No. 128: Robin Hood and the Newly Revived
[Child comments (see 1st footnote): "The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood, No 132, is a traditional variation of Robin Hood Revived." Whether or not 128 and 132 should be the same is debatable. Since Child has separated them, I'm putting subsequent traditional versions under Child No. 132. There are also a half dozen from the US and Canada, mainly Canada.
The 1993 discovery of 21 Robin Hood ballads in The Forresters Manuscript, British Library, MS 71158, and the 1999 book Robin Hood: The Forresters Manuscript by Stephen Knight/Hilton Kelliher, shed new light on the Robin Hood ballads. Knight titles this ballad, 16. Robin Hood and the Stranger and offers evidence that Child 128, Newly Revived and 132 are the same ballad. As Stephen Knight points out, the name of the hero of 128 is Young Gamwell which is nearly the same name of the hero (Gamwell gay) in the ballad (see below) Robin Hood and the Proud Pedlar in 132 Child's Additions and Corrections.
R. Matteson 2015]
CONTENTS:
1. Child's Narrative
2. Footnotes (Added to the end of Child's Narrative)
3. Brief (Kittredge)
4. Child's Ballad Text A a (A b to A e changes found in Endnotes)
5. Endnotes
6. Additions and Corrections
ATTACHED PAGES (see left hand column):
1. Recordings & Info: 128. Robin Hood and the Newly Revived
A. Roud No. 3956: Robin Hood and the Newly Revived (7 Listings)
2. Sheet Music: (Bronson's traditional music versions and other versions)
3. English and Other Versions (Including Child versions A a.- A e. with additional notes)]
Child's Narrative: Robin Hood and the Newly Revived
A. 'Robin Hood Newly Reviv'd.'
a. Wood, 401, leaf 27 b.
b. Roxburghe, III, 18, in the Ballad Society's reprint, II, 426.
c. Garland of 1663, No 3.
d. Garland of 1670, No 2.
e. Pepys, II, 101, No 88.
Also Douce, III, 120 b, London, by L. How, and Roxburghe, III, 408: both of these are of the eighteenth century.
a is printed, with not a few changes, in Ritson's Robin Hood, 1795, II, 66. Evans, Old Ballads, 1777, 1784, I, 143, agrees nearly with the Aldermary garland.
Robin Hood, walking the forest, meets a gaily-dressed young fellow, who presently brings down a deer at forty yards with his bow. Robin commends the shot, and offers the youngster a place as one of his yeomen. The offer is rudely received; each bends his bow at the other. Robin suggests that one of them may be slain, if they shoot: swords and bucklers would be better. Robin strikes the first blow, and is so stoutly answered that he is fain to know who the young man is. His name is Gamwell, and, having killed his father's steward, he has fled to the forest to join his uncle, Robin Hood. The kinsmen embrace, and walk on till they meet Little John. Robin Hood tells John that the stranger has beaten him. Little John would like a bout, to see if the stranger can beat him. This Robin forbids, for this stranger is his own sister's son; he shall be next in rank to Little John among his yeomen, and be called Scarlet.
The story seems to have been built up on a portion of the ruins, so to speak, of the fine tale of Gamelyn. There the king of the outlaws, sitting at meat with his seven score young men, sees Gamelyn wandering in the wood with Adam, and tells some of his young men to fetch them in. Seven start up to execute the order, and when they come to Gamelyn and his comrade bid the twain hand over their bows and arrows. Gamelyn replies, Not though ye fetch five men, and so be twelve; but no violence being attempted, the pair go to the king, who asks them what they seek in the woods. Gamelyn answers, No harm; but to shoot a deer, if we meet one, like hungry men. The king gives them to eat and drink of the best, and, upon learning that the spokesman is Gamelyn, makes him master, under himself, over all the outlaws. Little John having long had the place of first man under Robin, the best that the ballad-maker could do for Gamwell was to make him chief yeoman after John.[1] (The Tale of Gamelyn, ed. Skeat, vv 625-686. The resemblance of the ballad is remarked upon at p. x.)
