Robin took a full great horn,And loud he gan blow;
Seven score of wight young men,Came ready on a row,All they kneel-ed on their knee,Full fair before Rob-in.
The king said himself unto,And swore by saint Austin,"Here is a wonder seemly sight,Me thinketh,by Goddes pine;
His men are more at his bidd-ing,Than my men be at mine!"
Full hastily was their dinner i-dight,And thereto gan they gon,They served our king with all their might,Both Robin and Little John.
Anon before our king was set The fatt-e venison,The good white bread,the good red wine,And thereto the fine ale brown.
"Mak-e good cheer,"said Rob-in,"Abb-ot,for charit-y;
And for this ilk-e tiding-e,Bless-ed mote thou be.
Now shalt thou see what life we lead,Or thou henn-es wend,Then thou may inform our king,When ye together lend."
Up they stert all in haste,Their bows were smartly bent,Our king was never so sore agast,He weened to have be shent.
Two yard-es there were up set,Thereto gan they gang;
But fifty pace,our king said,The mark-es were too long.
On every side a rose garl-and,They shot under the line.
"Whoso faileth of the rose garland,"said Robin,"His tackle he shall tine,And yield it to his master,Be it never so fine,--
For no man will I spare,So drinke I ale or wine,--
And bear a buffet on his head I-wys right all bare."
And all that fell in Robin's lot,He smote them wonder sair.
Twi-es Robin shot about,And ever he cleaved the wand,And so did good Gilb-ert,With the lily white hand;
Little John and good Scath-elock,For nothing would they spare,When they failed of the garl-and,Robin smote them fall sair.
At the last shot that Robin shot,For all his friends fair,Yet he failed of the garl-and,Three fingers and mair.
Then bespak-e good Gilb-ert,And thus he gan say,"Master,"he said,"your tackle is lost,Stand forth and take your pay."