No. 132: The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood
[In his 1st footnote to Child 128, Robin Hood and the Newly Revived, Child comments: "The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood, No 132, is a traditional variation of Robin Hood Revived." Curiously Dixon's version, 132 A, as taken from tradition, was published in the US by Cozzens about the same time as Dixon's version- 1846. Cozzens version is missing the refrain and was reprinted by Barry in BBM, 1929. This establishes that both Dixon's "traditional" version and Cozzens were taken from British stall copies.
In 1993 twenty-one Robin Hood ballads dated pre1670 were discovered. They are called The Forresters Manuscript, now at the British Library. In their 1999 book, Robin Hood: The Forresters Manuscript, Stephen Knight and Hilton Kelliher present the ballads which shed new light on some of the Robin Hood ballads given by Child. Stephen Knight titles the "Bold Pedlar," 16. Robin Hood and the Stranger (after Ritson) and offers more evidence that Child 128, Newly Revived and 132 are the same ballad. As 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 Child's Additions and Corrections.
Here is a partial transcription of Forresters Manuscript version:
Robin Hood and the Stranger (Forresters MS)
Come Listene awhile you Gentlemen all
Who are this Bower within
A Story of bold Robin Hood
I purpose to begin.
5 'What time of the day?' quoth Robin Hood then
Said Little John 'Tis in the prime.'
'Then wee will to the green wood go
For we haue no dinner to dine.'
As Robin he walkd the Forest along
10 It was in the midst of the day
There was he a war of a deft young man
As he walkd on the way.
His doublett was of the silke so fine
His stockins like scarlett showne
15 And he walkd on a long the way
To Robin then vnknowne.
A hundred fatt Bucks in a Heard
Grasing before his face
'The best ile haue to my dinner' he said
20 'If god shall giue me grace.'
R. Matteson 2015]
CONTENTS:
1. Child's Narrative
2. Footnotes (There are no footnotes)
3. Brief (Kittredge)
4. Child's Ballad Text A. (There is an additional text, 'Robin Hood and the Proud Pedlar,' in Additions and Corrections)
5. Endnotes
6. Additions and Corrections
ATTACHED PAGES (see left hand column):
1. Recordings & Info: 132. The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood
A. Roud No. 333: Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood (70 Listings)
2. Sheet Music: (Bronson's traditional music versions and other versions)
3. English and Other Versions (Including Child versions A with additional notes)]
4. US and Canadian Versions
Child's Narrative: The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood
A. J. H. Dixon, Ancient Poems, Ballads, and Songs of the Peasantry of England, p. 71, Percy Society, vol. xvii, 1846.
"An aged female in Bermondsey, Surrey, from whose oral recitation the editor took down the present version, informed him, that she had often beard her grandmother sing it, and that it was never in print; but he has of late met witb several common stall copies."
Robin Hood and Little Jobn fall in with a pedlar. Little Jobn asks what goods he carries, and says he will have half his pack. The pedlar says he shall have tbe whole if be can make him give a perch of ground. They fight, and John cries Hold. Robin Hood undertakes the pedlar, and in turn cries Hold. Robin asks the pedlar's name. He will not give it till they have told theirs, and when they have so done says it still lies with him to tell or not. However, he is Gamble Gold, forced to flee his country for killing a man. If you are Gamble Gold, says Robin, you are my own cousin. They go to a tavern and dine and drink.
Stanzas 11, 12, 15 recall Robin Hood's Delight, No 136, 19, 20, 24; 13, 14 Robin Hood Revived, No 128, 17, 18. As remarked under No 128, this is a traditional variation of Robin Hood Revived.
Brief Description by George Lyman Kittredge
"An aged female in Bermondsey, Surrey, from whose oral recitation the editor took down the present version, informed him, that she had often heard her grandmother sing it, and that it was never in print; but he has of late met with several common stall copies." — Dixon. This ballad is a traditional variation of No, 128. A copy which varies but slightly from that here printed is found in Captain Delany's Garland [1775?], British Museum, 1346, m. 7 (9). It is given in Child, v, 240.
Child's Ballad Text
'The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood'- Version A; Child 132 The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood
J. H. Dixon, Ancient Poems, Ballads, and Songs of the Peasantry of England, p. 71, Percy Society, vol. xvii, 1846.
1 There chanced to be a pedlar bold,
A pedlar bold he chanced to be;
He rolled his pack all on his back,
And he came tripping oer the lee.
Down a down a down a down,
Down a down a down.
2 By chance he met two troublesome blades,
Two troublesome blades they chanced to be;
The one of them was bold Robin Hood,
And the other was Little John so free.
3 'O pedlar, pedlar, what is in thy pack?
Come speedilie and tell to me:'
'I've several suits of the gay green silks,
And silken bow-strings two or three.'
