With a link, a down, and a day,
And there he met with a silly old palmer,*
Was walking along the highway.
*[Footnote: A palmer was a person who bad made a pilgrimage to the
Holy Land and brought back with him a palm branch. Later on the term
was applied to a monk who had taken a vow of poverty, and who spent
all his time traveling about from shrine to shrine.]
"What news? what news? thou silly old man,
What news, I do thee pray?"
Said he, "Three squires in Nottingham town,
Are condemn'd to die this day."
"Come change thy apparel with me, old man,
Come change thy apparel for mine;
Here is forty shillings in good silver,
Go drink it in beer or wine."
"Oh, thine apparel is good," he said,
"And mine is ragged and torn;
Wherever you go, wherever you ride,
Laugh ne'er an old man to scorn."
"Come change thy apparel with me, old churl,
Come change thy apparel with mine;
Here are twenty pieces of good broad gold,
Go feast thy brethren with wine."
Then he put on the old man's cloak,
Was patch'd black, blew, and red;
He thought it no shame, all the day long,
To wear the bags of bread.
Then he put on the old man's breeks,
Was patch'd from ballup to side;
"By the truth of my body," bold Robin can say,
"This man lov'd little pride."
Then he put on the old man's hose,
Were patch'd from knee to wrist;*
"By the truth of my body," said bold Robin Hood,
"I'd laugh if I had any list."
*[Footnote: The word wrist was formerly sometimes used for ankle.]
Then he put on the old man's shoes,
Were patch'd both beneath and aboon;
Then Robin swore a solemn oath,
"It's good habit that makes a man."
Now Robin is to Nottingham gone,
With a link, a down, and a down,
And there he met with the proud sheriff,
Was riding along the town.
[Illustration: ROBIN HOOD AND THE SHERIFF]
"Oh Christ you save, oh, sheriff," he said,
"Oh Christ you save and see;
And what will you give to a silly old man
To-day will your hangman be?"
"Some suits, some suits," the sheriff he said,
"Some suits I'll give to thee:
Some suits, some suits, and pence thirteen,
To-day's a hangman's fee."
Then Robin he turns him round about,
And jumps from stock to stone:
"By the truth of my body," the sheriff, he said,
"That's well jumpt, thou nimble old man."
"I was ne'er a hangman in all my life,
Nor yet intend to trade;
But curst be he," said bold Robin,
"That first a hangman made.
"I've a bag for meal, and a bag for malt,
And a bag for barley and corn;
A bag for bread, and a bag for beef,
And a bag for my little small horn.
"I have a horn in my pocket,
I got it from Robin Hood,
And still when I set it to my mouth,
For thee it blows little good."
"Oh, wind thy horn, thou proud fellow,
Of thee I have no doubt;
I wish that thou give such a blast,
Till both thy eyes fall out."
The first loud blast that he did blow,
He blew both loud and shrill;
A hundred and fifty of Robin Hood's men
Came riding over the hill.
The next loud blast that he did give,
He blew both loud and amain,
And quickly sixty of Robin Hood's men
Came shining over the plain.
"Oh, who are these," the sheriff he said,
"Come tripping over the lee?"
"They're my attendants," brave Robin did say,
"They'll pay a visit to thee."
They took the gallows from the slack,
They set it in the glen,
They hang'd the proud sheriff on that,
And releas'd their own three men.
ROBIN HOOD AND ALLIN A DALE
Come listen to me, you gallants so free,
All you that love mirth for to hear,
And I will tell you of a bold outlaw,
That lived in Nottinghamshire.
As Robin Hood in the forest stood,
All under the green-wood tree,
There he was aware of a brave young man,
As fine as fine might be.
The youngster was cloathed in scarlet red,
In scarlet fine and gay;
And he did frisk it over the plain,
And chanted a round-de-lay.
As Robin Hood next morning stood
Amongst the leaves so gay,
There he did espy the same young man,
Come drooping along the way.
The scarlet he wore the day before
It was clean cast away;
And at every step he fetcht a sigh,
"Alack and a well a day!"
Then stepped forth brave Little John,
And Midge,* the miller's son,
Which made the young man bend his bow,
When as he see them come.
*[Footnote: The miller's son is usually called Much, probably because
of his size]
"Stand off, stand off," the young man said,
"What is your will with me?"
"You must come before our master straight,
Under yon green-wood tree."
