Sir William the knight, both hardy and bold, He offer’d to seize him there, Which William Locksley by fortune did see, And bid him that trick to forbear.
Then Robin Hood set his horn to his mouth, And blew a blast or twain, And so did the knight, at which there in sight The archers came all amain.
Sir William with care he drew up his men, And plac’d them in battle-array ; Bold Robin, we find, he was not behind : Now this was a bloody fray.
The archers on both sides bent their bows, And the clouds of arrows flew ; The very first flight that honour’d knight Did there bid the world adieu.
Yet nevertheless their fight did last From morning till almost noon ; Both parties were stout, and loth to give out, This was on the last day of June.
At length they left off : one party they went To London with right good will ; And Robin Hood he to the green-wood tree, And there he was taken ill. { 334}
He sent for a monk, to let him blood, Who took his life away ; Now this being done, his archers they run, It was not a time to stay.
Some got on board, and cross’d the seas, To Flanders, France, and Spain, And others to Rome, for fear of their doom, But soon return’d again.
“Shewing how he was taken ill, and how he went to his cousin at Kirkley-hall, who let him blood, which was the cause of his death. Tune of Robin Hood’s Last Farewel, &c.”
This very old and curious piece is preserved solely in the editions of “Robin Hood’s Garland” printed at York (or such as have been taken from them), where it is made to conclude with some foolish lines (adopted from the London copy of the preceding ballad), in order to introduce the epitaph. It is here given from a collation of two different copies, containing numerous variations, a few of which are retained in the margin.
When Robin Hood and Little John, _Down a down, a down, a down_, Went o’er yon bank of broom, Said Robin Hood to Little John, We have shot for many a pound : _Hey down, a down, a down_. { 336}
But I am not able to shoot one shot more, My arrows will not flee ; But I have a cousin lives down below, Please god, she will bleed me.
Now Robin is to fair Kirkley gone, As fast as he can win ; But before he came there, as we do hear, He was taken very ill.