The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
truth we have enow and more than enow in our own country. Twoscore and
ten I give to thee for thine own shooting, and five I give to each band
for their pleasure."
At this another great shout went up, and many tossed their caps aloft,
and swore among themselves that no better fellows ever walked the sod
than Robin Hood and his stout yeomen.
While they so shouted with loud voices, a tall burly yeoman of the
King's guard came forward and plucked Robin by the sleeve. "Good
master," quoth he, "I have somewhat to tell thee in thine ear; a silly
thing, God wot, for one stout yeoman to tell another; but a young
peacock of a page, one Richard Partington, was seeking thee without
avail in the crowd, and, not being able to find thee, told me that he
bore a message to thee from a certain lady that thou wottest of. This
message he bade me tell thee privily, word for word, and thus it was.
Let me see--I trust I have forgot it not--yea, thus it was: 'The lion
growls. Beware thy head.'"
"Is it so?" quoth Robin, starting; for he knew right well that it was
the Queen sent the message, and that she spake of the King's wrath.
"Now, I thank thee, good fellow, for thou hast done me greater service
than thou knowest of this day." Then he called his three yeomen
together and told them privately that they had best be jogging, as it
was like to be ill for them so nigh merry London Town. So, without
tarrying longer, they made their way through the crowd until they had
come out from the press. Then, without stopping, they left London Town
and started away northward.
The Chase of Robin Hood
SO ROBIN HOOD and the others left the archery range at Finsbury Fields,
and, tarrying not, set forth straightway upon their homeward journey. It
was well for them that they did so, for they had not gone more than
three or four miles upon their way when six of the yeomen of the King's
guard came bustling among the crowd that still lingered, seeking for
Robin and his men, to seize upon them and make them prisoners. Truly, it
was an ill-done thing in the King to break his promise, but it all came
about through the Bishop of Hereford's doing, for thus it happened:
After the King left the archery ground, he went straightway to his
cabinet, and with him went the Bishop of Hereford and Sir Robert Lee;
but the King said never a word to these two, but sat gnawing his nether
lip, for his heart was galled within him by what had happened. At last
the Bishop of Hereford spoke, in a low, sorrowful voice: "It is a sad
thing, Your Majesty, that this knavish outlaw should be let to escape in
this wise; for, let him but get back to Sherwood Forest safe and sound,
and he may snap his fingers at king and king's men."
At these words the King raised his eyes and looked grimly upon the
Bishop. "Sayst thou so?" quoth he. "Now, I will show thee, in good
time, how much thou dost err, for, when the forty days are past and
gone, I will seize upon this thieving outlaw, if I have to tear down all
of Sherwood to find him. Thinkest thou that the laws of the King of
England are to be so evaded by one poor knave without friends or money?"
Then the Bishop spoke again, in his soft, smooth voice:
"Forgive my boldness, Your Majesty, and believe that I have nought but
the good of England and Your Majesty's desirings at heart; but what
would it boot though my gracious lord did root up every tree of
Sherwood? Are there not other places for Robin Hood's hiding? Cannock
Chase is not far from Sherwood, and the great Forest of Arden is not far
from Cannock Chase. Beside these are many other woodlands in Nottingham
and Derby, Lincoln and York, amid any of which Your Majesty might as
well think to seize upon Robin Hood as to lay finger upon a rat among
the dust and broken things of a garret. Nay, my gracious lord, if he
doth once plant foot in the woodland, he is lost to the law forever."
At these words the King tapped his fingertips upon the table beside him
with vexation. "What wouldst thou have me do, Bishop?" quoth he. "Didst
thou not hear me pledge my word to the Queen? Thy talk is as barren as
the wind from the bellows upon dead coals."
"Far be it from me," said the cunning Bishop, "to point the way to one
so clear-sighted as Your Majesty; but, were I the King of England, I
should look upon the matter in this wise: I have promised my Queen, let
us say, that for forty days the cunningest rogue in all England shall
have freedom to come and go; but, lo! I find this outlaw in my grasp;
shall I, then, foolishly cling to a promise so hastily given? Suppose
that I had promised to do Her Majesty's bidding, whereupon she bade me
to slay myself; should I, then, shut mine eyes and run blindly upon my
sword? Thus would I argue within myself. Moreover, I would say unto
myself, a woman knoweth nought of the great things appertaining to state
government; and, likewise, I know a woman is ever prone to take up a
fancy, even as she would pluck a daisy from the roadside, and then throw
it away when the savor is gone; therefore, though she hath taken a fancy
to this outlaw, it will soon wane away and be forgotten. As for me, I
have the greatest villain in all England in my grasp; shall I, then,
open my hand and let him slip betwixt my fingers? Thus, Your Majesty,
would I say to myself, were I the King of England." So the Bishop
talked, and the King lent his ear to his evil counsel, until, after a
while, he turned to Sir Robert Lee and bade him send six of the yeomen
of the guard to take Robin Hood and his three men prisoners.