4 'If you have several suits of the gay green silk,
And silken bow-strings two or three,
Then it's by my body,' cries Little John,
'One half your pack shall belong to me.'
5 'O nay, o nay,' says the pedlar bold,
'O nay, o nay, that never can be;
For there's never a man from fair Nottingham
Can take one half my pack from me.'
6 Then the pedlar he pulled off his pack,
And put it a little below his knee,
Saying, If you do move me one perch from this,
My pack and all shall gang with thee.
7 Then Little John he drew his sword,
The pedlar by his pack did stand;
They fought until they both did sweat,
Till he cried, Pedlar, pray hold your hand!
8 Then Robin Hood he was standing by,
And he did laugh most heartilie;
Saying, I could find a man, of a smaller scale,
Could thrash the pedlar and also thee.
9 'Go you try, master,' says Little John,
'Go you try, master, most speedilie,
Or by my body,' says Little John,
'I am sure this night you will not know me.'
10 Then Robin Hood he drew his sword,
And the pedlar by his pack did stand;
They fought till the blood in streams did flow,
Till he cried, Pedlar, pray hold your hand!
11 Pedlar, pedlar, what is thy name?
Come speedilie and tell to me:
'My name! my name I neer will tell,
Till both your names you have told to me.'
12 'The one of us is bold Robin Hood,
And the other Little John so free:'
'Now,' says the pedlar, 'it lays to my good will,
Whether my name I chuse to tell to thee.
13 'I am Gamble Gold of the gay green woods,
And travelled far beyond the sea;
For killing a man in my father's land
From my country I was forced to flee.'
14 'If you are Gamble Gold of the gay green woods,
And travelled far beyond the sea,
You are my mother's own sister's son;
What nearer cousins then can we be?'
15 They sheathed their swords with friendly words,
So merrilie they did agree;
They went to a tavern, and there they dined,
And bottles cracked most merrilie.
End-Notes
The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood
31, 51, 52. Oh.
Additions and Corrections: 132. The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood
P. 155. The following copy, entitled 'Robin Hood and the Proud Pedlar,' is from a garland in a collection of folio sheet-ballads mostly dated 1775, in the British Museum, 1346. m. 7(9). The Museum catalogue assigns the ballads to Edinburgh. I owe my knowledge of this piece to Mr. P. Z. Round.
1 There was a proud pedlar, a fine pedlar,
a proud pedlar he seemd to be,
And he's taen his pack upon his back,
and went linking over the lee.
2 Where he met two troublesome men,
troublesome men they seemd to be,
The one of them was Robin Hood,
the other Little John so free.
3 'O what is that into thy pack?
thou pedlar proud now tell to me;'
'There's seven suits of good green silk,
and bow-strings either two or three.'
4 'If there's seven suits of good green silk,
and silken bow-strings two or three,
Then be my sooth,' says Little John,
'there's some of them must fall to me.'
5 Then he's taen his pack off his back,
and laid it low down by his knee:
'Where's the man fit to drive me frae 't?
then pack and all to him I'll gie.'
6 Then Little John pulld out his sword,
the pedler he pulld out his brand,
They swapped swords till they did sweat;
'O pedlar fine, now hold thy hand!'
7 'O fy! O fy!' said Robin Hood,
' O fy! O fy! that must not be,
For I've seen a man in greater strait
than to pay him and pedlars three.'
8 'Then try him, try him, master,' he said,
'O try him now, master,' said he,
'For by me sooth,' said Little John,
'master, 't is neither you nor me.'
9 Bold Robin pulld out his sword,
the pedlar he pulld out his brand,
They swapped swords till they did sweat;
'O pedlar fine, now hold thy hand!
10 'O what's thy name,' says Robin Hood,
'now, pedlar fine, come tell to me;'
'No, be my sooth, that will I not,
till I know what your names may be.'
11 'The one of us ['s] calld Robin Hood,
the other Little John so free,
And now it lies into thy breast
whether thou 'It tell thy name to me.'
12 'I'm Gamwell gay, of good green wood,
my fame is far beyond the sea;
For killing a man in my father's land
my native land I was forcd to flee.'
13 'If thou be Gamwell of the green wood,
thy fame is far beyond the sea;
And be my sooth,' said Little John,
'my sister's son thou needs must be.
14 'But what was that was on thy back?
O, cousin Gamwell, tell unto me;'
'It is seven sarks and three gravats,
is all the kitt that I carry.'
15 They smoothd their words and sheathd their swords,
and kissd and clapt most tenderly;
To a tavern then they went to dine,
and drank about most heartily.
July, 1775.
Captain Delany's Garland, containing five new songs, ... II, Robin Hood and the Proud Pedlar.
62, 64, 94. padler.