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• History of the Conquest of England By the Normans.
• Book VIII.: From the Battle of the Standard to the Insurrection of the Poitevins and Bretons Against Henry II. 1137—1189.
• Book IX.: From the Origin of the Quarrel Between King Henry II. And Archbishop Thomas Beket, to the Murder of the Archbishop. 1160—1171.
• Book X.: From the Invasion of Ireland By the Normans Established In England to the Death of Henry II. 1171—1189.
• Book XI.: From the Accession of King Richard I. To the Execution of the Saxon, William Longbeard. 1190—1196.
• Conclusion.
• I.: The Continental Normans and Bretons; the Angevins and the Populations of Southern Gaul.
• II.: The Inhabitants of Wales.
• III.: The Scots.
• IV.: The Native Irish and the Anglo-norman Irish.
• V.: The Anglo-normans and the English By Race.
• Magna Charta.
• Charta Forestæ. Made At Westminster, 10 Th Feb., Anno 9 Hen. III. Ad 1225, and Confirmed Anno 28 Edw. I. Ad 1299.
• Appendix.
• No. I.: Cruelties Exercised By the Norman-lords In Their Castles. 1
• No. II. (page 51.): War Song of the Troubadour Bertrand De Born, Seigneur De Hautefort. 1
• No. III. (page 139.): History of the Marriage of Gilbert Beket, Father of Archbishop Thomas; Fragment of a Life of the Archbishop, By a Contemporary. 3
• No. IV. (page 139.): Old Ballad On the Captivity and Marriage of Gilbert Beket. 1
• No. V. (page 139.): Particulars of the Worldly Life of Thomas Becket, Before His Elevation to the Bishopric, From William Fitzstephen, His Secretary. 1
• No. VI. (page 139.): Letter of John of Salisbury to Becket, Respecting the Views of the King of France, the Earl of Flanders, and the Court of Rome, Concerning Him.
• No. VII. (page 139.): Letter Relative to the Intrigues of Henry II. At the Court of Rome, and the Mission of Two Legates Into France. 1 ( Ad 1169.)
• No. VIII. (page 139.): Letter Op Thomas Beket to Cardinal Albert, On the Conduct of the Court of Rome Towards Him. 1 ( Ad 1170.)
• No. IX. (page 139.): Letter From Thomas Beket’s Companions In Exile to Cardinal Albert, On the Injustice of the Court of Rome, and the Conduct of the Cardinals Towards Them. 1 ( Ad 1170.)
• No. X. (page 139.): Letter of John of Salisbury On the Landing of Thomas Beket, and His Reception In England. 1 ( Ad 1170.)
• No. XI. (page 139.): Extract From a Letter of John of Salisbury, Relative to the Murder of Thomas Beket. 1 ( Ad 1171.)
• No. XII. (page 139.): Narrative of the Murder of Thomas Beket, By Edward Grim, Who Was Wounded While Endeavouring to Defend Him. 1
• No. XIII. (page 139.): Letter From King Louis VII. To Pope Alexander III., Demanding Vengeance Against the Murderers of Thomas Beket. 1 ( Ad 1171.)
• No. XIV. (page 139.): Letter From Thibault, Earl of Blois, to Pope Alexander III., On the Murder of Thomas Beket. 2 ( Ad 1171.)
• No. XV. (page 139.): Letter In Which the Bishop of Lisieux, On the Part of All the Prelates of Normandy, Relates to the Pope the Conduct of Henry II. After the Murder of Thomas Beket. 1 ( Ad 1171.)
• No. XVI. (page 139.): Letter From Henry II. To the Pope, On the Subject of the Murder of Thomas Beket. 1 ( Ad 1171.)
• No. XVII. (page 139.): Letter From Henry II. To the Pope, On the Subject of the Rebellion of His Sons. 1 ( Ad 1173.)
• No. XVIII. (page 167.): Political Poems of Bertrand De Born, Preceded By the Historical Notices Given In the Manuscripts At the Head of Each of the Productions of This Troubadour.
