"So God me help-e," said our king,
"Thy name is nought to lere,
I should not get a shot of thee,
Though I shot all this year."
All the people of Nottingham
They stood and beheld,
They saw nothing but mantles of green,
They covered all the feld;
Then every man to other gan say,
"I dread our king be slone;
Come Robin Hood to the town, i-wis,
On live he leaveth not one."
Full hastily they began to flee,
Both yeomen and knaves,
And old wives that might evil go,
They hopp-ed on their staves.
The king be lough full fast,
And commanded them again;
When they see our comely king,
I-wis they were full fain.
They ate and drank, and made them glad,
And sang with not-es hie.
Then bespake our comely king
To Sir Richard at the Lee:
He gave him there his land again,
A good man he bade him be.
Robin thanked our comely king,
And set him on his knee.
Had Robin dwelled in the king's court
But twelv-e months and three,
That he had spent an hundred pound,
And all his menn-es fee,
In every place where Robin came,
Ever more he laid down,
Both for knights and squires,
To get him great renown.
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