Now Sir Robert Lee was a gentle and noble knight, and he felt grieved to
the heart to see the King so break his promise; nevertheless, he said
nothing, for he saw how bitterly the King was set against Robin Hood;
but he did not send the yeomen of the guard at once, but went first to
the Queen, and told her all that had passed, and bade her send word to
Robin of his danger. This he did not for the well-being of Robin Hood,
but because he would save his lord's honor if he could. Thus it came
about that when, after a while, the yeomen of the guard went to the
archery field, they found not Robin and the others, and so got no cakes
at that fair.
The afternoon was already well-nigh gone when Robin Hood, Little John,
Will, and Allan set forth upon their homeward way, trudging along
merrily through the yellow slanting light, which speedily changed to
rosy red as the sun sank low in the heavens. The shadows grew long, and
finally merged into the grayness of the mellow twilight. The dusty
highway lay all white betwixt the dark hedgerows, and along it walked
four fellows like four shadows, the pat of their feet sounding loud, and
their voices, as they talked, ringing clear upon the silence of the air.
The great round moon was floating breathlessly up in the eastern sky
when they saw before them the twinkling lights of Barnet Town, some ten
or twelve miles from London. Down they walked through the stony streets
and past the cosy houses with overhanging gables, before the doors of
which sat the burghers and craftsmen in the mellow moonlight, with their
families about them, and so came at last, on the other side of the
hamlet, to a little inn, all shaded with roses and woodbines. Before
this inn Robin Hood stopped, for the spot pleased him well. Quoth he,
"Here will we take up our inn and rest for the night, for we are well
away from London Town and our King's wrath. Moreover, if I mistake not,
we will find sweet faring within. What say ye, lads?"
"In sooth, good master," quoth Little John, "thy bidding and my doing
ever fit together like cakes and ale. Let us in, I say also."
Then up spake Will Scarlet: "I am ever ready to do what thou sayest,
uncle, yet I could wish that we were farther upon our way ere we rest
for the night. Nevertheless, if thou thinkest best, let us in for the
night, say I also."
So in they went and called for the best that the place afforded. Then a
right good feast was set before them, with two stout bottles of old sack
to wash it down withal. These things were served by as plump and buxom
a lass as you could find in all the land, so that Little John, who
always had an eye for a fair lass, even when meat and drink were by,
stuck his arms akimbo and fixed his eyes upon her, winking sweetly
whenever he saw her looking toward him. Then you should have seen how
the lass twittered with laughter, and how she looked at Little John out
of the corners of her eyes, a dimple coming in either cheek; for the
fellow had always a taking way with the womenfolk.
So the feast passed merrily, and never had that inn seen such lusty
feeders as these four stout fellows; but at last they were done their
eating, though it seemed as though they never would have ended, and sat
loitering over the sack. As they so sat, the landlord came in of a
sudden, and said that there was one at the door, a certain young
esquire, Richard Partington, of the Queen's household, who wished to see
the lad in blue, and speak with him, without loss of time. So Robin
arose quickly, and, bidding the landlord not to follow him, left the
others gazing at one another, and wondering what was about to happen.
When Robin came out of the inn, he found young Richard Partington
sitting upon his horse in the white moonlight, awaiting his coming.
"What news bearest thou, Sir Page?" said Robin. "I trust that it is not
of an ill nature."
"Why," said young Partington, "for the matter of that, it is ill enow.
The King hath been bitterly stirred up against thee by that vile Bishop
of Hereford. He sent to arrest thee at the archery butts at Finsbury
Fields, but not finding thee there, he hath gathered together his armed
men, fiftyscore and more, and is sending them in haste along this very
road to Sherwood, either to take thee on the way or to prevent thy
getting back to the woodlands again. He hath given the Bishop of
Hereford command over all these men, and thou knowest what thou hast to
expect of the Bishop of Hereford--short shrift and a long rope. Two
bands of horsemen are already upon the road, not far behind me, so thou
hadst best get thee gone from this place straightway, for, if thou
tarriest longer, thou art like to sleep this night in a cold dungeon.
This word the Queen hath bidden me bring to thee."
"Now, Richard Partington," quoth Robin, "this is the second time that
thou hast saved my life, and if the proper time ever cometh I will show
thee that Robin Hood never forgets these things. As for that Bishop of
Hereford, if I ever catch him nigh to Sherwood again, things will be
like to go ill with him. Thou mayst tell the good Queen that I will
leave this place without delay, and will let the landlord think that we
are going to Saint Albans; but when we are upon the highroad again, I
will go one way through the country and will send my men the other, so
that if one falleth into the King's hands the others may haply escape.
We will go by devious ways, and so, I hope, will reach Sherwood in
safety. And now, Sir Page, I wish thee farewell."
"Farewell, thou bold yeoman," said young Partington, "and mayst thou
reach thy hiding in safety." So each shook the other's hand, and the
lad, turning his horse's head, rode back toward London, while Robin
entered the inn once more.
There he found his yeomen sitting in silence, waiting his coming;
likewise the landlord was there, for he was curious to know what Master
Partington had to do with the fellow in blue. "Up, my merry men!" quoth
Robin, "this is no place for us, for those are after us with whom we
will stand but an ill chance an we fall into their hands. So we will go
forward once more, nor will we stop this night till we reach Saint
Albans." Hereupon, taking out his purse, he paid the landlord his