And of the rest, of small account,

Did many hundreds die :

Thus endeth the hunting of Chevy-Chase,
Made by the Earl Percy.

God save the king, and bless this land,
With plenty, joy, and peace;
And grant, henceforth, that foul debate
"Twixt noblemen may cease.

RICHARD SHEALE.

ROBIN HOOD AND ALLEN-A-DALE.

[Of Robin Hood, the famous outlaw of Sherwood Forest, and his merry men, there are many ballads; but the limits of this volume forbid our giving more than a single selection.

Various periods, ranging from the time of Richard I. to the end of the reign of Edward II., have been assigned as the age in which Robin Hood lived. He is usually described as a yeoman, abiding

in Sherwood Forest, in Nottinghamshire. His most noted followers,

generally mentioned in the ballads, are Little John, Friar Tuck, his chaplain, and his maid Marian. Nearly all the legends extol his courage, his generosity, his humanity, and his skill as an archer. He robbed the rich only, who could afford to lose, and gave freely to the poor. He protected the needy, was a champion of the fair sex, and took great delight in plundering prelates. The following ballad exhibits the outlaw in one of his most attractive aspects, affording assistance to a distressed lover.]

COME, listen to me, you gallants so free,
All you that love mirth for to hear,
And I will tell you of a bold outlaw,
That lived in Nottinghamshire.

As Robin Hood in the forest stood,
All under the greenwood tree,

There he was aware of a brave young man,
As fine as fine might be.

The youngster was clad in scarlet red,
In scarlet fine and gay;

And he did frisk it over the plain,
And chanted a roundelay.

As Robin Hood next morning stood
Amongst the leaves so gay,

There did he espy the same young man
Come drooping along the way.

The scarlet he wore the day before
It was clean cast away;
And at every step he fetched a sigh,
"Alack and well-a-day!"

Then stepped forth brave Little John,
And Midge, the miller's son ;
Which made the young man bend his bow,
Whenas he see them come.

"Stand off! stand off!" the young man said, "What is your will with me?” "You must come before our master straight, Under yon greenwood tree."

"This is not a fit match," quoth Robin Hood,

"That you do seem to make here;

- For since we are come into the church, The bride shall chuse her own dear."

Then Robin Hood put his horn to his mouth,
And blew blasts two and three;
When four-and-twenty yeomen bold
Came leaping over the lea.

And when they came into the churchyard,
Marching all in a row,

The very first man was Allen-a-Dale,
To give bold Robin his bow.

"This is thy true-love," Robin he said, "Young Allen, as I hear say;

And you shall be married at this same time, Before we depart away."

"That shall not be," the bishop he cried, "For thy word shall not stand; They shall be three times asked in the church, As the law is of our land."

Robin Hood pulled off the bishop's coat,

And put it upon Little John;

"By the faith of my body," then Robin said, "This cloth doth make thee a man."

When Little John went into the quire,
The people began to laugh;

He asked them seven times in the church
Lest three times should not be enough.

"Who gives me this maid?" said Little John,
Quoth Robin Hood, "That do I ;
And he that takes her from Allen-a-Dale,
Full dearly he shall her buy."

And then, having ended this merry wedding,
The bride looked like a queen;

And so they returned to the merry greenwood, Amongst the leaves so green.

ANONYMOUS.

JOCK JOHNSTONE, THE TINKLER.

"O, CAME ye ower by the Yoke-burn Ford,
Or down the King's Road of the cleuch ?*
Or saw ye a knight and a lady bright,
Wha ha'e gane the gate they baith shall rue?"

"I saw a knight and a lady bright

Ride up the cleuch at the break of day; The knight upon a coal-black steed,

And the dame on one of a silver-gray.

• Dell.

"Art thou akin to lord or knight, Or courtly squire or warrior leal?" "I am a tinkler," quo' the wight, "But I like croun-cracking unco weel." When they came to St. Mary's kirk, The chaplain shook for very fear; And aye he kissed the cross, and said, "What deevil has sent that Douglas here!

"He neither values book nor ban,

But curses all without demur; And cares nae mair for a holy man Than I do for a worthless cur."

"Come here, thou bland and brittle priest,
And tell to me without delay
Where you have hid the lord of Ross

And the lady that came at the break of day."

"No knight or lady, good Lord Douglas,
Have I beheld since break of morn;
And I never saw the lord of Ross
Since the woful day that I was born."

Lord Douglas turned him round about,
And looked the Tinkler in the face;
Where he beheld a lurking smile,

And a deevil of a dour grimace.

"How's this, how 's this, thou Tinkler loun? Hast thou presumed to lie on me?" "Faith that I have!" the Tinkler said, "And a right good turn I have done to thee;

"For the lord of Ross and thy own true-love, The beauteous Harriet of Thirlestane, Rade west away, ere the break of day;

And you'll never see the dear maid again;

"So I thought it best to bring you here,

On a wrang scent, of my own accord ;
For had you met the Johnstone clan,
They wad ha'e made mince-meat of a lord."

At this the Douglas was so wroth
He wist not what to say or do;
But he strak the Tinkler o'er the croun,
Till the blood came dreeping ower his brow.

"Beshrew my heart," quo' the Tinkler lad,
"Thou bear'st thee most ungallantlye!
If these are the manners of a lord,
They are manners that winna gang doun wi' me."
"Hold

up thy hand," the Douglas cried,
"And keep thy distance, Tinkler loun!"

"That will I not," the Tinkler said,

doun !"

"I have armor on," cried the Lord Douglas,

66

'Cuirass and helm, as you may see. "The deil me care!" quo' the Tinkler lad; "I shall have a skelp at them and thee."

"You are not horsed," quo' the Lord Douglas, "And no remorse this weapon brooks." "Mine's a right good yaud," quo' the Tinkler lad,

"And a great deal better nor she looks.

"So stand to thy weapons, thou haughty lord,
What I have taken I needs must give;
Thou shalt never strike a tinkler again,
For the langest day thou hast to live."

Then to it they fell, both sharp and snell,
Till the fire from both their weapons flew;
But the very first shock that they met with,
The Douglas his rashness 'gan to rue.

And better friends we two shall be."

But the Douglas swore a solemn oath,
That was a debt he could never owe;
He would rather die at the back of the dike
Than owe his sword to a man so low.

"But if thou wilt ride under my banner,
And bear my livery and my name,
My right-hand warrior thou shalt be
And I'll knight thee on the field of fame."

"Woe worth thy wit, good Lord Douglas,

To think I'd change my trade for thine;
Far better and wiser would you be,
To live a journeyman of mine,

"To mend a kettle or a casque,
Or clout a goodwife's yettlin' pan,
Upon my life, good Lord Douglas,
You'd make a noble tinkler-man !