Web
and Book design,
Copyright, Kellscraft Studio 1999-2007 (Return to Web Text-ures) |
(HOME)
|
ROBIN HOOD HE reign of King
Richard the First was very different from the times we now live in: the
roads
were very bad and beset with robbers; and there were a great number of
large
forests and parks in the country, well stocked with deer. At that time
lived
the famous Robin Hood: he was born in the village of Locksley, in
Nottinghamshire, and his father was very skilful in the use of the
crossbow.
His mother had a brother, named Gamewell, of Great Gamewell Hall, near
Maxwell,
in the same county, but at the distance of twenty miles from the house
of Robin
Hood’s father.
When Robin
Hood was
about thirteen years old, his mother said one day to his father, ‘Let
Robin and
me ride this morning to Gamewell Hall, to taste my brother’s good
cheer.’ Her
husband answered, ‘Do so, my dear; let Robin Hood take my gray horse,
and the
best bridle and saddle: the sun is rising, so pray make haste, for
to-morrow
will be Christmas-day.’ The good wife then made no more ado, but put on
her
holiday petticoat and gown, which were green: Robin got his basket-hilt
sword
and dagger, and his new suit of clothes, and so rode with his mother
behind
him, till he came to Gamewell Hall. Squire Gamewell made them welcome
twenty
times, and the next day six tables were set out in the hall for dinner;
and
when the company was come, the squire said to them, ‘you are all
welcome, but
not a man here shall taste my ale till he has sung a Christmas carol.’
They now
all clapped their hands, and shouted and sang till the hall and the
parlour
rang again. After dinner the chaplain said grace, and the squire once
again bid
his friends be merry. ‘It snows and it blows out of doors,’ said he,
‘but we
are snug here; let us have more ale, and lay some logs upon the fire.’
He then
called for Little John, ‘for,’ said he, ‘Little John is a fine lad at
gambols,
and all sorts of tricks, and it will do your hearts good to see him.’
When
Little John came, he was indeed as clever as the squire had said; but
Robin
Hood got up, and played all the very same tricks, and better still. The
squire
was quite glad to see this, and said, ‘Cousin Robin, you shall go no
more home,
but shall stay and live with me; you shall have my estate when I die,
and till
then you shall be the comfort of my age.’ Robin Hood agreed to this if
his
uncle would but give him Little John to be his servant. One time
when Robin
Hood was gone to spend a week with his father and mother, Squire
Gamewell was
taken ill. In those days the people of that country were of the Roman
Catholic
religion: there was a convent of priests near Gamewell Hall, called
Fountain
Abbey; and the squire sent for one of the priests or monks to come and
read
prayers by his bedside. Fountain Abbey was a very fine building: it had
a large
mansion in the centre, and a capital wing on the right side; but there
was no
wing on the left, so that the building was not complete. Now the monk
who came
to Gamewell Hall was very sorry about this, and wished very much to
have a left
wing to his abbey; so he made the squire believe that he could not die
like a
good man, unless he gave the whole of his estate to Fountain Abbey. The
squire
was very ill, and hardly knew what he did; he forgot Robin Hood, and
all that
he had said he would do for him, and signed a paper that the monk
brought him,
to give away his estate. As soon as Robin Hood heard that his uncle was
very
ill, he made haste home; but the squire was dead a quarter of an hour
before
Robin came. The monks now turned Robin Hood out of the hall; and as his
father
was poor, Robin was thus sent out into the world to seek his fortune.
Robin
Hood did not know what to do; he had been used to live like a rich man,
and did
not know how to work, for he had learned no trade. He however got
together a
number of young men, who had been brought up like himself, and were
just as
poor; and they went to live what they called a merry life, in Sherwood
Forest,
near Nottingham. Here there was plenty of deer, and Robin Hood and his
company
were very excellent marksmen at shooting them with the cross-bow; but
they
wanted something besides meat to eat, so they at once turned robbers.
After
this, no man could travel alone through Sherwood Forest without being
stripped
of his money. Robin Hood and his company too did not confine themselves
to
Sherwood Forest, but sometimes went to plunder other parts of England.
His gang
soon grew to above a hundred in number, and they were some of the
tallest,
finest, and boldest men in the kingdom. Robin Hood dressed them in an
uniform:
he himself always wore scarlet; and each of his men had a green coat, a
pair of
breeches, and cap. Though Robin Hood
was a robber, which, to be sure, is a very bad thing, yet he behaved in
such a
manner as to have the good word and good wishes of almost all the poor
people
in those parts. He never robbed any body but people who were very rich,
and who
had not the spirit to make good use of their riches. As he had lost his
estate
by the cunning of a priest, he had a great dislike to them
particularly; and
truly at that time they behaved in such a manner that hardly anybody
liked
them; so that Robin was not thought the worse of for his usage of them.