And when he came bold Robin before,
Robin askt him courteously,
"O, hast thou any money to spare
"For my merry men and me?"
[Footnote: Robin Hood used to watch each day for a traveler, and when
he met one, ask for money wherewith to provide a dinner for himself
and his men, the stranger also being invited. If the stranger spoke
the truth as to the amount he had with him, Robin Hood was generous
and just with him; if he swore falsely, the outlaw took all he had.]
"I have no money," the young man said,
"But five shillings and a ring;
And that I have kept these seven long years,
To have it at my wedding.
"Yesterday I should have married a maid,
But she from me was tane,*
And chosen to be an old knight's delight,
Whereby my poor heart is slain."
*[Footnote: Tane is an old elision for taken.]
"What is thy name?" then said Robin Hood,
"Come tell me, without any fail."
"By the faith of my body," then said the young man,
"My name it is Allin a Dale."
[Illustration: ROBIN HOOD PLAYS HARPER]
"What wilt thou give me," said Robin Hood,
"In ready gold or fee,
To help thee to thy true love again,
And deliver her unto thee?"
"I have no money," then quoth the young man,
"No ready gold or fee,
But I will swear upon a book
Thy true servant for to be."
[Illustration: IN THE GREENWOOD]
"How many miles is it to thy true love?
Come tell me without guile,"
"By the faith of my body," then said the young man,
"It is hut five little mile."
Then Robin he hasted over the plain,
He did neither stint nor lin,*
Until he came unto the church,
Where Allin should keep his wedding.
*[Footnote: Stint and lin here mean practically the same; that is,
cease or stop.]
"What hast thou here?" the bishop then said,
"I prithee now tell unto me."
"I am a bold harper," quoth Robin Hood,
"And the best in the north country."
"O welcome, O welcome," the bishop he said,
"That musick best pleaseth me."
"You shall have no musick," quoth Robin Hood,
"Till the bride and the bridegroom I see."
With that came in a wealthy knight,
Which was both grave and old,
And after him a finikin* lass,
Did shine like glistering gold.
*[Footnote: Finikin here means dainty.]
"This is not a fit match," quod bold Robin Hood,
"That you do seem to make here,
For since we are come into the church,
The bride shall chuse her own dear."
Then Robin Hood put his horn to his mouth,
And blew blasts two or three;
When four and twenty bowmen bold
Came leaping over the lee.
And when they came into the church-yard,
Marching all on a row,
The first man was Allin a Dale,
To give bold Robin his bow.
"This is thy true love," Robin he said,
"Young Allin, as I hear say;
And you shall be married at this same time,
Before we depart away."
"That shall not be," the bishop he said,
"For thy word shall not stand;
They shall be three times askt in the church,
As the law is of our land."
Robin Hood pull'd off the bishop's coat,
And put it upon Little John:
"By the faith of my body," then Robin said,
"This cloth doth make thee a man."
When Little John went into the quire,*
The people began to laugh;
He askt them seven times into church,
Lest three times should not be enough.
*[Footnote: Quire is an old spelling of choir. It here means the choir
loft.]
"Who gives me this maid?" said Little John.
Quoth Robin Hood, "That do I;
And he that takes her from Allin a Dale,
Full dearly he shall her buy."
Thus having ended this merry wedding,
The bride lookt like a queen;
And so they returned to the merry greenwood,
Amongst the leaves so green.
ROLAND AT RONCESVALLES
NOTE,--The greatest legendary hero of France is Roland, one of
Charlmagne's knights. His deeds are told in Chansons De Roland (Songs
of Roland). These songs correspond to the legends of King Arthur in
England and to the stories of the Cid in Spain.
Every nation possesses a few of these great characters whose lives
have furnished incidents without number to enrich the literature of
the land. Roland shines as one of the finest of national heroes.
Charlemagne, old and gray, grown weary with fighting and the conquest
of Europe, sat at ease among his noble councilors in the shade of a
great tree in northern Spain. Around him were camped the mighty hosts
that he had led against the Saracens, and now the leaders were talking
over their plans for the future. Only one strong castle, the great
fortress of Zaragoz, on a steep and rugged mountain top, held out
against him after his seven years of combat against the Mohammedans in
Spain. So heavy were the walls of this stronghold and so difficult the
guarded paths that led up to it that it seemed impossible for man to
take it. One after another, the valorous knights, the twelve great
paladins of Charlemagne gave their opinions, but no conclusion could
be reached.
