Now list you, lithe you, gentlemen,
A while for a litle space,
And I shall tell you how Queene Katterine
Gott Robin Hood his grace.

Gold taken from the kings harbengers
Seldome times hath beene seene,
. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . .

*****

. . . . . . . .
" Queene Katherine, I say to thee;"
" That 's a princly wager," q uo th Queene Katherine,
" Betweene yo u r grace and me.

" Where must I haue mine archers?" says Queene Katherine;
" You haue the flower of archery:"
" Now take yo u r choice, dame," he sayes,
" Thorow out all England free.

" Yea from North Wales to Westchester,
And also to Couentry;
And when you haue chosen the best you can,
The wager must goe w i th mee."

" If that prooue," says Queene Katherine,
" Soone that wilbe tride and knowne;
Many a man counts of another mans pursse,
And after looseth his owne."

The queene is to her palace gone,
To her page thus shee can say:
Come hither to me, Dicke Patrinton,
Trusty and trew this day.

Thou must bring me the names of my archers all,
All strangers must they bee,
Yea from North Wales to West Chester,
And alsoe to Couentrie.

Com m end me to Robin Hood, says Queene Katherine,
And alsoe to Litle John,
And specially to Will Scarlett,
Ffryar Tucke and Maid Marryan.

Robin Hood we must call Loxly,
And Little John the Millers sonne;
Thus wee then must change their names,
They must be strangers euery one.

Com m end mee to Robin Hood, sayes Queene Katherine,
And marke, page, what I say;
In London they must be with me
[Vpon S t Georges day.]

*****

. . . . . . . .
" These words hath sent by me;
Att London you must be w i th her
Vpon S t Georg[e]s day.

" Vpon S t Georg[e]s day att noone
Att London needs must you bee;
Shee wold not misse yo u r companie
For all the gold in Cristinty.

" Shee hath tane a shooting for yo u r sake,
The greatest in Christentie,
And her part you must needs take
Against her prince, Henery.

" Shee sends you heere her gay gold ring
A trew token for to bee;
And, as you are [a] banisht man,
Shee trusts to sett you free."

" And I loose that wager," says bold Robin Hoode,
" I 'le bring mony to pay for me;
And wether that I win or loose,
On my queenes part I will be."

In som m er time when leaues grow greene,
And flowers are fresh and gay,
Then Ro bin Hood he deckt his men
Eche one in braue array.

He deckt his men in Lincolne greene,
Himselfe in scarlett red;
Fayre of theire brest then was it seene
When his siluer armes were spread.

With hatt i s white and fethers blacke,
And bowes and arrowes keene,
And thus he ietted towards louly London,
To p re sent Queene Katherine.

But when they cam to louly London,
They kneeled vpon their knee;
Sayes, God you saue, Queene Katherine,
And all yo u r dignitie!

*****

. . . . . . . of my guard,"
Thus can King Henry say,
" And those that wilbe of Queene Katerines side,
They are welcome to me this day."

" Then come hither to me, S i r Richard Lee,
Thou art a knight full good;
Well it is knowen ffrom thy pedygree
Thou came from Gawiins blood.

" Come hither, Bishopp of Hereford," q uo th Queene Katherine —
A good preacher I watt was hee —
" And stand thou heere vpon a odd side,
On my side for to bee."

" I like not that," sayes the bishopp then,
" By faikine of my body,
For if I might haue my owne will,
On the kings I wold bee."

" What will thou be[t] against vs," says Loxly then,
" And stake it on the ground?"
" That will I doe, fine fellow," he says,
" And it drawes to fiue hundreth pound."

" There is a bett," says Loxly then;
" Wee 'le stake it merrily;"
But Loxly knew full well in his mind
And whose that gold shold bee.

Then the queenes archers they shot about
Till it was three and three;
Then the lady 's gaue a merry shout,
Sayes, Woodcocke, beware thine eye!

" Well, gam and gam," then q uo th our king,
" The third three payes for all;"
Then Robine rounded w i th our queene,
Says, The kings p ar t shall be small.

Loxly puld forth a broad arrowe,
He shott it vnder hand,
. . . . s vnto . .
. . . . . .

*****

. . . . . . .
" For once he vndidd mee;
If I had thought it had beene bold Ro bin Hoode,
I wold not haue betted one peny.

" Is this Ro bin Hood?" says the bishopp againe;
" Once I knew him to soone;
He made me say a masse against my will,
Att two a clocke in the afternoone.

" He bound me fast vnto a tree,
Soe did he my merry men;
He borrowed ten pound against my will,
But he neuer paid me againe."

" What and if I did?" says bold Ro bin Hood,
" Of that masse I was full faine;
In recompence, befor king and queene
Take halfe of thy gold againe."

" I thanke thee for nothing," says the bishopp,
" Thy large gift to well is knowne,
Tha t will borrow a mans mony against his will,
And pay him againe w i th his owne."

" What if he did soe?" says King Henery,
" For that I loue him neuer the worsse;
Take vp thy gold againe, bold Robin Hood,
And put [it] in thy pursse.

" If thou woldest leaue thy bold outlawes,
And come and dwell w i th me,
Then I wold say thou art welcome, bold Ro bin Hood,
The flower of archery."

" I will not leaue my bold outlawes
For all the gold in Christentie;
In merry Sherwood I 'le take my end,
Vnder my trusty tree.

" And gett yo u r shooters, my leeig[e], where you will,
For in faith you shall haue none of me;
And when Queene Katherine puts up her f[inger]
Att her Graces com m andement I 'le bee."

