University of Virginia Library

Here beginnethe the playe of Robyn Hoode, verye proper to be played in Maye games.
[Robin Hood & the Friar
Robyn hode.
Now stand ye forth my mery men all
and harke what I shall say
Of an aduenture I shalyou tell
the which befell this other day
as I went by the hygh way with
a stoute frere I met
and a quarter staffe in his hande
Lyghtely to me he lept
and styll he bade me stande
There were strypes two or three
But I can not tell who had the worse
But well I wote the horeson lepte within me
and fro me he toke my purse
Is there any of my mery men all
That to that frere wyll go
and bryng him to me forth withall whether he wyll or no

Lytell Iohn
yes mayster I make god auowe
To that frere wyll I go
and bryng him to you whether he wyl or no

Fryer tucke
Deus hic, deus hic, god be here
Is not this a holy worde for a frere
God saue all this company
But am not I a iolly fryer
For I can shote both farre and nere
and handle the sworde and buckler
and this quarter staffe also
If I mete with a gentylman or yemā
I am not a frayde to loke hym vpon
Nor boldly with him to carpe
If he speake any wordes to me
He shall haue strypes two or thre
That shal make his body smarte
But maister to shew you the matter
wherfore and why I am come hither
In fayth I wyl not spare
I am come to seke a good yeman
In Bernisdale mē sai is his habitaciō
His name is Robyn hode
and if that he be better man than I
His seruaunt wyll I be and serue him truely
But if that I be better man than he
By my truth my knaue shall he be
and leade these dogges all three

Robyn hode.
yelde the fryer in thy long cote

Fryer tucke
I beshrew thy hart knaue, yu hurtest my throt

Robyn hode
I trowe fryer thou beginnest to dote
who made the so malapert and so bolde
To come into this forest here
amonge my falowe dere

Fryer.
Go louse the ragged knaue
If thou make mani wordes I wil geue ye on ye eare
Though I be but a poore fryer
To seke Robyn hode I am com here
And to him my hart to breke

Robyn hode.
Thou lousy frer what wouldest thou wt hym
He neuer loued fryer nor none of freiers kyn

Fryer.
Auaunt ye ragged knaue
Or ye shall haue on the skynne

Robyn hode.
Of all the men in the morning yu art the worst
To mete with the I haue no lust
For he that meteth a frere or a fox in ye mornīg
To spede ell that day he standeth in ieoperdy
Therfore I had leuer mete with ye deuil of hell
Fryer I tell the as I thinke
Then mete with a fryer or a fox in a mornyng
Or I drynke

Fryer.
Auaūt thou ragged knaue this is but a mock
If you make māi words you shal haue aknock

Robyn hode
Harke frere what I say here
Ouer this water thou shalt me bere
The brydge is borne away

Fryer,
To say naye I wyll not
To let the of thine oth it were great pitie & sin
But vpon a fryers backe and haue euen in

Robyn hode.
Nay haue ouer

Fryer
Now am I frere wtin ād thou Robī without
To lay the here I haue no great doubt
Now art thou Robyn without, & I frere wtin
Lye ther knaue chose whether yu wilte sinke or swym

Robyn hode.
why thou lowsy frere what hast thou donee

Fryer.
mary set a knaue ouer the shone

Robyn hode
Therfore thou abye

Fryer
why wylt thou fyght a plucke

Robyn hode.
and god send me good lucke

Fryer.
Than haue a stroke for fryer tucke

Robyn hode.
Holde thy hande frere and here me speke

Fryer.
Saye on ragged knaue
me semeth ye begyn to swete

Robyn hode.
In this forest I haue a hounde
I wyl not giue him for a hundreth pound
Geue me leue my horne to blowe
That my hounde may knowe

Fryer.
Blowe on ragged knaue without any doubte
Vntyll bothe thyne eyes starte out
Here be a sorte of raggtd knaues come in
Clothed all in kendale grene
And to the they take their way nowe