When he
met with poor men in his rambles, instead of taking any thing from
them, he
gave them money of his own: he never let any woman be either robbed or
hurt;
and in cases of hardship, he always took the part of the weak and the
injured against
the strong; so that it was truly said, that of all thieves he was the
gentlest
and most generous thief.’ Robin Hood
was fond
of doing odd and strange things, and he loved a joke quite as well as
he loved
a good booty. One day, as he strolled in the forest by himself, he saw
a jolly
butcher riding upon a fine mare, with panniers on each side, filled
with meat.
‘Good morrow, good fellow,’ said Robin, whither are you going so
early?’ The
man replied, ‘I am a butcher, and am going to Nottingham market to sell
my
meat.’ ‘I never learned any trade,’ said Robin. ‘I think I should like
to be a
butcher. What shall I give you for your mare and your panniers, and all
that is
in them?’ — ‘They are not dear at four marks,’ said the butcher, ‘and I
will
not sell them for less.’ Robin made no more words, but counted out the
money,
and then made the butcher give him his blue linen coat and his apron,
in
exchange for Robin Hood’s fine uniform of scarlet. When Robin Hood had
dressed
himself in this manner, he rode straight to Nottingham. The sheriff of
Nottingham was master of the market, and Robin Hood hired a stall
there. But we
may very well suppose that he did not know much about his trade, and
indeed as
long as he had any meat to sell, no other butcher could sell a single
joint;
for Robin Hood sold more meat for a penny than the others could do for
five.
‘To be sure,’ said they. ‘this is some young fellow that has sold his
father’s
land.’ The butchers then went up to Robin Hood: ‘Come, brother,’ said
one of
them, ‘we are all of one trade, will you go and dine with us?’ ‘I
should be a
shabby fellow,’ said Robin, ‘if I was ashamed of my calling, so I will
go with
you.’ The sheriff was the tavern keeper, and sat at the head of the
table; and
after dinner Robin Hood would insist upon paying the bill. The sheriff
was a
cunning old miser, and when he saw how madly Robin Hood behaved, he
thought he
would not miss such a chance of turning a penny. ‘Good fellow,’ said
the
sheriff, ‘hast thou any horned beasts to sell to me?’ — ‘That I have,
good
master sheriff,’ said Robin Hood; ‘I have a hundred or two, if you will
please
to go and see them.’ The
sheriff then
saddled his good palfrey, and took three hundred pounds in gold, and
away he
went with Robin Hood. The road they took led through the forest of
Sherwood;
and as they rode along, the sheriff cried out, ‘God preserve
us this day from a
man they call Robin Hood.’ But when they came a little
further, there chanced
to come out of the thicket a hundred good fat deer, skipping very near
them.
‘How do you like my horned beasts, master sheriff?’
said Robin Hood, ‘these
are, the cattle I told you of.’ — ‘To
tell you the truth,’ replied the sheriff,
‘I wish I were away, for I do not like your
company.’ Then Robin Hood put his
bugle horn to his mouth, and blew three times; when suddenly there came
out of
the wood Little John, and Robin Hood’s hundred men clothed in
green. What is
your will, master?’ said Little John. ‘I have
brought hither the sheriff of
Nottingham,’ said Robin Hood, ‘this day to dine
with me.’ — ‘He is welcome,’
said Little John, ‘I hope he will pay us well for his
dinner.’ Robin Hood now
made the sheriff sit down under a tree; and after they had all eaten
and drank
enough, he opened the sheriff’s bag, and told out three
hundred pounds. He then
seated the sheriff on his palfrey again, and led him out of the forest.
‘Remember me kindly to your wife,’ said Robin Hood,
and so went laughing away. As
Robin Hood was
walking one day in the forest, he took notice of a handsome young man,
dressed
in very fine clothes, frisking over the plain, and singing. When Robin
Hood
passed the place the next morning, he saw this same young man come
drooping
along: his fine dress was laid aside, his hair was loose about his
shoulders,
and at every step he sighed deeply, saying, ‘Alas! and well a
day!’ Robin Hood
sent one of his company to bring the young man to him. What is the
distress,’
said Robin Hood, ‘that hangs so heavy on your heart? why were
you so merry
yesterday, and why are you so sad to-day?’ The young man now
pulled out his
purse. ‘Look at this ring,’ said he, ‘I
bought it yesterday’; I was to have
married a young maiden, whom I have courted for seven long years, and
this
morning she is gone to church to be married to another.’
