'Nay, for G.o.d,' than sayd Robyn, 'Thou broke it well for ay; For Our Lady, by her hye selerer, Hath sent to me my pay.

272.

'And yf I toke it i-twyse, A shame it were to me; But trewely, gentyll knyght, Welcome arte thou to me.'

273.

Whan Robyn had tolde his tale, He leugh and had good chere: 'By my trouthe,' then sayd the knyght, 'Your money is redy here.'

274.

'Broke it well,' said Robyn, 'Thou gentyll knyght so fre; And welcome be thou, gentyll knyght, Under my trystell-tre.

275.

'But what shall these bowes do?' sayd Robyn, 'And these arowes ifedred fre?'

'By G.o.d,' than sayd the knyght, 'A pore present to thee.'

276.

'Come now forth, Lytell Johan, And go to my treasure, And brynge me there foure hondred pounde, The monke over-tolde it me.

277.

'Have here foure hondred pounde, Thou gentyll knyght and trewe, And bye hors and havnes good, And gylte thy spores all newe.

278.

'And yf thou fayle ony spendynge, Com to Robyn Hode, And by my trouth thou shalt none fayle, The whyles I have any good.

279.

'And broke well thy foure hondred pound, Whiche I lent to the, And make thy selfe no more so bare, By the counsell of me.'

280.

Thus than holpe hym good Robyn, The knyght all of his care: G.o.d, that syt in heven hye, Graunte us well to fare!

[Annotations: 208., 209.: A repet.i.tion of 17 and 18.

211.2: 'tray and tene,' grief and vexation.

213.: _i.e._ Benedictines.

214.3: 'wedde,' wager.

215.2: 'frese' occurs nowhere else, and its meaning is unknown.

215.3: 'seker and sad,' resolute and staunch.

216.2: 'somers' = sumpters, pack-horses.

218.2: 'prese,' crowd.

225.2: 'lefe,' pleased, willing.

225.4: 'Maugre,' in spite of.

227.3: 'no force,' no matter.

229.2: 'felaushyp' = our fellows.

230.2: 'raye,' striped cloth.

232.4: 'avowe,' patron.

234.2: A common form of a.s.severation = 'upon my life'; 'the' = thrive. Cf. 243.4.

237.1: 'borowe,' security.

239.2: 'chere,' countenance.

243.4: See 234.2 and note.

244.3: 'myster,' need.

247.3: 'male,' trunk. See 134.2 and 374.1.

250.3: 'pay,' liking.

251.2: 'hende,' gracious.

253.2: 'mote,' meeting.

254.3: 'reves,' bailiffs.

256.1: 'corser,' coffer (?).

271.2: 'broke,' enjoy. Cf. 274.3 and 279.3.

273.2: 'leugh,' laughed.

275.2: 'ifedred,' feathered.]

THE FIFTH FYTTE (281-316)

+Argument.+--The story now returns to the Sheriff of Nottingham, and relates how he offered a prize for the best archer in the north. Robin Hood, hearing of this match, determines to go to it, and to test the sheriff's faith to his oath (see the Third Fytte, stt. 202-4). Robin wins the prize, and is starting home to the greenwood, when the sheriff recognises and attacks him, but is beaten off by a shower of arrows.

Robin and his men retire, shooting as they go, until they come to a castle. Here dwells the knight to whom Robin had lent the money--'Sir Richard at the Lee.' He takes in Robin and his men, and defies the sheriff; Robin, he says, shall spend forty days with him.

This fytte is no doubt based on some single lost ballad of a shooting-match at which Robin was victorious, and at which the Sheriff of Nottingham attempted in vain to arrest him. But the compiler of the _Gest_ has carefully linked it to the preceding fyttes by such references as Robin's determination to try the sheriff's faith (st. 287), which is made clear in stt. 296-8; and the identification of the knight whose castle protects Robin and his men with the knight to whom the money had been lent (stt. 310-312).

THE FIFTH FYTTE

281.

Now hath the knyght his leve i-take, And wente hym on his way; Robyn Hode and his mery men Dwelled styll full many a day.

282.

Lyth and listen, gentil men, And herken what I shall say, How the proud sheryfe of Notyngham Dyde crye a full fayre play;

283.

That all the best archers of the north Sholde come upon a day, And he that shoteth allther best The game shall bere away.

284.

He that shoteth allther best, Furthest fayre and lowe, At a payre of fynly b.u.t.tes, Under the grene wode shawe,

285.

A ryght good arowe he shall have, The shaft of sylver whyte, The hede and feders of ryche rede golde, In Englond is none lyke.

286.

This than herde good Robyn Under his trystell-tre: 'Make you redy, ye wyght yonge men; That shotynge wyll I se.

287.

'Buske you, my mery yonge men; Ye shall go with me; And I wyll wete the shryves fayth, Trewe and yf he be.'

288.

Whan they had theyr bowes i-bent, Theyr takles fedred fre, Seven score of wyght yonge men Stode by Robyn's kne.

289.

Whan they cam to Notyngham, The b.u.t.tes were fayre and longe; Many was the bolde archere That shoted with bowes stronge.

290.

'There shall but syx shote with me; The other shal kepe my hevede, And stande with good bowes bent, That I be not desceyved.'