• No. XIX. (page 220.): Sirvente of Richard Cœur-de-lion On His Captivity. 1
• No. XX. (page 223.): The King’s Disguise, and Friendship With Robin Hood. 2
• No. XXI. (page 224.): The Birth of Robin Hood. 1
• No. XXII. (page 237.): Sirvente of Bertrand De Born to Induce the Kings of France and England to Go to War. 1
• No. XXIII. (page 237.): Another Sirvente of Bertrand De Born, to the Same Purpose. 1
• No. XXIV. (page 240.): Sirvente of the Dauphin of Auvergne On His Quarrel With the King of England. 1
• No. XXV. (page 280.): Treaty of Alliance Between Lewellyn Ap-griffith, King of North Wales, With the King of France, Philip-le-hardi. 1
• No. XXVI. (page 282.): List of the Company of Yvain of Wales. 1
• No. XXVII. (page 282.): List of the Company of John Wynn. 1
• No. XXVIII. (page 282.): Receipt Given By Robin-ap-llwydin, and List of His Company. 1
• No. XXIX. (page 282.): List of the Company of Edward-ap-owen. 1
• No. XXX. (page 282.): List of the Company of Owen-ap Griffith, and Receipt Given Him. 1
• No. XXXI. (page 283.): Agreement of Yvain De Galles With King Charles V. For a Sum of 300,000 Francs D’or, and Alliance Made Between Them and Their Subjects. 2
• No. XXXII. (page 287.): Letter From Owen Glendowr, Prince of Wales, to the King of France, Charles VI. 1
• No. XXXIII. (page 303.): The Souters of Selkirk At the Battle of Flodden Field, a Scottish Ballad of the Sixteenth Century.
• No. XXXIV. (page 316.): The Battle of Bothwell Bridge—a Scottish

No. XX. (page 223.)

The King’s Disguise, and Friendship with Robin Hood.2

• • King Richard hearing of the pranks
  • Of Robin Hood and his men,
  • He much admir’d and more desir’d
  • To see both him and them.
• • Then with a dozen of his lords
  • To Nottingham he rode:
  • When he came there, he made good cheer,
  • And took up his abode.
• • He having staid there some time,
  • But had no hopes to speed,
  • He and his lords, with one accord,
  • All put on monk’s weeds.
• • From Fountain abbey they did ride,
  • Down to Barnsdale,
  • Where Robin Hood prepared stood,
  • All company to assail.
• • The king was higher than the rest,
  • And Robin thought he had
  • An abbot been whom he had seen;
  • To rob him he was glad.
• • He took the king’s horse by the head:
  • —“Abbot,” says he, “abide;
  • I am bound to rue such knaves as you,
  • That live in pomp and pride.”
• • —“But we are messengers from the king,”
  • The king himself did say;
  • “Near to this place, his royal grace
  • To speak with thee does stay.”
• • —“God save the king,” said Robin Hood,
  • “And all that wish him well,
  • He that does deny his sovereignty,
  • I wish he was in hell.”
• • —“Thyself thou cursest,” said the king,
  • “For thou a traitor art.”
  • “Nay, but that you are his messenger,
  • I swear you he in heart.
• • “For I never yet hurt any man
  • That honest is and true;
  • But those who give their minds to live
  • Upon other men’s due.
• • “For I never hurt the husbandman
  • That use to till the ground;
  • Nor spill their blood, that range the wood,
  • To follow hawk or hound.
• • “My chiefest spite to clergy is,
  • Who in these days bear sway;
  • With fryars and monks, with their fine sprunks
  • I make my chiefest prey.
• • “But I am very glad,” says Robin Hood,
  • “That I have met you here;
  • Come, before we end, you shall, my friend,
  • Taste of our green wood cheer.”
• • The king he then did marvel much,
  • And so did all his men,
  • They thought with fear, what kind of cheer
  • Robin would provide for them.
• • Robin took the king’s horse by the head,
  • And led him to the tent:
  • —“Thou would not be so us’d,” quoth he,
  • “But that my king thee sent.
