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THE BOOK

OF

BRAVE OLD BALLADS.

Illustrated with Sixteen  Engravings,

FROM DRAWINGS BY JOHN GILBERT.


"_I never heard the old song of Percie and Douglas, that I found not
my heart moved more than with a trumpet._"--SIR PHILIP SIDNEY.


LONDON: WARD, LOCK, AND TYLER, WARWICK HOUSE, PATERNOSTER ROW.




LONDON: PRINTED BY J. OGDEN AND CO., 172, ST. JOHN STREET, E.C.




[Illustration: THE FROLICSOME DUKE, OR THE TINKER'S GOOD FORTUNE.]




CONTENTS.


                                                                  PAGE

    ROBIN HOOD AND GUY OF GISBORNE                                   1

    THE CHILDE OF ELLE                                              17

    ADAM BELL, CLYM OF THE CLOUGH, AND WILLIAM OF CLOUDESLY--

      Part the First                                                30
      Part the Second                                               43
      Part the Third                                                55

    SIR LANCELOT DU LAKE                                            74

    THE FROLICKSOME DUKE; OR, THE TINKER'S GOOD FORTUNE             82

    THE MORE MODERN BALLAD OF CHEVY CHASE                           89

    KING EDWARD IV. AND THE TANNER OF TAMWORTH                     106

    THE HEIR OF LINNE--

      Part the First                                               118
      Part the Second                                              124

    SIR ANDREW BARTON--

      Part the First                                               133
      Part the Second                                              142

    BRAVE LORD WILLOUGHBEY                                         155

    KING JOHN AND THE ABBOT OF CANTERBURY                          162

    ROBIN HOOD AND THE CURTAL FRIAR                                170

    ROBIN HOOD AND ALLEN-A-DALE                                    181

    VALENTINE AND URSINE--

      Part the First                                               188
      Part the Second                                              198

    THE KING AND THE MILLER OF MANSFIELD--

      Part the First                                               214
      Part the Second                                              222




ILLUSTRATIONS.


                                                                  PAGE

    1. SIR GUY OF GISBORNE.

        _He took Sir Guy's head by the hair,
        And stuck it upon his bow's end_                            11

    2. THE CHILDE OF ELLE.

        _Pardon, my lord and father dear,
        This fair young knight and me_                              28

    3. ADAM BELL, CLYM OF THE CLOUGH, &C.

        _Cloudesly bent a right good bow,
        That was of a trusty tree_                                  36

    4.  _They kneeled down without hindrance,
        And each held up his hand_                                  60

    5. SIR LANCELOT DU LAKE.

        _She brought him to a river side
        And also to a tree_                                         76

    6. THE FROLICKSOME DUKE. (_Frontispiece._)

        _Now he lay something late, in his rich bed of state,
        Till at last knights and squires, they on him did wait_     84

    7. CHEVY CHASE.

        _Then leaving life, Earl Percy took
        The dead man by the hand_                                   99

    8. KING EDWARD AND THE TANNER.

        _The tanner he pull'd, the tanner he sweat,
        And held by the pummel fast_                               114

    9. THE HEIR OF LINNE.

        _And he pull'd forth three bags of gold,
        And laid them down upon the board_                         130

    10. SIR ANDREW BARTON.

        _They boarded then his noble ship,
        They boarded it with might and main_                       150

    11. THE BRAVE LORD WILLOUGHBEY.

        _They kneeled on the ground,
        And praised God devoutly_                                  157

    12. THE ABBOT OF CANTERBURY.

        _Then home rode the abbot of comfort so cold,
        And he met his shepherd a going to fold_                   165

    13. ROBIN HOOD AND THE CURTAL FRIAR.

        _The friar took Robin Hood on his back,
        Deep water he did bestride_                                174

    14. THE MARRIAGE OF ALLEN-A-DALE.

        _He ask'd them seven times in the church,
        Lest three times should not be enough_                     187

    15. VALENTINE AND URSINE.

        _And kneeling down upon his knee,
        Presents him to the king_                                  197

    16. THE MILLER OF MANSFIELD.

        _Well, quo' the miller's wife, young man, ye're
          welcome here;
        And, though I say it, well lodged shall be_                218




THE BOY'S BOOK OF BALLADS.

ROBIN HOOD AND GUY OF GISBORNE.


    When shaws[1] be sheen,[2] and swards full fair,
      And leaves both large and long,
    It is merry walking in the fair forest
      To hear the small birds' song.

