The Famous Battel between Robin Hood, and the Curtal Fryar.
To a New Northern Tune.
IN Summer time when leaves grow green
and flowers are fresh and gay,
Robin Hood and his merry men,
were disposed to play:
Then some would leap and some would Run,
and some would use Artillery,
Which of you can a good Bow draw,
a good Archer to be?
Which of you can kill a Buck?
or who can kill a Doe?
Or who can kill a Hart of Greece,
five hundred foot him fro?
Will Scadlock he kill'd a Buck,
and
Midge he kill'd a Doe;
And little
John kill'd a Hart of Greece,
five hundred foot him fro:
Gods blessing on thy heart, said
Robin Hood
that shot such a shoot to me,
I would ride my Horse an hundred miles,
to find one could match thee.
That caused
Will Scadlock to laugh,
he laught full heartily,
There lives a curtal Fryar in
Fountain-Abby
will beat both him and thee.
Robin Hood put on his Harness good,
and on his head a Cap of Steel,
Broad Sword and Buckler by his side,
and they became him weel.
He took his Bow into his hand,
it was of a trusty tree,
With a Sheaf of Arrows at his Belt,
to the Fountains Dale went he.
And coming unto Fountains Dale,
no farther would he ride.
There was he ware of a Curtal Fryar,
walking by the water side.
The Fryar had a Harness good,
and on his head a Cap of Steel,
Broad Sword and Buckler by his side,
and they became him weel.
Robin Hood lighted off his Horse,
and tyed him to a thorn,
Carry me over the water thou Curtal Fryar,
or else thy life's forlorn.
The Fryar took
Robin Hood on his back,
deep water he did bestride,
And spake neither good word nor bad,
till he came at the other side.
Lightly stept
Rob. Hood off the Fryars back,
the Fryar said to him again,
Carry me over the water thou fine fellow,
or it shall breed thy pain.
Robin Hood took the Fryar on his back,
deep water he did bestride,
And speak neither good word nor bad,
till he came at the other side.
Lightly leapt the Fryar off
Robin Hoods back
Robin Hood said to him again,
Carry me over the water thou Curtal Fryar,
or it shall breed thy pain.
The Fryar took
Robin Hood on's back again
and stept up to the knee,
Till he came at the middle stream,
neither good nor bad spake he.
And coming to the middle stream,
there he threw
Robin in,
And chuse thee, chuse thee, fine fellow,
with thou wilt sink or swim.
The second part,
to the same Tune.
Robin Hood swam to a bush of Broom,
the Fryar to a wigger wand,
Bold
Robin Hood is gone to the shore,
and took his Bow in hand.
One of his best Arrows under his Belt,
to the Fryar he let flye,
The Curtal Fryar with his Steel Buckler,
he put that Arrow by.
Shoot on, shoot on, thou fine fellow,
shoot as thou hast begun,
If thou shoot here a Summers day,
thy mark I will not shun.
Robin Hood shot so passing well,
till his Arrows were all gone,
They took their Swords and steel Bucklers,
they fought with might and main,
From ten o'th Clock that day,
till four i'th Afternoon,
Then
Robin Hood came to his knees,
of the Fryar to beg a boon.
A boon, a boon, thou Curtal Fryar,
I beg it on my knee,
Give me leave to set my Horn to my mouth,
and to blow blasts three.
That will I do, said the Curtal Fryar,
of thy blasts I have no doubt,
I hope thou'lt blow so passing well,
till both thy eyes fall out.
Robin Hood set his Horn to his mouth,
he blew out blasts three,
Half a hundred Yeomen with Bows bent,
came ranging over the Lee.
Whose men are these, said the Fryar,
that come so hastily?
These men are mine, said
Robin Hood,
Fryar, what is that to thee.
A boon, a boon, said the Curtal Fryar,
the like I gave to thee,
Give me leave to set my Fist to my mouth,
and to whute whutes three.
That will I do, said
Robin Hood,
or else I were to blame,
Three whutes in a Fryars Fist,
would make me glad and fain.
The Fryar he set his Fist to his mouth,
and whuted whutes three,
Half a hundred good bay Dogs,
came running the Fryar unto.
Here is for every man a Dog,
and I my self for thee.
Nay by my faith quoth
Robin Hood,
Fryar that may not be.
Two Dogs at once to
Robin Hood did go,
the one behind the other before,
Robin Hoods Mantle of Lincoln green,
off from his back they tore.
And whether his men shot East or West,
or they shot North or South,
The Cutrtles Dogs so taught they were,
they caught the Arrows in their mouth.
Take up thy Dogs, said little
John,
Fryar at my bidding be,
Whose man art thou, said the Curtal Fryar,
comes here to p
[...]ate with me?
I am little
John, Robin Hoods man,
Fryar I will not lye,
If thou take not up thy Dogs soon,
i'le take up them and thee.
Little
John had a Bow in his hand,
he shot with might and main,
Soon half a score of the Fryars Dogs,
lay dead upon the plain.
Hold thy hand, hold thy hand, said the Curtal Fryar,
thy Master and I will agree,
And we will have new orders taken,
with all the hast that may be.
If thou wilt forsake fair Fountain Dale,
and Fountain-Abby free.
Every Sundy through the year,
a Noble shall be thy fee.
And every Holiday through the year
changed shall thy Garments be,
If thou wilt go to fair
Nottingham,
and there remain with me.
This Curtal Fryar had kept Fountain Dale,
seven long years and more,
There was neither Knight, Lord nor
Earl[?]
could make him yield before.
Printed for W. Thackeray, J. Millet, and A. Milbourn.