[...]
Of hym I haue herde myche good
I graunte he sayd with you to wende.
My bretherne all in fere.
My purpose was to haue dyned to day
At blythe or dancastere
Forthe than went this gentyll knyght
with a carefull chere
The teres out of his eyen ran:
And fell downe by his ere.
They brought hym to the lodge dore.
whan Robyn hym gan se
Full curteylly dyd of his hode
And set hym on his kne
welcome syr knyght then seyd Robyn.
welcome arte thou to me.
I haue a byde you fastynge syr
All these oures thre
Then answered the g
[...]ntyll knyght.
with wordes fayre and fre
God the saue good Robyn
And all thy fayre meyne.
They wesshe to gyder and Wypped bothe
And sat tyll there dyner
Brede and wyne they had ryght Inough.
And noumbles of the dere.
Swannes and fesauntes they had full good.
And foules of the reuere.
Ther fayled non so lytell a byrde
That euer was bred on brere
Do gladly syr knyght sayd Robyn.
Gramercy syr sayd he
Syche a dyner had I not
Of all this wekes thre.
yf I come ageyne Robyn
[Page] Here by this countre
As good a dyner I shall the make
As thou haste made to me
Gramercy knyght sayd Robyn
My dener whan that I haue
I was neuer so gredy by der worthy god
My dyner for to craue.
But pay or ye wende sayd Robyn
Me thynke it is good ryght.
It was neuer y
e maner by der worthy god
A yoman to pay for a knyght.
I haue nought in mi cofers sayd the knyght
That I may profer for shame
Lytell Iohan go loke seyd Robyn
Ne let not for no blame
Tell me treuthe then sayd Robyn
So god haue parte of the
I haue no more but .x.s. sayd the knyght
So god haue parte of me
yf thou haue no more sayd Robyn
I wyll not one peny
And yf thou haue nede of ony more
More shall I len the
Go now forthe lytell Iohan
The truthe tell thou me
yf there be no more but. x.s▪
Not one peny that I se:
Lytell Iohan spored downe is mantell
Full fayre vpon the grounde.
And there he founde in the knyghtes cofer.
But euen halfe a pounde
Lytell Iohan lete it lye full styll
And went to his mayster full lowe
what tydynge Iohan sayd Robyn
[Page] Syr the knyght is trewe Inowe
Fyll of the best wyne sayd Robyn
The knyght shall begynne.
Myche wonder thyket me
Thy clothynge is so thynne.
Tell me one worde sayd Robyn
And counsell shal it be
I trowe thou Were made a knyght of forse
Or elles of yemanry
Or elles thou haste be a sory husband
And leued in stroke and stryfe.
And okerer or elles a lechoure sayd Robyn
with wronge hast led thy lyf
I am nene of tho sayd the knygt.
By god that made me.
An .c. wynter here before.
My aunsetteres knyghtes haue be
But ofte it hath befall Robyn
A man hath be dysgrate
But god that syt in heuen aboue
May amende his state
within this two yere Robyn he sayd
My neyghborts well knowe
Foure hondred pounde of good meney
Fbll well than myght I spende
Now haue I no good sayd the knyght
But my chyldren and my wyfe
God hath shapen suche an ende.
Tyll god it may amende
In what maner sayd Robyn
Haste thou lore thy ryches
For my grete foly he sayd.
And for my kyndenesse
I had a sone forsothe Robyn
[Page]
That sholde[?] haue bene myne eyre
when he was twenty wynter olde
In felde wolde Iuste full feyre.
He slewe a knyght of lancasesshyre
And a squyre bold.
For to saue hym in his ryght
[...]y gooddes bothe sette and solde
[...] londes bothe sette to wedde Robyn
[...]ll a sertayne day
[...] a ryche abbot here besyde
[...]
[...]aynt Mary abbay.
[...]hat is the somme sayd robyn.
Trouthe than tell thou me
Syr he sayde four hondred pounde
[...]he abbot tolde it to me.
[...]owe and thou lese thy londe sayd Robyn.
[...]hat shall fall of the
Hastely I wyll me buske sayd the knyght.
Ouer the salte see.
And se wher cryste was quycke and dede
On the mounte of caluere
Fare well frende and haue good day.
It may noo better be
Teeres fell out of his two eyen.
He wolde haue gone his way
Fare well frende and haue good day.
I ne haue noo nother to pay.
Where be the frendes sayd Robyn
Syr neuer one wyll me knowe
whyle I was ryche Inowe at home
Grete boste then wolde they blowe
And now they renne a way fro me
As bestes on a rowe.
They take no more hede of me.
[...]