Page images
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

For though my ryme be ragged,
Tattered and jagged,

Rudely rayne beaten,
Rusty and moughte1 eaten,
If ye take well therwith,
It hath in it some pyth.

For, as farre as I can se,

It is wronge with eche degre;
For the temporalte

Accuseth the spiritualte;
The spirituall agayne
Dothe grudge and complayne
Upon the temporall men:
Thus eche of other blother 2
The tone agayng the tother.
Alas, they make me shoder!
For in hoder moder1
The Churche is put in faute.
The prelates ben so haut,
They say, and loke so hy,
As though they wolde fly
Above the sterry skye.
Laye-men say indede,
How they take no hede
Theyr sely shepe to fede,
But plucke away and pull
The fleces of theyr wull;

60

70

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

And make therof a jape;
They gaspe and they gape,
All to have promocyon;

There is theyr hole devocyon,
With money, if it wyll hap,
To catche the forked cap.
Forsothe they are to lewd
To say so, all beshrewd!

[blocks in formation]

5

ΤΟ

6

12

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small]
[blocks in formation]

What cher? Gud cher! gud cher, gud cher!
Be mery and glad this gud Newyere!

"Lyft up your hartes and be glad,"
In Crystes byrth the angell bad;
Say eche to oder, yf any be sad,
"What cher," etc.

Now the kyng of hevyn his byrth hath take,
Joy and myrth we owght to make;

Say eche to oder for hys sake,

"What cher," etc.

I tell you all with hart so fre,
Ryght welcum ye be to me;
Be glad and mery, for charite!

"What cher," etc.

8

Company with honeste

Is vertu vices to fle;

Company is good and ill,

But every man hath hys fre wyll.
The best ensew, The worst eschew!
My mynde shalbe

Vertue to use, Vice to refuce;

Thus schall I use me.

II

Fyll the cuppe, Phylyppe,

And let us drynke a drame!
Ons or twys abowte the howse
And leave where we began.
I drynke to your swete harte
Soo mutche as here is in,
Desyeringe yow to followe me
And doo as I begyn!

And yf you will not pledge,

You shall bere the blame.

I drynke to you with all my harte, Yf you will pledge me the same.

III

Make rome,' syrs, and let us be mery,
With "Huffa, galand!"

Synge, "Tyrll on the bery,"
And let the wyde worlde wynde!

Synge, "Fryska joly,"

With "Hey, troly loly,"

12

[blocks in formation]

For to have a sad mynd!

For I se well it is but foly

24

[ocr errors]
[blocks in formation]

8

3

9

12

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

5. "Buske yee, bowne yee, my merry men all,
For John shall goe with mee;
For I'le goe seeke yond wight yeomen
In greenwood where they bee."

6. They cast on their gowne of greene,
A shooting gone are they,

Until they came to the merry greenwood,
Where they had gladdest bee;

There were they ware of a wight yeoman,

His body leaned to a tree.

7. A sword and a dagger he wore by his side,
Had beene many a mans bane,
And he was cladd in his capull-hyde,3
Topp, and tayle, and mayne.

20

30

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

"That ere thou grew on a tree! For this day thou art my bale,

My boote3 when thou shold bee!"

17. This shoote it was but looselye shott,

The arrowe flew in vaine,

And it mett one of the sheriffes men;

Good William a Trent was slaine.

18. It had beene better for William a Trent
To hange upon a gallowe
Then for to lye in the greenwoode,
There slaine with an arrowe.

19. And it is sayd, when men be mett,
Six can doe more than three:
And they have tane Litle John,

And bound him ffast to a tree.

70

[blocks in formation]

25. "I seeke an outlaw,” quoth Sir Guye, "Men call him Robin Hood;

I had rather meet with him upon a day
Than forty pound of golde."

67

100

26. "If you tow mett, itt wold be seene whether were better

Afore yee did part awaye;

Let us some other pastime find,
Good ffellow, I thee pray.

27. "Let us some other masteryes make,
And wee will walke in the woods even;
Wee may chance meet with Robin Hoode
Att some unsett steven." 1

[ocr errors]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

1

yew

2 made ready help

4

astray

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »