The English And Scottish Popular Ballads

by FRANCIS JAMES CHILD.

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115A: Robyn and Gandeleyn


115A.1	 I HERDE a carpyng of a clerk,
	 Al at y+oone wodes ende,
	 Of gode Robyn and Gandeleyn;
	 Was ther non other thynge.
	 Robynn lyth in grene wode bowndyn
115A.2	 Stronge theuys wern tho chylderin non,
	 But bowmen gode and hende;
	 He wentyn to wode to getyn hem fleych,
	 If God wold it hem sende.
115A.3	 Al day wentyn tho chylderin too,
	 And fleych fowndyn he non,
	 Til it were a-geyn euyn;
	 THe chylderin wold gon hom.
115A.4	 Half an honderid of fat falyf der
	 He comyn a-y+oon,
	 And alle he wern fayr and fat i-now,
	 But markyd was ther non:
	 'Be dere God,' seyde gode Robyn,
	 'Here of we xul haue on.'
115A.5	 Robyn bent his joly bowe,
RRther	in he set a flo;
	 THe fattest der of alle
	 THe herte he clef a to.
115A.6	 He hadde not the der i-flawe,
	 Ne half out of the hyde,
	 There cam a schrewde arwe out of the west,
RRthat	felde Robertes pryde.
115A.7	 Gandeleyn lokyd hym est and west,
	 Be euery syde:
	 'Hoo hat myn mayster slayin?
	 Ho hat don this dede?
	 Xal I neuer out of grene wode go
	 Til I se [his] sydis blede.'
115A.8	 Gandeleyn lokyd hym est and lokyd west,
	 And sowt vnder the sunne;
	 He saw a lytil boy
	 He clepyn Wrennok of Donne.
115A.9	 A good bowe in his hond,
	 A brod arwe ther ine,
	 And fowre and twenti goode arwys,
	 Trusyd in a thrumme:
	 'Be war the, war the, Gandeleyn,
	 Her-of thu xalt han summe.
115A.10	 'Be war the, war the, Gandeleyn,
	 Her of thu gyst plente:'
	 'Euer on for an other,' seyde Gandeleyn;
	 'Mysaunter haue he xal fle.
115A.11	 'Qwer-at xal our marke be?'
	 Seyde Gandeleyn:
	 'Eueryche at  otheris herte,'
	 Seyde Wrennok ageyn.
115A.12	 Ho xal y+oeue the ferste schote?'
	 Seyde Gandeleyn:
	 'And I xul y+oeue the on be-forn,'
	 Seyde Wrennok ageyn.
115A.13	 Wrennok schette a ful good schote,
	 And he schet not to hye;
	 THrow the sanchothis of his bryk;
	 It towchyd neyther thye.
115A.14	 'Now hast thu y+oouyn me on be-forn,'
	 Al thus to Wrennok seyde he,
	 'And throw the myy+ot of our lady
	 A bettere I xal y+oeue the.'
115A.15	 Gandeleyn bent his goode bowe,
	 And set ther in a flo;
	 He schet throw his grene certyl,
	 His herte he clef on too.
115A.16	 'Now xalt thu neuer y+oelpe, Wrennok,
	 At ale ne at wyn,
RRthat	thu hast slawe goode Robyn,
	 And his knaue Gandeleyn.
115A.17	 'Now xalt thu neuer y+oelpe, Wrennok,
	 At wyn ne at ale,
RRthat	thu hast slawe goode Robyn,
	 And Gandeleyn his knaue.'
	 Robyn lyy+oth in grene wode bowndyn

Next: 116. Adam Bell, Clim of the Clough and William of Cloudesly