Then sair, O sair, his mind misgave,
And all his heart was wae:
"Put on, put on, my wighty men,
Sae fast as ye can gae.

“Put on, put on, my wighty men,

Sae fast as ye can drie!

For he that's hindmost o' the thrang

Sall ne'er get good o' me."

Then some they rade, and some they ran,
Out-owre the grass and bent;

But ere the foremost could win up,
Baith lady and babes were brent.

And after the Gordon he is gane,

Sae fast as he might drie;

And soon i' the Gordon's foul heart's blude

He's wroken his dear ladye.

Unknown

ROBIN HOOD AND ALLEN-A-DALE

COME listen to me, you gallants so free,
All you that love mirth for to hear,
And I will tell you of a bold outlaw.
That lived in Nottinghamshire.

As Robin Hood in the forest stood,
All under the greenwood tree,

There was he aware of a brave young man,

As fine as fine might be.

The youngster was clad in scarlet red,

In scarlet fine and gay;

And he did frisk it over the plain,

And chanted a roundelay.

As Robin Hood next morning stood

Amongst the leaves so gay,

There did he espy the same young man
Come drooping along the way.

The scarlet he wore the day before

It was clean cast away;

And at every step he fetched a sigh, "Alas! and well-a-day!"

Then stepped forth brave Little John,

And Midge, the miller's son;

Which made the young man bend his bow

When as he see them come.

"Stand off! stand off!" the young man said, "What is your will with me?"

"You must come before our master straight, Under yon greenwood tree."

And when he came bold Robin before,
Robin asked him courteously,
"O, hast thou any money to spare,
For my merry men and me?"

"I have no money," the young man said,
"But five shillings and a ring;

And that I have kept these seven long years,
To have at my wedding.

"Yesterday I should have married a maid,

But she was from me ta'en,

And chosen to be an old knight's delight,
Whereby my poor heart is slain."

"What is thy name?" then said Robin Hood,

"Come tell me, without any fail."

"By the faith of my body," then said the young man, "My name it is Allen-a-Dale."

"What wilt thou give me," said Robin Hood,

"In ready gold or fee,

To help thee to thy true-love again,

And deliver her unto thee?"

"I have no money," then quoth the young man,

"No ready gold nor fee,

But I will swear upon a book

Thy true servant for to be."

"How many miles is it to thy true-love?

Come tell me without guile."

"By the faith of my body," then said the young man, "It is but five little mile."

Then Robin he hasted over the plain;

He did neither stint nor lin,

Until he came unto the church

Where Allen should keep his weddin'.

"What dost thou here?" the bishop then said; "I prithee now tell unto me."

"I am a bold harper," quoth Robin Hood, "And the best in the north country."

"Oh welcome, oh welcome," the bishop he said; "That music best pleaseth me."

"You shall have no music," quoth Robin Hood, "Till the bride and the bridegroom I see."

With that came in a wealthy knight,

Which was both grave and old;

And after him a finikin lass,

Did shine like glistering gold.

"This is no fit match," quoth Robin Hood,
"That you do seem to make here;

For since we are come into the church,
The bride shall chuse her own dear."

Then Robin Hood put his horn to his mouth,
And blew blasts two or three;

When four-and-twenty yeomen bold

Came leaping over the lea.

And when they came into the church-yard,

Marching all in a row,

The first man was Allen-a-Dale,

To give bold Robin his bow.

"This is thy true love," Robin he said.

"Young Allen, as I hear say:

And you shall be married at this same time,
Before we depart away."

"That shall not be," the bishop he cried,
"For thy word it shall not stand;

They shall be three times asked in the church,
As the law is of our land."

Robin Hood pulled off the bishop's coat,
And put it upon Little John;

"By the faith of my body," then Robin said,
"This cloth doth make thee a man."

When Little John went into the quire,
The people began to laugh;

He asked them seven times into church,
Lest three times should not be enough.

"Who gives me this maid?" then said Little John, Quoth Robin Hood, "That do I;

And he that takes her from Allen-a-Dale,
Full dearly he shall her buy."

And then having ended this merry wedding,
The bride looked as fresh as a queen;

And so they returned to the merry greenwood,
Amongst the leaves so green.

CHEVY-CHASE

GOD prosper long our noble king,

Our lives and safeties all;

A woful hunting once there did

In Chevy-Chase befall.

Unknown

To drive the deer with hound and horn
Earl Percy took his way;

The child may rue that is unborn
The hunting of that day.

The stout Earl of Northumberland
A vow to God did make,
His pleasure in the Scottish woods
Three summer days to take;

The chiefest harts in Chevy-Chase
To kill and bear away.

These tidings to Earl Douglas came,
İn Scotland where he lay;

Who sent Earl Percy present word
He would prevent his sport.
The English earl, not fearing that,
Did to the woods resort,

With fifteen hundred bowmen bold,
All chosen men of might,
Who knew full well in time of need

To aim their shafts aright.

The gallant greyhounds swiftly ran
To chase the fallow deer;
On Monday they began to hunt,
When daylight did appear;

And long before high noon they had
A hundred fat bucks slain;

Then, having dined, the drovers went

To rouse the deer again.

The bowmen mustered on the hills,

Well able to endure;

And all their rear, with special care,

That day was guarded sure.