Among these hardy warriors was Roland, favorite nephew of the king,
and greatest of all the paladins. Next him sat Oliver, the friend of
his soul, closer knit in bonds of friendship than ever the ties of
blood bound brother to brother. Others there were of valiant men who
had often proved their courage against their pagan enemies. None,
however, matched in massiveness and kingly bearing the great Charles
himself, who sat now on his chair of gold over which twined a
flowering rose vine. In the boughs of the towering pine the birds sang
blithely, unconscious of the tragic events planning below them.
While they sat there in council there appeared among them a herald
bearing the white flag of peace. Behind him came Blancandrin, chief
noble and councilor of Marsilius, the ruler of the fortress about
which King Charles and his paladins had been talking.
"My Lord the king," said Blancandrin, kneeling at the feet of the
stately old monarch, "I come as a messenger of peace from my master,
King Marsilius, who now, after these years, sees in you the great king
whom all men may worship. Rich gifts bear I to your glorious majesty,
--bears, lions and hounds in numbers, falcons trained to hunt and keen
for their prey, and four hundred powerful mules drawing fifty chariots
full of gold, rich tapestries and precious jewels, wealth which even
Charles the Great need not scorn to take.
"For all this richness my master begs only peace from thee, and
privilege to reign over Spain as thy loyal vassal. On the Feast of
Michael will Marsilius go to thy palace at Aachen and render homage
unto thee, and thenceforth shalt thou be his lord, and thy God shall
be his God, only so that thou removest thine armies from out this
kingdom."
The king listened in silence and bowed his head in meditation. For a
quarter of an hour was no word spoken, for gravely Charlemagne
considered every question placed before him, and weighed well his
words; for once he had given pledge no power could make him change.
At last he turned upon the messenger his face clothed in its aureole
of silvery hair, and said, "What assurance have I that Marsilius will
keep his word and be my faithful subject?"
"Most noble king," said Blancandrin, "we have with us twenty boys,
sons of twenty of the greatest nobles of our land. Take them all and
keep them as hostages till my master pays homage to thee at Aachen as
he has promised. Deal gently with these young men of ours, I pray
thee, for they are dear to our hearts and are of the very flower of
our kingdom."
That night the king lodged the messengers sumptuously, with due care,
however, that they learned none of the secrets of his camp, for in his
heart he felt that some treachery was planned. When morning came,
Blancandrin was sent on his journey back to Marsilius with word that
messengers from Charlemagne would soon follow. The great king called
together his paladins and all the leaders of his force to consider the
proposal that Blancandrin had brought. Among them were Turpin, the
Archbishop, and Roland with his inseparable companion, Oliver. And in
the group, too, might be seen the lowering brow and sneaking face of
Ganelon, the traitorous friend of Charlemagne.
The king laid before them in full the message of Marsilius and bade
them say what they thought of the strange proposal. With one accord
all shouted, "Beware of treachery from King Marsilius."
Roland, towering above all the other warriors, spoke for himself:
"Trust not the heathen king. Have no parley with him. Remember what
seven years of warfare have cost us in blood and treasure, and without
hesitation go on to finish the work we have begun. Proceed at once to
lay siege to Zaragoz, conquer this last great stronghold and free
Spain utterly from Mohammedan rule. Remember the treachery Marsilius
once before practiced against our good messengers, whom he slew under
the flag of truce. Go and avenge their death."
But the fierce Ganelon slyly crept to the king's side and whispered in
his ear, "Hear no word of any babbling fool. This Roland, though my
stepson, is a babbling idiot. He thinks only of battle and his own
glory. So brave and strong is he that he can protect himself and cares
nothing for kinsmen or friends. Marsilius promises everything we could
demand or secure, and what shall it profit us to sacrifice our noble
soldiers in useless warfare when we can gain everything we seek by
this bloodless surrender?"
To others, also, the specious reasoning of Ganelon appealed, and so
many joined in urging peace that at last Charles said, "Well and good;
but who among you will bear to Marsilius my glove and staff and make
the covenant with him?"
Then Roland said, "If so be it that the king would have a messenger,
send me."
But Oliver straightway interfered. "Send Roland on a peaceful mission?
He would only embroil us in further trouble. My hot-blooded friend has
no skill in parleying. Send me, I pray you, my Lord the king."
Others offered their services, and the king stroked his silvery beard
in silent meditation.
