Now is the knight went on his way,
This game he thought full good,
When he looked on Barnisdale,
He bless-ed Robin Hood;
And when he thought on Barnisdale
On Scathelock, Much, and John,
He blessed them for the best compan-y
That ever he in come.
Then spake that gentle knight,
To Little John gan he say,
"To-morrow I must to York town,
To Saint Mar-y abbay;
And to the abbot of that place
Four hundred pound I must pay:
And but I be there upon this night
My land is lost for aye."
The abbot said to his conv-ent,
There he stood on ground,
"This day twelve month came there a knight
And borrowed four hundred pound
Upon all his land free,
But he come this ilk-e day
Disherited shall he be."
"It is full early," said the prior,
"The day is not yet far gone,
I had liever to pay an hundred pound,
And lay it down anone.
The knight is far beyond the sea,
In England is his right,
And suffereth hung-er and cold
And many a sorry night:
It were great pity," said the prior,
"So to have his lond;
An ye be so light of your consci-ence,
Ye do to him much is wrong."
"Thou art ever in my beard," said the abb-ot,
"By God and Saint Rich-ard!"
With that came in a fat-headed monk,
The high cellarer;
"He is dead or hang-ed," said the monk,
"By him that bought me dear,
And we shall have to spend in this place
Four hundred pound by year."
The abbot and the high cellarer,
Stert-e forth full bold.
The high justice of Englond
The abb-ot there did hold;
The high just-ice and many mo
Had take into their hond
Wholly all the knight-es debt,
To put that knight to wrong.
They deemed the knight wonder sore,
The abb-ot and his meyn-e:
"But he come this ilk-e day
Disherited shall he be."
"He will not come yet," said the just-ice,
"I dare well undertake."
But in sorrow-e tim-e for them all
The knight came to the gate.
Then bespake that gentle knight
Unto his meyn-e,
"Now put on your simple weeds
That ye brought from the sea."
And cam-e to the gates anone,
The porter was ready himself,
And welcom-ed them every one.
"Welc-ome, sir knyght," said the port-er,
"My lord to meat is he,
And so is many a gentle man,
For the love of thee."
The porter swore a full great oath,
"By him that mad-e me,
Here be the best cores-ed horse
That ever yet saw I me.
Lead them into the stable," he said,
"That eas-ed might they be."
"They shall not come therein," said the knight,
"By him that died on a tree."
Lord-es were to meat iset
In that abb-ot-es hall,
The knight went forth and kneel-ed down,
And salved them great and small.
"Do gladly, sir abb-ot," said the knight,
"I am come to hold my day."
The first word the abbot spake,
"Hast th-ou brought m-y pay?"
"Not one penny," said the knight,
"By him that mak-ed me."
"Thou art a shrewd debtor!" said the abb-ot;
"Sir justice, drink to me!
What dost thou here," said the abb-ot,
"But thou hadst brought thy pay?"
"For-e God," then said the knight,
"To pray of a longer day."
"Thy day is broke," said the justice,
"Land gettest thou none."
"Now, good sir justice, be my friend,
And fend me of my fone."
"I am hold with the abbot," said the justice,
"Both with cloth and fee."
"Now, good sir sheriff, be my friend."
"Nay, for-e God," said he.
"Now, good sir abbot, be my friend,
For thy curteys-e,
And hold my land-es in thy hand
Till I have made thee gree;
And I will be thy true serv-ant,
And truly serv-e thee,
Till ye have fo-ur hundred pound
Of money good and free."
The abbot sware a full great oath,
"By him that died on a tree,
Get the land where thou may,
For thou gettest none of me."
"By dere-worthy God," then said the knight,
"That all this world wrought,
But I have my land again,
Full dear it shall be bought;
God, that was of a maiden borne,
Lene us well to speed!
For it is good to assay a friend
Ere that a man have need."
The abb-ot loathl-y on him gan look,
And villainousl-y gan call;
"Out," he said, "thou fals-e knight!
Speed thee out of my hall!"
"Thou liest," then said the gentle knight,
"Abbot in thy hall;
Fals-e knight was I nev-er,
By him that made us all."
Up then stood that gentle knight,
To the abb-ot said he,
"To suffer a knight to kneel so long,
Thou canst no courtes-y.
In joust-es and in tournem-ent
Full far then have I be,
And put myself as far in press
As any that e'er I see."
"What will ye give more?" said the just-ice,
"And the knight shall make a release;
And ell-es dare I safely swear
Ye hold never your land in peace."
"An hundred pound," said the abb-ot.