his hode, The monke whan that he se; The monke was not so curteyse, His hode then let he be.

227.

'He is a chorle, mayster, by dere worthy G.o.d,'

Than sayd Lytell Johan.

'Thereof no force,' sayd Robyn, 'For curteysy can he none.

228.

'How many men,' sayd Robyn, 'Had this monke, Johan?'

'Fyfty and two whan that we met, But many of them be gone.'

229.

'Let blowe a horne,' sayd Robyn, 'That felaushyp may us knowe.'

Seven score of wyght yemen, Came pryckynge on a rowe.

230.

And everych of them a good mantell Of scarlet and of raye; All they came to good Robyn, To wyte what he wolde say.

231.

They made the monke to wa.s.she and wype, And syt at his denere.

Robyn Hode and Lytell Johan They served him both in fere.

232.

'Do gladly, monke,' sayd Robyn.

'Gramercy, syr,' sayd he.

'Where is your abbay, whan ye are at home, And who is your avowe?'

233.

'Saynt Mary abbay,' sayd the monke, 'Though I be symple here.'

'In what offyce?' said Robyn: 'Syr, the hye selerer.'

234.

'Ye be the more welcome,' sayd Robyn, 'So ever mote I the!

Fyll of the best wyne,' sayd Robyn, 'This monke shall drynke to me.

235.

'But I have grete mervayle,' sayd Robyn, 'Of all this longe day; I drede Our Lady be wroth with me, She sent me not my pay.'

236.

'Have no doute, mayster,' sayd Lytell Johan, 'Ye have no nede, I saye; This monke hath brought it, I dare well swere, For he is of her abbay.'

237.

'And she was a borowe,' sayd Robyn, 'Betwene a knyght and me, Of a lytell money that I hym lent, Under the grene-wode tree.

238.

'And yf thou hast that sylver ibrought, I pray thee let me se; And I shall helpe thee eftsones, Yf thou have nede to me.'

239.

The monke swore a full grete othe, With a sory chere, 'Of the borowehode thou spekest to me, Herde I never ere.'

240.

'I make myn avowe to G.o.d,' sayd Robyn, 'Monke, thou art to blame; For G.o.d is holde a ryghtwys man, And so is his dame.