• • “Nay, more than that,” quoth Robin Hood,
  • “For good king Richard’s sake,
  • If you had as much gold as ever I told,
  • I would not one penny take.”
• • Then Robin set his horn to his mouth,
  • And a loud blast he did blow,
  • Till an hundred and ten of Robin Hood’s men
  • Came marching all of a row.
• • And when they came bold Robin before,
  • Each man did bend his knee;
  • “O,” thought the king, “’tis a gallant thing,
  • And a seemly sight to see”
• • Within himself the king did say:
  • —“These men of Robin Hood’s
  • More humble be than mine to me;
  • So the court may learn of the woods.”
• • So then they all to dinner went
  • Upon a carpet green;
  • Black, yellow, red, finely mingled,
  • Most curious to be seen.
• • Venison and fowls were plenty there,
  • With fish out of the river:
  • King Richard swore, on sea or shore,
  • He never was feasted better.
• • Then Robin takes a cann of ale;
  • —“Come let us now begin;
  • And every man shall have his cann;
  • Here’s a health unto the king.”
• • The king himself drank to the king,
  • So round about it went;
  • Two barrels of ale, both stout and stale,
  • To pledge that health was spent.
• • And after that a bowl of wine
  • In his hand took Robin Hood:
  • —“Until I die, I’ll drink wine,” said he,
  • “While I live in the green wood.”
• • —“Bend all your bows,” said Robin Hood,
  • “And with the grey goose wing
  • Such sport now show, as you would do
  • In the presence of the king.”
• • They shewed such brave archery,
  • By cleaving stick and wands,
  • That the king did say, “Such men as they
  • Live not in many lands.”
• • —“Well, Robin Hood,” then says the king,
  • “If I could thy pardon get,
  • To serve the king in every thing,
  • Wouldst thou thy mind firm set?”
• • —“Yes, with all my heart,” bold Robin said
  • So they flung off their hoods;
  • To serve the king in every thing,
  • They swore they would spend their bloods.
• • —“For a clergyman was first my bane,
  • Which makes me hate them all;
  • But if you’ll be so kind to me,
  • Love them again I shall.”
• • —“I am the king, thy sovereign king,
  • That appears before you all.”
  • When Robin saw that it was he,
  • Strait then he down did fall.
• • —“Stand up again,” then said the king,
  • “I’ll thee thy pardon give:
  • Stand up, my friend; who can contend
  • When I give leave to live?”
• • So they are all gone to Nottingham
  • All shouting as they came;
  • But when the people them did see,
  • They thought the king was slain.
• • And for that cause the outlaws were come
  • To rule all as they list;
  • And for to shun, which way to run,
  • The people did not wist.
• • The plowman left the plow in the fields,
  • The smith ran from his shop;
  • Old folks also, that scarce could go,
  • Over their sticks did hop.
• • The king soon did let them understand
  • He had been in the green wood,
  • And from that day for evermore
  • He’d forgiven Robin Hood.
• • Then the people they did hear,
  • And the truth was known;
  • They all did sing, God save the king,
  • Hang care, the town’s our own.
• • —“What’s that Robin Hood?” then said the sheriff,
  • “That varlet I do hate;
  • Both me and mine he caused to dine,
  • And serv’d all with one plate.”
• • —“Ho ho,” said Robin Hood, “I know what you mean;
  • Come take your gold again:
  • Be friends with me, and I with thee,
  • And so with every man.
• • “Now, master sheriff, you are paid;
  • And since you are beginner,
  • As well as you, give me my due,
  • For you ne’er paid for that dinner.
• • “But if that it should please the king,
  • So much your house to grace,
  • To sup with you, for to speak true,
  • Know you ne’er was base.”
• • The sheriff could not gainsay,
  • For a trick was put upon him;
  • A supper was drest, the king was a guest,
  • But he thought ’twould have undone him.
• • They are all gone to London court,
  • Robin Hood with all his train;
  • He once was there a noble peer,
  • And now he’s there again.

[2 ] Evan’s Old Ballads, historical and narrative, i. 218—225.