— ‘Do you think she
loves you?’ said Robin Hood. ‘She has told me
so,’ said Allen-a-Dale, for that
was his name, ‘a hundred times.’ —
‘Then she is not worth caring about,’ said
Robin Hood, ‘for changing in her love.’ —
‘She does not love him,’ replied Allen-a-Dale.
‘Why do you think so?’ said Robin Hood. He is a
poor crippled old fellow,’ said
Allen-a-Dale, ‘and quite unfit for such a young and lovely
lass.’ — ‘Then why
does she marry him?’ said Robin Hood. ‘Because the
old knight is rich,’ replied
Allen; ‘and her father and mother insist upon it, and have
scolded and stormed
at her till she is as gentle as a lamb.’ —
‘Where is the wedding to take
place?’ said Robin Hood. ‘At our parish,’
replied Allen, ‘only five miles from
this place; and the bishop of Hereford, who is the knight’s
brother, is to read
the service.’ Robin Hood said no more, but put off his
scarlet suit, and
dressed himself like a harper with a harp in his hand. He told
twenty-four of
his company to follow at a distance; and then went alone into the
church, and
found the bishop putting on his robes. ‘What do you want
here?’ said the
bishop. ‘I am a harper,’ said Robin Hood,
‘the best in four counties round; I
heard there was to be a wedding, and I am come to offer my
service.’ — ‘You are
welcome,’ said the bishop; ‘I shall be glad to hear
your music.’ Soon after
this, the bride and bridegroom came in. The old knight hobbled along,
and was
hardly able to walk up to the altar; and after him came a maiden as
fair as the
day, and blushing like the summer morning. ‘This is not a fit
match,’ said
Robin Hood, ‘and I cannot agree to its taking place; but
since we are come to
the church, the bride shall choose for herself.’ Then Robin
Hood put his horn
to his mouth, and blew into it; when straight four-and-twenty archers
were seen
leaping along the church yard path, and came in at the porch. The first
man was
Allen-a-Dale, to give Robin Hood his bow. Robin Hood now turned to the
fair
maiden and said, ‘Now, my love, you are free: tell me whom
you will have for
your husband: will you have this feeble and gouty old knight, or will
you have
one of the bold young fellows you see now before you?’
— ‘Alas!’ said the young
maid, and dropping her eyes on the ground as she spoke, young
Allen-a-Dale has
courted me for seven long years, and he is the man I would
choose.’ — ‘Then,’
said Robin Hood, ‘you and Allen shall be married before we
leave this place.’ —
‘That shall not be,’ said the bishop;
‘the law of the land requires that they
should be three times asked in the church, and a marriage cannot be
huddled up
in this way.’ — ‘That we will
try,’ said Robin Hood; and he then pulled off the
bishop’s gown, and put it upon Little John.
‘Indeed,’ said Robin Hood, ‘you
make a grave parson.’ When Little John took the book into his
hand, the people
began to laugh; and he asked them seven times in the church, lest three
times
should not be enough. Robin Hood gave away the maiden; the bishop slunk
out of
the church, and his brother, the old knight, hobbled after as well as
he could.
The whole company had a dinner upon two fat bucks in Sherwood Forest,
and from
this day Allen-a-Dale was a friend to Robin Hood as long as he lived. In
the time of
Robin Hood the bishops were under the orders of the pope of Rome, and
they were
great officers and even soldiers. Robin Hood lived in the see of the
bishop of
Hereford. Now Robin had a great dislike to the clergy, because one of
them had
cheated him of his uncle’s estate; and the bishop of Hereford
had quite as much
dislike to Robin, because of the trick Robin had played him in the
marriage of
Allen-a-Dale, and because he did not think it right that such a robber
should
live in his see. The bishop therefore made several journeys into the
Forest of
Sherwood, to make Robin prisoner, and bring him to the gallows. One
time, when
Robin was walking alone in the Forest of Sherwood, he heard the
trampling of
horses; and looking round, he saw his old enemy the bishop of Hereford,
with
six servants. The bishop was very near Robin Hood, before Robin looked
round
and saw him; and he had nothing to trust to but his heels, to save him
from
danger. As Robin ran along, he chanced to come up to a cottage where an
old
woman lived by herself; so he rushed in, and begged her to save his
life. ‘Who
are you,’ said the old woman, ‘and what can I do
for you?’ — ‘I am an outlaw,’
replied he, ‘and my name is Robin Hood; and yonder is the
bishop of Hereford,
with all his men, who wants to bring me to the gallows.’