Ritson gives this ballad the title of Robin Hood and the Stranger, remarking: The title now given to this ballad is that which it seems to have originally borne; having been foolishly altered to Robin Hood newly Revived. R. H. and the Bishop, R. H. and the Beggar, R. H. and the Tanner, are directed to be sung to the tune of Robin Hood and the Stranger, but no ballad bears such a title in any garland or broadside.[2] The ballad referred to as Robin Hood and the Stranger may possibly have been this, but, for reasons given at p. 133, Robin Hood and Little John is, as I think, more likely to be the one meant.
Robin Hood and the Stranger was one name for the most popular of Robin Hood tunes, and this particular tune was sometimes called 'Robin Hood' absolutely (see the note at the end of the next ballad). If the ballad denoted by Robin Hood and the Stranger was also sometimes known as 'Robin Hood' simply, and especially if this ballad was Robin Hood and Little John, an explanation presents itself of the title 'Robin Hood newly Revived.' What is revived is the favorite topic of the process by which Robin Hood enlarged and strengthened his company. The earlier ballad had shown how Little John came to join the band; the second undertakes to tell us how Scarlet was enlisted, the next most important man after John.
The second part, referred to in the last stanza, was separated, Mr. Chappell thought, when the present ballad was "newly revived," because the whole was found too long for a penny (one would say that both parts together were "dear enough a leek"), and seven stanzas (incoherent in themselves and not cohering with what lies before us) added to fill up the sheet. These stanzas will be given under No 130, as Robin Hood and the Scotchman; and the "second part," 'R. H. and the Prince of Aragon,' or ' R. H., Will. Scadlock and Little John,' follows immediately.
Footnotes:
1. The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood, No 132, is a traditional variation of Robin Hood Revived.
2. Though Mr. W. C. Hazlitt, in his Handbook to the Popular, Poetical, and Dramatic Literature of Great Britain, p. 514, No 25, has: "Robin Hood and the Stranger. In two parts. [Col.] London: printed by and for W. O., and to be sold at the booksellers. Roxb. and Wood Colls." This colophon belongs only to Robin Hood, Will Scadlock, and Little John, otherwise Robin Hood and the Prince of Aragon, which see. The title Robin Hood and the Stranger is adopted from Ritson.
Brief Description by George Lyman Kittredge
The story seems to have been built up on a portion of the ruins of the fine tale of Gamelyn. (See Skeat's Chaucer, iv, 645 ff.).
Child's Ballad Text
'Robin Hood Newly Reviv'd'- Version A a; Child 128 Robin Hood and the Newly Revived
a. Wood, 401, leaf 27 b.
b. Roxburghe, III, 18, in the Ballad Society's reprint, II, 426.
c. Garland of 1663, No 3.
d. Garland of 1670, No 2.
e. Pepys, II, 101, No 88.
1 Come listen a while, you gentlemen all,
With a hey down down a down down
That are in this bower within,
For a story of gallant bold Robin Hood
I purpose now to begin.
2 'What time of the day?' quoth Robin Hood then;
Quoth Little John, 'Tis in the prime;
'Why then we will to the green wood gang,
For we have no vittles to dine.'
3 As Robin Hood walkt the forrest along —
It was in the mid of the day —
There was he met of a deft young man
As ever walkt on the way.
4 His doublet it was of silk, he said,
His stockings like scarlet shone,
And he walkt on along the way,
To Robin Hood then unknown.
5 A herd of deer was in the bend,
All feeding before his face:
'Now the best of ye I'le have to my dinner,
And that in a little space.'
6 Now the stranger he made no mickle adoe,
But he bends and a right good bow,
And the best buck in the herd he slew,
Forty good yards him full froe.
7 'Well shot, well shot,' quoth Robin Hood then,
'That shot it was shot in time;
And if thou wilt accept of the place,
Thou shalt be a bold yeoman of mine.'
8 'Go play the chiven,' the stranger said,
'Make haste and quickly go;
Or with my fist, be sure of this,
I'le give thee buffets store.'
9 'Thou hadst not best buffet me,' quoth Robin Hood,
'For though I seem forlorn,
Yet I can have those that will take my part,
If I but blow my horn.'
10 'Thou wast not best wind thy horn,' the stranger said,
'Beest thou never so much in hast,
For I can draw out a good broad sword,
And quickly cut the blast.'
