57. Towards his house in Nottingam
He ffled ful fast away,
And soe did all his companye,

Not one behind did stay.

58. But he cold neither soe fast goe,
Nor away soe fast runn,

But Litle John, with an arrow broade,
Did cleave his heart in twinn.

ROBIN HOOD'S DEATH AND BURIAL

1. When Robin Hood and Little John Down a down a down a down

Went oer yon bank of broom

Said Robin Hood bold to Little
John,

"We have shot for many a pound."
Hey, etc.

2. "But I am not able to shoot one shot more,

My broad arrows will not flee;
But I have a cousin lives down below,
Please God, she will bleed me."

3. Now Robin he is to fair Kirkly gone, As fast as he can win;

But before he came there, as we do hear,

He was taken very ill.

4. And when he came to fair Kirkly-hall, He knockd all at the ring,

But none was so ready as his cousin herself

For to let bold Robin in.

5. "Will you please to sit down, cousin Robin," she said,

"And drink some beer with me?" "No, I will neither eat nor drink, Till I am blooded by thee."

6. "Well, I have a room, cousin Robin," she said,

"Which you did never see,
And if you please to walk therein,
You blooded by me shall be."

7. She took him by the lily-white hand, And led him to a private room,

And there she blooded bold Robin

Hood,

While one drop of blood would run down.

22. Then bespayke a squyar off Northombarlonde,

Richard Wytharyngton was his

nam:

"It shall never be told in SotheYnglonde," he says,

30. Thorowe ryche male and myneyeple, many sterne the strocke done streght;

Many a freyke10 that was fulle fre,
ther undar foot dyd lyght.

32.

lyk to captayns of myght and of

swat,

12

with swordes that wear of fyn
myllan. 13

Thes worthe freckys for to fyght,
ther-to the wear fulle fayne,

Tylle the bloode owte off thear
basnetes sprente

as ever dyd heal14 or ra[y]n.

33. "Yelde the, Persë," sayde the Doglas, "and i feth I shalle the brynge Wher thowe shalte have a yerls wagis of Jamy our Skottish kynge. 34. "Thou shalte have thy ransom fre, I hight 15 the hear this thinge; For the manfullyste man yet art thowe

that ever I conqueryd in filde fighttynge."

35. "Nay," sayd the lord Persë,

"I tolde it the beforne,
That I wolde never yeldyde be

to no man of a woman born."

36. With that ther cam an arrowe hastely, forthe off a myghttë wane; 16

Hit hathe strekene the yerle Duglas
in at the brest-bane.

37. Thorowe lyvar17 and longës bathe1
the sharpe arrowe ys gane,
That never after in all his lyffe-days
he spayke mo wordës but ane:
That was, "Fyghte ye, my myrry
men, whyllys ye may,

for my lyff-days ben gan."

38. The Persë leanyde on his brande, and sawe the Duglas de;

He tooke the dede mane by the hande, and sayd, "Wo ys me for the!

43. A the tothar syde that a man myght se a large cloth-yard and mare: Towe bettar captayns wear nat in Cristiantë

then that day slan wear ther.

44. An archar off Northomberlonde say slean was the lord Persë; He bar a bende bowe in his hand, was made off trusti tre.

45. An arow, that a cloth-yarde was lang, to the harde stele halyde he;

A dynt that was both sad and soar
he sat on Ser Hewe the Monggom-
byrry.

46. The dynt yt was both sad and sar,
that he of Monggomberry sete;
The swane-fethars that his arrowe bar
with his hart-blood the wear wete.

47. Ther was never a freake wone foot wolde fle,

but still in stours dyd stand,

myghte dre,9

with many a balfull brande.

that never a foot wolde fle; Ser Hewe Maxwelle, a lorde he was,

with the Doglas dyd he dey.

a hesitated.

hold out.