— ‘If thou be Robin
Hood,’ said the old woman, ‘as I think thou art, I
would as soon lose my own
life, as not to do all in my power to save thee. Many a time have
Little John
and thou done me a kindness, and brought me venison; and no longer ago
than
last Saturday-night thou gave me a pair of new shoes, and this green
kirtle.’ —
‘Then,’ said Robin Hood, give me thy green kirtle,
and thy close eared cap, and
put into my hands thy distaff and spindle, and do thou take my scarlet
mantle
and my quiver and bow.’ As soon as they had made this change,
Robin Hood left the
house and went to the place where all his company were to be found. He
looked
behind him a hundred times for the bishop, who had no thoughts of
finding him
in this disguise. One of the robbers, who was a spiteful fellow, as
Robin Hood
came near them, cried out, ‘A witch, a witch, I will let fly
an arrow at her.’
— ‘Hold thy hand,’ said Robin Hood,
‘and shoot not thy arrows so keen, for I am
Robin Hood, thy master.’ Then he went up to Little John, and
said, ‘Come, kill
a good fat deer, for the bishop of Hereford is to dine with me
to-day.’ While
this was
going on, the bishop came to the old woman’s house; and
seeing a man, as he
thought, with a mantle of scarlet, and a quiver and a bow in his hand,
he shook
his head, and said, ‘I am afraid you are one of Robin
Hood’s gang; if you have
not a mind to be hanged yourself, show me where that traitor is, and
set him
before me.’ The old woman agreed to this. ‘Go with
me,’ said she to the bishop,
‘and I think I can bring you to the man you want.’
The bishop then mounted her
upon a milk white steed, and himself rode upon a dapple gray; and for
joy that
he should get Robin Hood, he went laughing all the way. But as they
were riding
along the forest, the bishop saw a hundred brave bowmen, drawn up
together
under a tree. ‘Oh! who is yonder,’ said the bishop,
‘ranging within the wood?’
— ‘Why,’ says the old woman, ‘I
think it is a man they call Robin Hood.’ —
‘Why, who art thou?’ said the bishop;
‘for to tell thee the truth, I thought
thou hadst been Robin Hood himself.’ ‘Oh! my
lord,’ said she, ‘I am only an old
woman.’ By this time Robin Hood and his company came up to
the bishop; and
Robin Hood, taking him by his hand, said, ‘My lord, you must
dine with me
to-day, under my bower in merry Barnsdale: I cannot feast you like a
bishop,
but I can give you venison, ale, and wine, and I hope you will be
content.’
After dinner, Robin Hood made the music strike up, and would insist
upon the
bishop’s dancing a hornpipe in his boots, and the bishop was
forced to submit.
The day was now far spent, and the bishop begged leave to go away.
‘You have
treated me very nobly,’ said he to Robin Hood, ‘and
I suppose I must pay for
it: tell me how much.’ ‘Lend me your purse,
master,’ said Little John, ‘and I
will settle it for you.’ He then spread the
bishop’s cloak upon the ground, and
opening his bag, he counted five hundred pounds out of it.
‘Now,’ said Robin
Hood, ‘we thank you for your company; and to show you that we
know how to be
polite, we will see you part of the way home.’ They then led
the bishop and his
servants quite through the wood, till they brought him to the high
road; then
Robin Hood’s gang gave three cheers; and told him to
remember, that though he
had come meaning to hang them all, they had done him no harm. One day in
summer
time, when the leaves grew green, and the flowers were fresh and gay,
Robin
Hood and his merry men were all in a humour to play. Some would leap,
some
would run, some shot at a mark, and some wrestled with each other on
the green.
Robin Hood was haughty and proud, and said, ‘Now, my good fellows, do
you think
there is a man in the world that could wrestle or play with a
quarterstaff with
me, or kill a doe or buck as sure as I?’ While Robin Hood was boasting
in this
manner, Will Scarlet stepped out from the rest. Will Scarlet was a
little of
kin to Robin Hood, and thought he had as good a right himself to be
captain of
the gang. Besides, he was rather spiteful: he was just going to shoot
an arrow
at Robin Hood, when he saw him dressed like an old woman. ‘If you wish
to meet
with your match,’ said Scarlet, ‘I can tell you where you can find him.