Now list you, lithe you, gentlemen,
A while for a litle space,
And I shall tell you how Queene Katterine
Gott Robin Hood his grace.

Gold taken from the kings harbengers
Seldome times hath beene seene,
. . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . .

*****

. . . . . . . . .
" Queene Katherine, I say to thee;"
" That 's a princly wager," q uo th Queene Katherine,
" Betweene yo u r grace and me.

" Where must I haue mine archers?" says Queene Katherine;
" You haue the flower of archery:"
" Now take yo u r choice, dame," he sayes,
" Thorow out all England free.

" Yea from North Wales to Westchester,
And also to Couentry;
And when you haue chosen the best you can,
The wager must goe with mee."

" If that prooue," says Queene Katherine,
" Soone that wilbe tride and knowne;
Many a man counts of another mans pursse,
And after looseth his owne."

The queene is to her palace gone,
To her page thus shee can say:
Come hither to me, Dicke Patrinton,
Trusty and trew this day.

Thou must bring me the names of my archers all,
All strangers must they bee,
Yea from North Wales to West Chester,
And alsoe to Couentrie.

Com m end me to Robin Hood, says Queene Katherine,
And alsoe to Litle John,
And specially to Will Scarlett,
Ffryar Tucke and Maid Marryan.

Robin Hood we must call Loxly,
And Little John the Millers sonne;
Thus wee then must change their names,
They must be strangers enery one.

Com m end mee to Robin Hood, sayes Queene Katherine,
And marke, page, what I say;
In London they must be with me
[Vpon S t Georges day.]

*****

. . . . . . . . . .
" These words hath sent by me;
Att London you must be w i th her
Vpon S t Georg[e]s day.

" Vpon S t Georg[e]s day att noone
Att London needs must you bee;
Shee wold not misse yo u r companie
For all the gold in Cristinty.

" Shee hath tane a shooting for your sake,
The greatest in Christentie,
And her part you must needs take
Against her prince, Henery.

" Shee sends you heere her gay gold ring
A trew token for to bee;
And, as you are [a] banisht man,
Shee trusts to sett you free."

" And I loose that wager," says bold Robin Hoode,
" I 'le bring mony to pay for me;
And wether that I win or loose,
On my queenes part I will be."

In som m er time when leaues grow greene,
And flowers are fresh and gay,
Then Ro bin Hood he deckt his men
Eche one in braue array.

He deckt his men in Lincolne greene,
Himselfe in scarlett red;
Fayre of theire brest then was it seene
When his siluer armes were spread.

With hatt i s white and fethers blacke,
And bowes and arrowes keene,
And thus he ietted towards louly London,
To p re sent Queene Katherine.

But when they cam to louly London,
They kneeled vpon their knee;
Sayes, God you saue, Queene Katherine.
And all yo u r dignitie!

*****

. . . . . . . of my guard,"
Thus can King Henry say,
" And those that wilbe of Queene Katerines side,
They are welcome to me this day."

" Then come hither to me, S i r Richard Lee,
Thou art a knight full good;
Well it is knowen ffrom thy pedygree
Thou came from Gawiins blood.

" Come hither, Bishopp of Hereford," q uo th Queene Katherine —
A good preacher I watt was hee —
" And stand thou heere vpon a odd side,
On my side for to bee."

" I like not that," sayes the bishopp then,
" By faikine of my body,
For if I might haue my owne will,
On the kings I wold bee."

" What will thou be[t] against vs," says Loxly then,
" And stake it on the ground?"
" That will I doe, fine fellow," he says,
" And it drawes to fiue hundreth pound."

" There is a bett," says Loxly then;
" Wee 'le stake it merrily;"
But Loxly knew full well in his mind
And whose that gold shold bee.

Then the queenes archers they shot about
Till it was three and three;
Then the lady's gaue a merry shout,
Sayes, Woodcocke, beware thine eye!

" Well, gam and gam," then q uo th our king,
" The third three payes for all;"
Then Robine rounded w i th our queene,
Says, The kings p ar t shall be small.

Loxly puld forth a broad arrowe,
He shott it vnder hand,
. . . s vnto . .
. . . . . .

*****

. . . . . . . .
" For once he vndidd mee;
If I had thought it had beene bold Ro bin Hoode,
I wold not haue betted one peny.

" Is this Ro bin Hood?" says the bishopp againe;
" Once I knew him to soone;
He made me say a masse against my will,
Att two a clocke in the afternoone.

" He bound me fast vnto a tree,
Soe did he my merry men;
He borrowed ten pound against my will,
But he neuer paid me againe."

" What and if I did?" says bold Ro bin Hood,
" Of that masse I was full faine;
In recompence, befor king and queene
Take halfe of thy gold againe."

" I thanke thee for nothing," says the bishopp,
" Thy large gift to well is knowne,
Tha t will borrow a mans mony against his will,
And pay him againe w i th his owne."

" What if he did soe?" says King Henery,
" For that I loue him neuer the worsse;
Take vp thy gold againe, bold Robin Hood,
And put [it] in thy pursse.

" If thou woldest leaue thy bold outlawes,
And come and dwell w i th me,
Then I wold say thou art welcome, bold Ro bin Hood,
The flower of archery."

" I will not leaue my bold outlawes
For all the gold in Christentie;
In merry Sherwood I 'le take my end,
Vnder my trusty tree.

" And gett yo u r shooters, my leeig[e], where you will,
For in faith you shall haue none of me;
And when Queene Katherine puts up her f[inger]
Att her Graces com m andement I 'le bee."