Part 14

"What tiding-e, John?" said Rob-in.

"Sir, the knight is true enow."

"Fill of the best wine," said Rob-in, "The knight shall begin; Much wonder thinketh me Thy clothing is so thin. Tell me one word," said Rob-in, "And counsel shall it be; I trow thou were made a knight of force, Or else of yeomanry; Or else thou hast been a sorry housband And lived in stroke and strife; An okerer, or lechour," said Rob-in, "With wrong hast thou led thy life."

"I am none of them," said the knight, "By him that mad-e me; An hundred winter here before, Mine aunsetters knights have be. But oft it hath befal, Rob-in, A man hath be disgrate; But God that sitteth in heaven above May amend his state. Within two or three year, Robin," he said, "My neighbours well it kend, Four hundred pound of good mon-ey Full well then might I spend. Now have I no good," said the knight, "But my children and my wife; God hath shapen such an end, Till he it may amend."

"In what manner," said Rob-in, "Hast thou lore thy rich-esse?"

"For my great folly," he said, "And for my kind-enesse. I had a son, for sooth, Rob-in, That should have been my heir, When he was twenty winter old, In field would joust full fair; He slew a knight of Lancashire, And a squyer bold; For to save him in his right My goods beth set and sold; My lands beth set to wed, Rob-in, Until a certain day, To a rich abbot here beside, Of Saint Mar-y abbay."

"What is the summ-e?" said Rob-in, "Truth then tell thou me."

"Sir," he said, "four hundred pound, The abb-ot told it to me."

"Now, an thou lose thy land," said Robin, "What shall fall of thee?"

"Hastily I will me busk," said the knight, "Over the salt-e sea, And see where Christ was quick and dead, On the mount of Calvar-y. Fare well, friend, and have good day, It may no better be"--

Tears fell out of his eyen two, He would have gone his way-- "Fare well, friends, and have good day, I ne have more to pay."

"Where be thy friends?" said Rob-in.

"Sir, never one will me know; While I was rich enow at home Great boast then would they blow, And now they run away from me, As beast-es on a row; They take no more heed of me Than they me never saw."

For ruth-e then wept Little John, Scathelocke and Much also. "Fill of the best wine," said Rob-in, "For here is a simple cheer. Hast thou any friends," said Robin, "Thy borowes that will be?"

"I have none," then said the knight, "But him that died on a tree."

"Do way thy jap-es!" said Rob-in, "Thereof will I right none; Weenest thou I will have God to borowe? Peter, Paul, or John? Nay, by him that me made, And shope both sun and moon, Find a better borowe," said Robin, "Or money gettest thou none."

"I have none other," said the knight, "The sooth for to say, But if it be our dear Lad-y, She failed me ne'er ere this day."

"By dere-worthy God," then said Rob-in, "To seek all England thorowe, Yet found I never to my pay, A much better borowe. Come now forth, Little John, And go to my treasur-y, And bring me fo-ur hundred pound, And look that it well told be."

Forth then went Little John, And Scathelock went before, He told out fo-ur hundred pound, By eighteen-e score.

"Is this well told?" said Little Much.

John said, "What grieveth thee? It is alms to help a gentle knight That is fall in povert-y. Master," then said Little John, "His clothing is full thin, Ye must give the knight a liver-ay, To wrap his bod-y therein. For ye have scarl-et and green, mast-er, And many a rich array, There is no merch-ant in merry Engl-and So rich, I dare well say."

"Take him three yards of every colo-ur, And look that well mete it be."

Little John took none other meas-ure But his bow-e tree, And of every handfull that he met He leapt ouer foot-es three.

"What devilkyns draper," said Little Much, "Thinkest thou to be?"

Scathelock stood full still and lough, And said, "By God allmight, John may give him the better meas-ure, For it cost him but light."

"Master," then said Little John, All unto Robin Hood, "Ye must give that knight an horse, To lead home all this good."

"Take him a gray cours-er," said Robin, "And a saddle new; He is our Lady's messengere, God lend that he be true!"

"And a good palfr-ey," said Little Much, "To maintain him in his right."