11 Then Robin Hood bent a very good bow,
To shoot, and that he would fain;
The stranger he bent a very good bow,
To shoot at bold Robin again.
12 'O hold thy hand, hold thy hand,' quoth Robin Hood,
'To shoot it would be in vain;
For if we should shoot the one at the other,
The one of us may be slain.
13 'But let's take our swords and our broad bucklers,
And gang under yonder tree:'
'As I hope to be sav'd,' the stranger said,
'One foot I will not flee.'
14 Then Robin Hood lent the stranger a blow
Most scar'd him out of his wit;
'Thou never felt blow,' the stranger he said,
'That shall be better quit.'
15 The stranger he drew out a good broad sword,
And hit Robin on the crown,
That from every haire of bold Robins head
The blood ran trickling down.
16 'God a mercy, good fellow!' quoth Robin Hood then,
'And for this thou hast done;
Tell me, good fellow, what thou art,
Tell me where thou doest woon.'
17 The stranger then answered bold Robin Hood,
I'le tell thee where I did dwell;
In Maxfield was I bred and born,
My name is Young Gamwell.
18 For killing of my own fathers steward,
I am forc'd to this English wood,
And for to seek an vncle of mine;
Some call him Robin Hood.
19 'But art thou a cousin of Robin Hoods then?
The sooner we should have done:'
'As I hope to be sav'd,' the stranger then said,
'I am his own sisters son.'
20 But, Lord! what kissing and courting was there,
When these two cousins did greet!
And they went all that summers day,
And Little John did meet.
21 But when they met with Little John,
He there unto [him] did say,
O master, where have you been,
You have tarried so long away?
22 'I met with a stranger,' quoth Robin Hood then,
'Full sore he hath beaten me:'
'Then I'le have a bout with him,' quoth Little John,
'And try if he can beat me.'
23 [no], oh no,' quoth Robin Hood then,
'Little John, it may [not] be so;
For he's my own dear sisters son,
And cousins I have no mo.
24 'But he shall be a bold yeoman of mine,
My chief man next to thee;
And I Robin Hood, and thou Little John,
And Scarlet he shall be:
25 'And wee'l be three of the bravest outlaws
That is in the North Country.'
If you will have any more of bold Robin Hood,
In his second part it will be.
End-Notes
a. b. e. Robin Hood newly reviv'd. To a delightful new tune.
c. d. Robin Hood newly revived: Or his meeting and fighting with his cousin Scarlet. To a delightful new tune.
a. Printed for Richard Burton. (1641-74.)
21, 71, 91, 121, 161, 221, 223. qd.
63. in th.
112. To that shoot and.
212. him supplied from c, d.
b. London, Printed for Richard Burton, at the Sign of the Horshooe in West Smithfield.
32. midst.
41. it wanting.
64. full wanting.
112. To shot and that.
124. must be.
212. him wanting.
231. Oh no.
233. may not.
c. 33. ware for met.
71, 91, 121, 161, 221, 223, 231. qd.
93. can I.
101. blow for wind.
112. To shoot and that.
133. he said.
161, 184. bold Robin.
191. art thou.
212. unto him.
231. Oh no.
232. may not.
254. In this.
d. 21, 71, 91, 121, 161, 221. qd.
33. ware for met.
64. good wanting.
72. was in.
92. am for seem.
111. he bent.
112. To shoot and that.
124. must be.
133. he said.
162. that wanting.
181. own wanting.
191. art thou.
212. unto him.
231. Oh no.
232. may not.
253. If thou wilt.
254. In this.
e. Printed for J. Clarke, W. Thackeray, and T. Passenger. (1670-82?)
12. in wanting.
21, 71, 91, 121, 161, 221, 223. quod.
32. midst.
33. with for of.
41. it wanting.
62. and wanting.
64. full wanting.
73. except.
93. can wanting.
112. To that shot and he.
113. bent up a noble.
121. wanting.
124. must be.
191. art thou.
212. him wanting.
221, 231. then wanting.
231. Oh no.
232. may not.
253. If you'l have more.
254. In this.
Followed in all the copies by seven stanzas which belong to a different ballad. See No 130.
Additions and Corrections
To be Corrected in the Print.
146 a, 143. Read delt for felt (felt, all copies).