    The woodweel[3] sang, and would not cease,
      Sitting upon the spray,
    So loud, he wakened Robin Hood,
      In the greenwood where he lay.

    Now by my faith, said jolly Robin,
      A sweaven[4] I had this night;
    I dreamt me of two wight[5] yeomen
      That fast with me can fight.

    Methought they did me beat and bind,
      And took my bow me fro';
    If I be Robin alive in this land,
      I'll be wroken[6] on them two.

    Sweavens are swift, master, quoth John,
      As the wind that blows o'er a hill;
    For if it be never so loud this night,
      To-morrow it may be still.

    Busk ye, bowne[7] ye, my merry men all,
      And John shall go with me,
    For I'll go seek yon wight yeomen,
      In the greenwood where they be.

    Then they cast on their gowns of green,
      And took their bows each one,
    And they away to the green forest,
      A shooting forth are gone;

    Until they came to the merry greenwood,
      Where they had gladdest be,
    There were they aware of a wight yeoman,
      His body leaned to a tree.

    A sword and a dagger he wore by his side,
      Of many a man the bane;
    And he was clad in his capull[8] hide
      Top and tail and mane.

    Stand you still, master, quoth Little John,
      Under this tree so green,
    And I will go to yon wight yeoman
      To know what he doth mean.

    Ah! John, by me thou settest no store,
      And that I fairly find;
    How oft send I my men before,
      And tarry myself behind?

    It is no cunning a knave to ken,
      An[9] a man but hear him speak;
    An it were not for bursting of my bow,
      John, I thy head would break.

    As often words they breeden bale,[10]
      So they parted, Robin and John;
    And John is gone to Barnesdale:
      The gates[11] he knoweth each one.

    But when he came to Barnesdale,
      Great heaviness there he had,
    For he found two of his own fellows
      Were slain both in a glade.

    And Scarlett he was flying a-foot
      Fast over stock and stone,
    For the proud sheriff with seven score men
      Fast after him is gone.

    One shot now I will shoot, quoth John,
      (With Christe his might and main;)
    I'll make yon fellow that flies so fast,
      To stop he shall be fain.

    Then John bent up his long bende-bow,
      And fettled[12] him to shoot:
    The bow was made of tender bough,
      And fell down to his foot.

    Woe worth, woe worth thee, wicked wood,
      That ere thou grew on a tree;
    For now this day thou art my bale,
      My boote[13] when thou shouldst be.

    His shoot it was but loosely shot,
      Yet flew not the arrow in vain,
    For it met one of the sheriff's men,--
      Good William-a-Trent was slain.

    It had been better for William-a-Trent
      To have been a-bed with sorrow,
    Than to be that day in the greenwood glade
      To meet with Little John's arrow.

    But as it is said, when men be met,
      Five can do more than three,
    The sheriff hath taken Little John,
      And bound him fast to a tree.

    Thou shalt be drawn by dale and down,
      And hang'd high on a hill.
    But thou mayst fail of thy purpose, quoth John,
      If it be Christe his will.

    Let us leave talking of Little John,
      And think of Robin Hood,
    How he is gone to the wight yeoman,
      Where under the leaves he stood.

    Good morrow, good fellow, said Robin so fair,
      Good morrow, good fellow, quoth he:
    Methinks by this bow thou bear'st in thy hand,
      A good archer thou shouldst be.

    I am wilful[14] of my way, quo' the yeoman,
      And of my morning tide.
    I'll lead thee through the wood, said Robin;
      Good fellow, I'll be thy guide.

    I seek an outlaw, the stranger said,
      Men call him Robin Hood;
    Rather I'd meet with that proud outlaw
      Than forty pounds so good.

    Now come with me, thou wighty yeoman,
      And Robin thou soon shalt see:
    But first let us some pastime find
      Under the greenwood tree.

    First let us some mastery make
      Among the woods so even,
    We may chance to meet with Robin Hood
      Here at some unset[15] steven.

    They cut them down two summer shoggs,[16]
      That grew both under a briar,
    And set them threescore rod, in twain,
      To shoot the pricks[17] y-fere.[18]

    Lead on, good fellow, quoth Robin Hood,
      Lead on, I do bid thee.
    Nay by my faith, good fellow, he said,
      My leader thou shalt be.

    The first time Robin shot at the prick,
      He miss'd but an inch it fro';
    The yeoman he was an archer good,
      But he could never shoot so.

    The second shoot had the wighty yeoman,
      He shot within the garland;[19]
    But Robin he shot far better than he,
      For he clave the good prick-wand.

    A blessing upon thy heart, he said