"No, neither of you, nor any who have yet offered, not even Archbishop
Turpin, shall go."
Then Roland spoke again. "To me, my stepfather seems the man, for
there is none among us more cunning in speech than he. Send Ganelon,
my stepfather."
With all his fierceness Ganelon was an arrant coward, and much he
feared to take the message to Marsilius, for well he remembered the
fate of Basant and Basil. Pale with anger and with coward fear,
Ganelon threw his sable cloak from his shoulders and faced the gallant
Roland. "All the world knows," said Ganelon, "that I am thy
stepfather, and that I bear thee no love, but only hatred and
contempt; but to show your malice toward me thus openly is the work of
a fool and a coward. If I return from this dangerous mission, then
will I avenge myself for your insults."
"I had no thought of malice," said Roland, "as all my companions may
bear me witness. The post is one of honor, and you should feel proud
that it is entrusted to you. As for your anger and malice, I have only
contempt for your words and despise them utterly."
[Illustration: GANELON PICKS UP CHARLEMAGNE'S GLOVE]
"Do not think," replied the wrathy Ganelon, "that I go at your bidding
or that anything you might say will move me from my steady purpose. If
the king chooses me his messenger, I will do him service; but as for
you, you shall repent that you ever spoke my name."
This fierce speech was received by Roland with loud laughter, which
was echoed by Oliver and his companions, for all knew well the mighty
prowess of the great paladin. The act, however, served only to enrage
Ganelon the more, and as he turned his back he muttered fiercely, "I
say, you shall repent of this."
Stepping to the throne of Charlemagne, he knelt and said, "Most noble
emperor, from Marsilius no messenger ever yet returned alive.
Willingly will I go to Zaragoz and make for thee thy covenant. One
favor only do I ask, and that is that if I should not return thou wilt
care for Baldwin, my son, and the son of thy sister to whom I am wed.
Confer on him my honors and possessions and bring him up among the
knights of thy court."
Charlemagne put forth his hand and touched the kneeling Ganelon.
"Since the Franks have chosen thee," he said, "enter upon thy journey
with a brave heart. Put aside all fear and take my glove and baton."
Still trembling, half with rage and half with fear, Ganelon said, "But
for Roland would this service never have fallen upon me; and I hate
him and his friend, the doughty Oliver. As for the rest of the nobles,
who have joined so willingly in the cry, I bid them all defiance."
The king answered, "Truly, Count Ganelon, your words were well
tempered and well chosen, but my knights know your deeds never keep
pace with your words, else might they fear your threatenings.
Perchance, in this one instance, however, your ready tongue will serve
us better than your sword."
Then from his hand the king drew off his glove, and as Ganelon essayed
to take it, it dropped upon the floor. The Frankish warriors trembled
at this ill omen and whispered among themselves that it boded no good
to the messenger; but Ganelon picked the glove up quickly, saying,
"Fear nothing from so slight an accident. You shall hear again from
this glove."
"Take the letter, signed and sealed with my signet, and go in God's
name," said the king.
With anger still burning in his heart, Ganelon leaped upon his horse
and set forth upon his dangerous mission. So rapidly did he ride that
he soon overtook Blancandrin and his followers, who were resting by
the wayside, and fell into friendly converse with them. The messenger
of Marsilius was a wily man accustomed to read the emotions of men in
their faces, and ere the vengeful Ganelon had spoken many words his
companion had sounded the depths of the warrior's treacherous soul.
Noting well the kind of man to whom he was speaking, Blancandrin
hesitated not to tell the story of the treachery which Marsilius had
planned. The wily king had no thought of going to Aachen to pay
tribute to Charlemagne, but, on the other hand, sought the opportunity
to destroy the garrisons which Charles the king should leave behind
him and to repossess himself of Spain. In the council at which this
was determined, the cruel Moslems, dead to the love that fathers
should bear their children, had determined to sacrifice their twenty
sons, the hostages who had been left with King Charles. What were the
lives of twenty boys compared with the reestablishment of their own
power and wealth! Now when Ganelon heard the dastardly plan which the
Saracens had made, he opened his heart to Blancandrin and told how he
hated Roland and how gladly he would do anything so he would not be
obliged again to be a witness to his stepson's good fortune.
