I may perhaps be allowed to subscribe to the opinion expressed by H. K.,
that "though men of the name of Robin Hood may have existed in England,
that of itself could afford no ground for inferring that some one of them
was the Robin Hood of romantic tradition;" and at the same time to express
my dissent from the conclusion, that "any pretence for such a supposition
is taken away by the strong evidence, both Scotch and French," which H. K.
has "adduced in support of the opposite view."
The inferences which I draw from the facts adduced by H. K. are, that the
fame of the hero of English ballads probably extended to France and
Scotland, and that the people of Scotland probably sympathised with this
disturber of the peace of the kingdom of their "aulde ennemies."
I must, however, confess that I have not met with any portion of "the
discussion about the nature of Robin Hood," excepting that contained in
Ritson's Notes and Hunter's Tract, and that the evidence adduced in the
latter publication, in support of the tradition handed down to us in the
ballad entitled _A Lyttel Geste of Robyn Hode_, seems to me to
satisfactorily show that "the Robin Hood of romantic tradition really
existed in England in the time of Edward II."