No. 144: Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford
[There are no known US or Canadian version of this ballad.]
CONTENTS:
1. Child's Narrative
2. Footnotes [There are no footnotes for this ballad]
3. Brief (Kittredge)
4. Child's Ballad Texts A and B (For text changes to make versions A b to A d see End-Notes.)
5. End-Notes
ATTACHED PAGES (see left hand column):
1. Recordings & Info: 143. Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford
A. Roud No. 2338: Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford (18 Listings)
2. Sheet Music: (Bronson's traditional music versions)
3. English and Other Versions (Including Child versions A and B with additional notes)]
Child's Narrative: Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford
A. a. Robin Hood's Garland, London, J. Marshall & Co., Aldermary Churchyard, No 23.
b. 'Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford,' Douce Ballads, III, 123 b, London, C. Sheppard, 1791.
c. Chappell's Popular Music of the Olden Time, p. 395, from a broadside printed for Daniel Wright, next the Sun Tavern in Holborn.
d. Robin Hood's Garland, 1749, No 23.
B. E. Cochrane's Song-Book, p. 149, No 113.
A a in Ritson's Robin Hood, 1795, II, 146, "compared with the York copy," that is, with two or three slight changes: Evans, Old Ballads, 1777, 1784, I, 211. B, the Scottish copy, is very likely only an imperfect remembrance of a broadside, but the date of the Manuscript, though this is perhaps not determinable, has been put as early as 1730.
Robin Hood, expecting the Bishop of Hereford to pass near Barnsdale, has a deer killed for his dinner. He dresses himself and six of his men in shepherd's attire, and when the Bishop approaches they make an ado to attract his attention. The Bishop interrogates them. Robin owns that they mean to make merry with the king's venison. The Bishop will show them no mercy; they must go before the king with him. Robin summons his band with his horn and it is the Bishop's turn to cry mercy. Robin will not let him off, but takes him to Barnsdale, and makes him great cheer. The Bishop foresees that there will be a heavy reckoning. Little John searches the Bishop's portmanteau, and takes out three hundred pound; enough, he says, to make him in charity with the churchman. They make the Bishop dance in his boots, A, or sing a mass, B, and he is glad to get off so lightly.
The Bishop of Hereford appears in the next ballad, Robin Hood and Queen Katherine. He there tells us that Robin had made him sing a mass out of hours, and had borrowed money of him against his will.
The conclusion of this ballad is to the same effect as that of the preceding, and was probably suggested by the Gest. No copy has been found, in print or writing, earlier than the last century; a fact of no special importance. Whenever written, if written it was, it is far superior to most of the seventeenth century broadsides. Mr. Chappell speaks of; it as being now (thirty years ago) the most popular of the Robin Hood set.
Translated by Talvj, Charakteristik, p. 493; Anastasius Grün, p. 151; Loève-Veimars, p. 204.
Brief Description by George Lyman Kittredge
The conclusion of this ballad is to the same effect as that of the preceding, and was probably suggested by the Gest. No copy has been found in print or writing earlier than the eighteenth century; a fact of no special importance. Whenever written, if written it was, it is far superior to most of the seventeenth century broadsides.
Child's Ballad Texts
'The Bishop of Hereford's Entertainment by Robin Hood and Little John, &c., in merry Barnsdale'- Version A a; Child 144 Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford
a. Robin Hood's Garland, Aldermary Churchyard, No 23.
b. Douce Ballads, III, 123 b, 1791.
c. Chappell's Popular Music of the Olden Time, p. 395, from a broadside printed for Daniel Wright.
d. Robin Hood's Garland, without place, 1749, No 23, p. 98.
1 Some they will talk of bold Robin Hood,
And some of barons bold,
But I'll tell you how he servd the Bishop of Hereford,
When he robbed him of his gold.
2 As it befel in merry Barnsdale,
And under the green-wood tree,
The Bishop of Hereford was to come by,
With all his company.
3 'Come, kill a venson,' said bold Robin Hood,
'Come, kill me a good fat deer;
The Bishop of Hereford is to dine with me to-day,
And he shall pay well for his cheer.
4 'We'll kill a fat venson,' said bold Robin Hood,
'And dress it by the highway-side;
And we will watch the Bishop narrowly,
Lest some other way he should ride.'
5 Robin Hood dressd himself in shepherd's attire,
With six of his men also;
And, when the Bishop of Hereford came by,
They about the fire did go.
6 'O what is the matter?' then said the Bishop,
'Or for whom do you make this a-do?
Or why do you kill the king's venson,
When your company is so few?'
7 'We are shepherds,' said bold Robin Hood,
'And we keep sheep all the year,
And we are disposed to be merry this day,
And to kill of the king's fat deer.'
8 'You are brave fellows!' said the Bishop,
'And the king of your doings shall know;
Therefore make haste and come along with me,
For before the king you shall go.'
9 'O pardon, O pardon,' said bold Robin Hood,
'O pardon, I thee pray!
For it becomes not your lordship's coat
To take so many lives away.'
10 'No pardon, no pardon,' says the Bishop,
'No pardon I thee owe;
Therefore make haste, and come along with me,
For before the king you shall go.'