Robyn hode
Peraduenture they do so

Fryer.
I gaue the leue to blowe at thy wyll
Now giue me leue to whistell my fyll

Robin hode.
whystell frere euyl mote thou fare
Vn tyll bothe thyne eyes starte

Fryer
Now cut and bause
Breng forth the clubbes and staues
And downe with those ragged knaues

Robyn hode.
How sayest thou frere wylt thou be my man
To do me the best seruyse thou can
Thou shalt haue both golde and see
and also here is a Lady free
I wyll geue her vnto the
And her chapplayn I the make
To serue her for my sake

Fryer
Here is an huckle duckle an inch aboue ye buckle
she is a trul of trust, to serue a frier at his lust
a prycker a prauncer a terer of shefes
a wagger of ballockes when other men slepes
Go home ye knaues and lay crabbes in ye fyre
For my lady & I wil daunce in ye myre for veri pure ioye

[Robin Hood & the Potter
Robyn hode
Lysten to my mery men all
and harke what I shall say
[Of an aduenture I shall you tell]
that befell this other daye
with a proude potter I met
And arose garlande on his head
the floures of it shone maruaylous freshe
this seuen yere & more he hath vsed this waye
yet was he neuer so curteyse a potter
as one peny passage to paye
Is there any of my mery men all
That dare be so bolde
to make ye potter paie passage either siluer or golde

Lytell Iohn.
Not I master for twenty pound redy tolde
For there is not among vs al one
that dare medle with that potter man for mā
I felt his handes not long agone
But I had leuer haue ben here by the
Therfore I knowe what he is
Mete him whē ye wil or mete him whā ye shal
He is as propre a man as euer you medle wtal

Robyn hode.
I will lai with the litel Iohn .xx. pound so read
If I wyth that potter mete
I wil make him pay passage maugre his head

Lettell Iohn
I consente therto so eate I bread
If he pay passage maugre his head
Twēti poūd shall ye haue of me for your mede

The potters boye Iacke
Out alas that euer I sawe this daye
For I am clene out of my waye
From Notygham towne
If I hye me not the faster
Or I come there the maryet wel be done

Robyn hode
Let me se are the pottes hole and sounde

Iacke
yea meister but they will not breake the groūd

Robyn hode
I wil thē breke for ye cuckold thi maisters sake
And if they will not breake the grounde
thou shalt haue thre pence for a pound

Iacke
Out alas what haue ye done
If my maister come he will breke your crown

the potter
why thou horeson art thou here yet
thou shouldest haue bene at market

Iacke.
I met with robin hode a good yeman
He hath broken my pottes
And called you kuckolde by your name

The potter
Thou mayst be a gentylman so god me saue
But thou semest a naughty knaue
Thou callest me cuckolde by my name
and I swere by God and seynt Iohn
wyfe had I neuer none
This cannot I denye
But if thou be a good felowe
I wil sel mi horse mi harneis pottes & paniers to
Thou shalt haue the one halfe & I wil haue ye other
If thou be not so content
Thou shalt haue stripes if yu were my brother

Robyn hode
Harke potter what I shall say
this seuen yere and more yu hast vsed this way
yet were thou neuer so curteous to me
As one penny passage to paye

the potter
why should I paye passage to thee

Robyn hode
For I am Robyn hode chiefe gouernoure
Vnder the grene woode tree

the potter.
this seuen yere haue I vsed this way vp and downe
yet payed I passage to no man
Nor now I wyl not beginne to do ye worst yu cā

Robyn hode.
passage shalt thou pai here vnder ye grēe wode tre
Or els thou shalt leue a wedded with me

the potter
If thou be a good felowe as men do the call
Laye awaye thy bowe
And take thy sword and buckeler in thy hande
And se what shall befall

robin hode
Lyttle Iohn where art thou

Lyttell
Here mayster I make god auowe
I tolde your mayster so god me saue
that you shoulde fynde the potter a knaue
Holde your buckeler [fast in your hand]
And I wyll styfly by you stande
Ready for to fyghte
Be the knaue neuer so stoute
I shall rappe him on the snoute
And put hym ro flyghte