There
is a friar in Fountain Abbey’ Now Fountain Abbey was the convent that
had been
built with the money that Robin Hood’s uncle Gamewell’s estate had been
sold for,
and perhaps Will Scarlet chose to throw it in Robin’s teeth for that
reason. ‘I
had as soon you had talked of the gallows,’ said Robin Hood. ‘No matter
for
that,’ said Will Scarlet; ‘there is a friar in Fountain Abbey, that can
draw a
strong bow against any man in the world: he can handle a quarterstaff
too, and
will beat you and all your yeomen, set them in a row.’ Robin Hood was a man of a bold spirit, and could not rest till he had seen this friar; so he slung his bow across his shoulder, and took his quarterstaff in his hand, and away he went to Fountain Dale. He had not gone far, before he saw a tall brawny friar walking by the water-side; and Robin Hood thought this must be the man, the moment he saw him. Robin Hood got off his horse, and tied him to a thorn. ‘Carry me over this water, thou brawny friar,’ said he, ‘or thou hast not an hour longer to live.’ The friar did not grumble, but stooped and took Robin upon his back. The water was deep, and the passage was long and not easy, and neither of these rivals spoke a single word till they came to the other side. Robin then leaped lightly off the friar’s back, and seemed going away. ‘Stop,’ said the friar, ‘carry me over this water, thou fine fellow, or it will breed thee pain.’ Robin took the friar upon his back, and neither of the two spoke a single word, till they came to the other side. The friar then leaped lightly off Robin’s back, while Robin said to him again, ‘Carry me over the water, thou brawny friar, or it shall breed thee pain.’ The friar once more took Robin upon his back; but this time he did not carry him over, for when he had got to the middle of the stream, he threw him into the water. ‘And now choose, my fine fellow,’ said he, ‘whether thou wilt sink or swim.’ Robin swam to the shore; and when the friar was come to the same place, Robin said to him, ‘I see by this trial that thou art worthy to be my match.’ Robin challenged him in wrestling, in shooting, and at the quarterstaff; but Robin could not beat the friar, nor the friar beat Robin, at any of these. ‘I wish from my soul,’ said Robin, ‘you would quit this lazy life, and come and be one of us; we range the forest merry and free, and are as happy as the day is long.’ — ‘I wish from my soul,’ said the friar, ‘thou wouldst leave thy rambling and wicked life, and come and live in our convent: thy thefts will bring thee to a bad end, but I shall live out my days quiet and respected.’ Robin could not persuade the friar, nor the friar persuade Robin; so they shook hands and parted. Robin Hood
knew
very well that his way of life was against the law; and that if he were
once
caught, it would go very hard with him. He had now been in this way for
several
years; and began to wish that he could change his way of living for a
quiet
dwelling in the village where he was born. While he had thoughts of
this sort,
one time when he took many rich prizes, he resolved to make a present
to the
queen. The name of the queen was Eleanor; she was the mother of king
Richard
the First, and had great power in her son’s reign. Queen Eleanor was
very much
pleased with Robin Hood’s present, and said to herself, ‘If I live one
year to
an end, I will be a friend to thee and all thy men.’ Soon
after, King
Richard made a grand match in his court, of all the bowmen of his
guards and
army. Queen Eleanor thought this a good time to do what she had in her
mind; so
she called her favourite page, whose name was Richard Partington, and
gave him
his errand. The page set out straight to Sherwood Forest; and when he
came to
Robin Hood, he said, ‘Queen Eleanor greets you well; she bids
you post to
London, where there is to be a match at the cross-bow, and she has
chosen you
and your men to be her champions.’ On the day of this great
match, the king’s
bowmen, who were thought the best archers in all England, were ranged
on one
side. After a time, the queen’s champions came in and were
ranged on the other
side; they were all strangers, and no man in the court knew any of
them. King
Richard then declared what the prize was that should be bestowed upon
the
conquerors, and the lords of the court began to make bets upon the
venture. The
bets were three to one in favour of the king’s men.
‘Is there no knight of the
privy council,’ said Queen Eleanor, ‘who will
venture his money on my side? Come
hither to me, Sir Robert Lee, thou art a knight of high
descent.’ Sir Robert
Lee begged the queen to excuse him from such a trial. Come hither to
me, thou
bishop of Hereford,’ said Queen Eleanor, for thou art a noble
priest.’ Now this
bishop was Robin Hood’s old foe. ‘By my silver
mitre,’ said the bishop, ‘I will
not bet a penny.’ — ‘If thou wilt not bet
on the queen’s side,’ said Robin
Hood, ‘what wilt thou bet on the king’s?’