11 Then Robin set his back against a tree,
And his foot against a thorn,
And from underneath his shepherd's coat
He pulld out a bugle-horn.
12 He put the little end to his mouth,
And a loud blast did he blow,
Till threescore and ten of bold Robin's men
Came running all on a row.
13 All making obeysance to bold Robin Hood;
'Twas a comely sight for to see:
'What is the matter, master,' said Little John,
'That you blow so hastily?'
14 'O here is the Bishop of Hereford,
And no pardon we shall have:'
'Cut off his head, master,' said Little John,
'And throw him into his grave.'
15 'O pardon, O pardon,' said the Bishop,
'O pardon, I thee pray!
For if I had known it had been you,
I'd have gone some other way.'
16 'No pardon, no pardon,' said Robin Hood,
'No pardon I thee owe;
Therefore make haste and come along with me,
For to merry Barnsdale you shall go.'
17 Then Robin he took the Bishop by the hand,
And led him to merry Barnsdale;
He made him to stay and sup with him that night,
And to drink wine, beer, and ale.
18 'Call in the reckoning,' said the Bishop,
'For methinks it grows wondrous high:'
'Lend me your purse, Bishop,' said Little John,
'And I'll tell you bye and bye.'
19 Then Little John took the bishop's cloak,
And spread it upon the ground,
And out of the bishop's portmantua
He told three hundred pound.
20 'Here's money enough, master,' said Little John,
'And a comely sight 'tis to see;
It makes me in charity with the Bishop,
Tho he heartily loveth not me.'
21 Robin Hood took the Bishop by the hand,
And he caused the music to play,
And he made the Bishop to dance in his boots,
And glad he could so get away.
-------------------------
['Robin Hood and the Bishop']- Version B; Child 144 Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford
E. Cochrane's Song-Book, p. 149, No 113.
1 Some talk of lords, and some talk of lairds,
And some talk of barrons bold,
But I'll tell you a story of bold Robin Hood,
How he robbed the Bishop of his gold.
2 'Cause kill us a venison,' sayes Robin Hood,
'And we'll dress it by the high-way side,
And we will watch narrowly for the Bishop,
Lest some other way he do ride.'
3 'Now who is this,' sayes the Bishop,
'That makes so boldly here
To kill the king's poor small venison,
And so few of his company here?'
4 'We are shepherds,' says Robin Hood,
'And do keep sheep all the year;
And we thought it fit to be merry on a day,
And kill one of the king's fallow deer.'
5 'Thou art a bold fellow,' the Bishop replyes,
'And your boldness you do show;
Make hast, make hast, and go along with me,
For the king of your doings shall know.'
6 He leand his back unto a brae,
His foot against a thorn,
And out from beneath his long shepherds coat
He pulled a blowing-horn.
7 He put his horn in to his mouth,
And a snell blast he did blow,
Till four and twenty of bold Robins men
Came riding up all in a row.
8 'Come, give us a reckoning,' says the Bishop,
'For I think you drink wondrous large:'
'Come, give me your purse,' said bold Robin Hood,
'And I will pay all your charge.'
9 He pulled off his long shepherds coat,
And he spread it on the ground,
And out of the Bishops long trunk-hose,
He pulled a hundred pound.
10 'O master,' quoth Little John,
'It's a very bony sight for to see;
It makes me to favour the Bishop,
Tho in heart he loves not me.'
11 'Come, sing us a mass,' sayes bold Robin Hood,
'Come, sing us a mass all anon;
Come, sing us a mass,' sayes bold Robin Hood,
'Take a kick in the a–se, and be gone.'
End-Notes
A. a. The Bishop of Hereford's Entertainment by Robin Hood and Little John, &c., in merry Barnsdale.
84. Forr.
183. master for Bishop: cf. b.
b. London, Published April 7th, 1791, by C. Sheppard, No 19, Lambert Hill, Doctors Commons.
33. 's to.
74. to taste.
101. said.
114. out his.
122. he did.
123. Robin Hood's.
132. for wanting.
133. What's.
142. Says no.
171. he wanting.
173. him stay and dine with him that day.
182. For I think.
183. bishop for master.
203. me have charity for.
213. And wanting: the old.
c. Title as in a.
11. O some: of brave.
13. ye.
14. And robbd.
21. All under.
81. kill me.
33. 's to.
101. said.
161. said bold.
181. in a.
183. purse, master.
213. the old.
d. Title as in a: &c wanting.
11, they wanting.
13. of Hereford wanting.
14. his wanting.
31. Hood wanting.
33. to-day wanting.
34. well wanting.
41. kill the vension.
51. Hood he.
52. And six: men likewise.
54. Then for They.
61. then wanting.
63. of the.
64. And your: so small.
71. Hood wanting.
91. bold wanting.
101. said.
104. you must.
114. out his fine.
122. he did.
124. marching down in a.
133. master wanting.
144. into the.
154. I would: gone another.
161. bold Robin: Hood wanting.
171. he wanting.
172. And he.
173. to wanting.
181. in a.
182. Methinks it runs.
183. master wanting.
193. portmantle.
194. He took.
201. master wanting.
202. And it is: 't is wanting.
211. Robin he took.
212. he wanting.
213. And wanting.
214. so wanting.