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ROBIN HOOD AND THE BISHOP OF HEREFORD
No. 144, VERSION A
From The English and Scottish Popular Ballads
by Francis James
Child, 1888.
[I chose
this one because it's a well-known, well-told story about Robin Hood's
robberies. Many of Robin's enemies are clergymen - such as the Abbot and Cellarer of St. Mary's in A Gest of Robyn Hood. This particular bishop reappears in the ballad Robin Hood and Queen Catherin, complaining about this robbery. Scenes from this ballad were also the inspiration of a series of stained glass.]
1
Some they will talk of bold Robin Hood,
But I'll tell you how he servd the Bishop of
When
he robbed him of his gold.
2
As it befel in merry Barnsdale,
And
under the green-wood tree,
The Bishop of Hereford was to come by,
3
'Come, kill a venson,' said bold Robin Hood,
'Come,
kill ne a good fat deer;
The Bishop of Hereford is to dine with me
And he
shall pay well for his cheer.
4
'We'll kill a fat venson,' said bold Robin
'And
dress it by the highway-side;
And we will watch the Bishop narrowly,
Lest
some other way he should ride.'
5
Robin Hood dressd himself in shepherd's attire,
With
six of his men also;
And, when the Bishop of Hereford came by,
They
about the fire did go.
6
'O what is the matter?' then said the Bishop,
'Or
for whom do you make this a-do?
Or why do you kill the king's venson,
When
your company is so few?'
7
'We are shepherds,' said bold Robin Hood.
'And
we keep sheep all the year,
And we are disposed to be merry this day,
And
to kill of the king's fat deer.'
8
'You are brave fellow!' said the Bishop,
'And
the king of your doings shall know;
Therefore, make haste and come along with
For before
the king you shall go.'
9
'O pardon, O pardon,' said bold Robin Hood.
For it becomes not your lordship's coat
To
take so many lives away.'
10 'No
pardon, no pardon,' says the Bishop,
Therefore make haste, and come along with me,
For
before the king you shall go.'
11 Then
Robin set his back against a tree,
And
his foot against a thorn,
And from underneath his shepherd's coat
He
pulld out a bugle-horn.
12 He
put the little end to his mouth,
And
a loud blast did he blow,
Till threescore and ten of bold Robin's men
Came
running all on a row;
13 All
making obeysance to bold Robin Hood;
'Twas
a comely sight for to see;
'What is the matter, master,' said Little John,
'That
you blow so hastily?'
14 'O
here is the Bishop of Hereford,
And
no pardon we shall have:'
'Cut off his head, master,' said Little John,
'And
throw him into his grave.'
15 'O
pardon, O pardon,' said the Bishop,
For if I had known it had been you,
I'd
have gone some other way.'
16 'No
pardon, no pardon,' said Robin Hood.
Therefore make haste and come along with me,
For
to merry Barnsdale you shall go.'
17 Then
Robin he took the Bishop by the hand,
And
led him to merry Barnsdale;
He made him stay and sup with him that
And to
drink wine, beer, and ale.
18 'Call
in the reckoning,' said the Bishop,
'For
me thinks it grows wondrous high:'
'Lend me your purse, Bishop,' said Little
'And
I'll tell you bye and bye.'
19 Then
Little John took the bishop's cloak,
And
spread it upon the ground,
And out of the bishop's portmantua
He
told three hundred pound.
20 'Here's
money enough, master,' said Little
'And
a comely sight 't is to see;
It makes me in charity with the Bishop,
Tho
he heartily loveth not me.'
21 Robin
Hood took the Bishop by the hand,
And
he caused the music to play,
And he made the Bishop to dance in his boots,
And
glad he could so get away.
Here's
the ending verse to another, shorter, version of the ballad.
11
'Come, sing us a mass,' sayes bold Robin Hood,
'Come,
sing us a mass all anon;
Come, sing us a mass,' sayes bold Robin Hood,
'Take
a kick in the a--se, and be gone.'
NEXT: Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne
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