This epitaph appears to me suspicious: however, a late antiquary has given a
pedigree of Robin Hood, which, if genuine, shows that he had real pretensions to the
earldom of Huntington, and that his true name was ROBERT FITZ-OOTH.[3] Yet the
most ancient poems on Robin Hood make no mention of his earldom. He is expressly
asserted to have been a yeoman[4] in a very old legend in verse preserved in the
archives of the public library at Cambridge,[5] in eight Fyttes or Parts, printed in
black letter, quarto, thus inscribed: "CHere begynneth a lytell geste of Robyn hode
and his meyne, and of the proude sheryfe of Notyngham." The first lines are,
"Lithe and lysten, gentylmen,
That he of fre-bore blode:
I shall you tell of a good YEMAN,
His name was Robyn hode.
"Robyn was a proude out-lawe,
Whiles he walked on grounde;
So curteyse an out-lawe as he was one,
Was never none yfounde." &c.The printer's colophon is, "CExplicit Kinge Edwarde and Robin hode and Lyttel
Johan. Enprented at London in Fletestrete at the sygne of the sone by Wynkin de
Worde." In Mr. Garrick's collection[6] is a different edition of the same poem, "C
Imprinted at London upon the thre Crane wharfe by Wyllyam Copland," containing at
the end a little dramatic piece on the subject of Robin Hood and the Friar, not found in
the former copy, called, "A newe playe for to be played in Maye games very
plesaunte and full of pastyme.C(***)D."
I shall conclude these preliminary remarks with observing, that the hero of this
ballad was the favourite subject of popular songs so early as the time of King Edward
III. In the Visions of Pierce Plowman, written in that reign, a monk says,
I can rimes of Roben Hod, and Randal of Chester,
But of our Lorde and our Lady, I lerne nothing at all.
Fol. 26. ed. 155C.
See also in Bishop Latimer's Sermons [7] a very curious and characteristical
story, which shows what respect was shown to the memory of our archer in the time
of that prelate.
The curious reader will find many other particulars relating to this celebrated
outlaw, in Sir John Hawkins'sHist. of Music, vol. iii. p. 410, 4to.
For the catastrophe of Little John, who, it seems, was executed for a robbery
on Arbor-hill, Dublin (with some curious particulars relating to his skill in archery),
see Mr. J. C. Walker's ingenious "Memoir on the Armour and Weapons of the Irish,"
p. 129, annexed to his "Historical Essay on the Dress of the Ancient and Modern
Irish." Dublin, 1788, 4to.
Some liberties were, by the Editor, taken with this ballad; which, in this
edition, hath been brought nearer to the folio MS.
WHEN shaws[8] beene sheene,and shradds full fayre,
And leaves both large and longe,
Itt is merrye walking in the fayre forrèst
To heare the small birdes songe.