When each had shown his true nature freely to the other they joined
their wits and laid their plans. Thus when they were come to Zaragoz,
Blancandrin took Ganelon by the hand and led him before King
Marsilius, saying, "O king, thy message have I taken to the haughty
Charlemagne, but no answer did he give me. He has, however, sent the
noble Count Ganelon who shall tell you the decision."
According to the plans which had been matured on the journey Ganelon
said, "God protect the good king, Marsilius. King Charles saith that
if thou wilt lay aside thy Moslem faith and do homage to him at Aachen
thou shalt hold in fealty to him one half the lands of Spain, but if
thou failest in any respect, then will he come with sword and fire and
lay waste the land and carry thee to Aachen to thy death."
No sooner were the words spoken than Marsilius seized a javelin and
aimed it at the messenger's head, but Ganelon, standing his ground
manfully, said, "What shall it bring thee to slay the messenger
because the message was evil? I act but as the mouthpiece of my
master. Under penalty of death have I come, or I should not have left
the Christian camp. Behold, here is a letter which the great Charles
has sent for thy perusal."
So saying, he handed King Marsilius a letter signed and sealed with
the signet of the great king. His hands trembling with anger,
Marsilius opened the letter and read, "I, King Charles, remembering
well what thou didst to my servants, Basant and Basil, summon thee to
send to me thy caliph who sitteth next thy throne on the right for me
to do with him as I list."
The anger of Marsilius burned more strongly, and seizing a spear from
one of his attendants he rushed at Ganelon and would have slain him on
the spot had not Blancandrin interfered.
"Stay thy hand, O my master," he said, "for this man, Ganelon, hath
promised to be our spy and work in our behalf."
Pleased with this show of Christian treachery, the Moslem king said,
"Verily, Ganelon, thou wast near Death's door, but I will pardon thee
and reward thee with one hundred pieces of gold. Take them and be
faithful to us."
Ganelon accepted the price of his treason, saying, "That man is a fool
who taketh not the goods which the gods place before him.
"Now truly, the old king, the aged Charles, is indeed weary of war,
has glutted his passion for wealth and would indeed grant thee peace
and withdraw his army from Spain were it not that his captain, Roland,
and Oliver, his friend, both men of war, are continually inciting the
weary monarch to further warfare. They with the other peers of France
do lead the king as they wish, for he is old and feeble. If only these
and their twenty thousand picked men could be slain, then all the
world would be at peace.
"Now listen to my counsel. Give the hostages to Charles as you had
planned, and grant his every request. Then will he take his armies out
of Spain, leaving only the rear guard to follow in his wake. This
guard, the pride and strength of his army, is commanded by the captain
Roland. As they leave Spain they will go through the narrow pass of
Roncesvalles. Surround the valley with thy hosts and lie in wait for
them. When they come fall upon them and slaughter them to the last
man. The fight will be a bitter one, but thou shalt win." Having made
Ganelon swear to the truth of what he had said and that things should
come to pass as he predicted, Marsilius gave the traitor many jewels
and rich garments and despatched him back to King Charles with the
message they had framed.
When Ganelon came again to Charlemagne he told him that Marsilius had
yielded every point and was already on his way to Aachen, where he
would give up his religion and be baptized into the Christian faith.
Then was the great Charles filled with joy at this bloodless end to
his long campaign, and right willingly he went before his warriors and
told them the great news.
At last night fell upon the camp of rejoicing Christians, and Charles
retired to his pavilion to sleep. But it was for him a terrible night
filled with dreams and dark forebodings. He thought he was in a narrow
pass closely pressed by deadly enemies and with no weapon in hand but
an ashen spear. Count Ganelon, riding by, snatched the spear from his
hand and broke it into splinters. Then again he dreamed that he was
back at home in the royal palace, but that a poisonous viper fastened
itself upon his hands and in spite of all his efforts he could not
remove it; and as he struggled unavailingly a leopard leaped upon him
and bore him to the earth and would have killed him but for a favorite
hound who rushed between and seized the leopard by the throat.
Viciously the two struggled, and Charles watched the terrible combat,
but try as he might he could not see which animal was the victor.
When morning came, and the sun shone over the Christian camp,
dispelling the mists of sleep from the brain of Charles, he knew he
had been dreaming, but still he was not able to shake off the dread
forebodings that weighed on his soul. The camps were struck and the
hosts of Charles prepared to march from Spain.
"Whom shall I leave in command of the rear guard?" said the emperor to
Ganelon.
"Leave Roland," replied the traitor; "he is the only man worthy of so
important a post."