— ‘On the king’s side,’ said
the
bishop, ‘I will venture all the money in my purse.’
— ‘Throw thy purse on the
ground,’ said Robin Hood, ‘and let us see what it
contains.’ It was a hundred
pounds. Robin Hood took a bag of the same value from his side, and
threw it
upon the green. When the match was just going to begin, Queen Eleanor
fell upon
her knees to the king her son. ‘A boon, a boon,’
said she, ‘I must ask a boon
of thee before the trial begins.’ — ‘What
is it?’ said King Richard. ‘Why,’
replied the queen, ‘that you will not be angry with any of
those that are of my
party; and that they shall be free to stay in our court all the days of
the
match, and shall then have forty days to retire where they
like.’ The king
agreed to this. When the keepers of the course were marking out the
distance
from which they should shoot at the butt, their captain cried out, like
a bold
boaster as he was, ‘Measure no mark for us, we will shoot at
the sun and the
moon.’ But he was mistaken; for Robin Hood and his party
cleft with their
arrows every wand and stick that was set up, and won all the money.
Says the
bishop of Hereford, ‘I know very well now who these fellows
are, they are Robin
Hood and his gang.’ The king replied, ‘If I had
known that, I would not have
granted them leave to depart; but I cannot break my word.’
Saying this, King
Richard ordered a noble feast for Robin Hood and his yeomanry, and then
sent
them away with honour. King
Richard often
thought upon what he had seen of Robin Hood and his fellows. He was
very fond
of archery; he had heard many generous actions that were told about
them, and
he admired their gallant spirit and manners. Thought he, ‘If I could
but make
these men my faithful subjects, what a pride they would be to my
court!’ The
king at last fixed upon a plan by which he might see Robin Hood once
more. He
called twelve lords of the court, and told his plan to them; and then
he and
his lords all dressed themselves like so many monks, and away they rode
to
Sherwood Forest. Robin Hood saw them at a distance, as they were
coming, and
resolved to rob them. The king was taller than the rest, and Robin Hood
judged
that he was the abbot; so he took the king’s horse by the bridle, and
said,
‘Abbot, I bid you stand: it was a priest that first worked my ruin, and
I have
sworn to spare none of his fellows.’ — ‘But we are going on a message
from the
king,’ said Richard. Robin Hood then let go the bridle, and said, ‘God
save the
king, and confound all his foes!’ — ‘Thou cursest thyself,’ said
Richard, ‘for
thou art a robber, an outlaw, and a traitor.’ — ‘If you were not his
servant,’ said
the other, I should say, You lie; for I never yet hurt man that was
honest and
true, but only those who give their minds to live upon other people’s
earnings.
I never hurt the farmer who tills the ground; I protect women and
children, and
the poor for twenty miles round are the better for me.’ Robin Hood then
asked
the strangers to dine with him. ‘You would not be used so,’ said he,
‘if you
were not the king’s servants, yet, for King Richard’s sake, if you had
as much
money as ever I told, I would not deprive you of a penny.’ Then Robin
Hood put
his horn to his mouth, and blew a shrill blast, when a hundred and ten
of his
company came marching all in a row. The king thought, this is a fine
sight;
these men of Robin Hood’s obey their captain better than his people did
him. After dinner, the king said to Robin, ‘What would you give, my brave fellow, if I could get your pardon from your king? would you set your mind firmly in everything to be a true and useful subject?’ This was the very thing that Robin wanted; it was the wish that had haunted his thoughts night and day; it was with the hope of this, that he made the rich present to Queen Eleanor. ‘My friend,’ said Robin, ‘I am tired of the lawless life that I lead: I never loved it. Other men may praise my bold adventures and generous actions; but I hate my way of living, and everything that belongs to it: King Richard is a noble prince and a gallant soldier: and if he would take me into his favour, he should never have reason to repent it, but should find me the most faithful and loving of all his subjects.’ — ‘I am King Richard,’ said the stranger; and when he had said this, Robin and all his company fell upon their knees before him. ‘Stand up, my brave fellows,’ said the king; ‘you have been robbers, and you ought not to have been such. The greatest miser in my kingdom ought not to be treated with force, but to be persuaded to dispose of his money properly. But you are brave fellows; you say that you are well inclined, and you have power and skill to do me service. I freely grant to every one of you my pardon: not one of you shall be called to account for any thing that is past; only take care that you behave yourselves in such a manner in future, that I never may have reason to repent the kindness that I now treat you with.’ |