"Thou wantest breath to sound it," said the Friar; "take thee a little respite, for we have been five hours at it by the Fountain Abbey clock." Robin Hood took his horn from his side, and having sounded it three times, behold where fifty lusty men, with their bended bows, came to his assistance. The Friar, wondering at it, "Whose men," said he, "be these?" "They are mine," said Robin Hood; "what is that to thee?" "False loon," said the Friar; and making a little pause, he desired Robin Hood to show him the same courtesy which he gave him. "What is that?" said Robin Hood. "Thou soundest thy horn three times," said the Friar; "let me now but whistle three times." "Ay, with all my heart," said Robin Hood; "I were to blame if I should deny thee that courtesy." With that the Friar set his fist to his mouth, and whistled three times so shrilly that the place echoed again with it; and behold three and fifty fair ban-dogs (their hairs rising on their back, betokening their rage), were almost on the backs of Robin Hood and his companions. "Here is for every one of thy men a dog," said the Friar, "and two for thee." "That is foul play," said Robin Hood. He had scarce spoken that word but two dogs came upon him at once, one before, another behind him, who, although they could not touch his flesh (his sword had made so swift a despatch of them), yet they tore his coat into two pieces. By this time the men had so laid about them that the dogs began to fly back, and their fury to languish into barking. Little John did so bestir himself, that the Curtal Friar, admiring at his courage and his nimbleness, did ask him who he was. He made him answer, "I will tell the truth, and not lie. I am he who is called Little John, and do belong to Robin Hood, who hath fought with thee this day, five hours together; and if thou wilt not submit unto him, this arrow shall make thee." The Friar, perceiving how much he was overpowered, and that it was impossible for him to deal with so many at once, did come to composition with Robin Hood. And the articles of agreement were these: That the Friar should abandon Fountain Dale and Fountain Abbey, and should live with Robin Hood, at his place not far from Nottingham, where for saying of

mass, he should receive a noble for every Sunday throughout the year, and for saying mass on every holy day, a new change of garment. The Friar, contented with these conditions, did seal the agreement. And thus by the courage of Robin Hood and his yeomen, he was enforced at the last to submit, having for seven long years kept Fountain Dale, not all the power thereabouts being able to bring him on his knees.

But Friar Tuck was the only man of the clergy with whom Robin had friendly dealings. As a rule these churchmen fared as did the Bishop of Hereford in the following ballad, which we add for the sake of an example of the manner in which this True History of Robin Hood has come down to us from the year 1245:

THE BISHOP OF HEREFORD'S

ENTERTAINMENT

BY ROBIN

HOOD AND LITTLE JOHN AND THEIR COMPANY, IN MERRY BARNSDALE.

SOME they will talk of bold Robin Hood,

And some of barons bold;

But I'll tell you how he served the Bishop of Hereford,

When he robbed him of his gold.

As it befell in merry Barnsdale,

All under the greenwood tree,

The Bishop of Hereford was to come by,

With all his company.

"Come, kill me a venison," 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."

Robin Hood dressed 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.

"O, what is the matter?" then said the bishop,
"Or for whom do you make this ado?
Or why do you kill the king's venʼson,
When your company is so few?"

"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."

"Call in a reckoning," said the bishop,

"For methinks it grows wondrous high." "Send me your purse, master," said Little John, "And I'll tell you bye and bye."

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.

"Here's money enough, master," said Little John, "And a comely sight 'tis to see;

It makes me in charity with the bishop,
Though he heartily loveth not me."

Robin Hood took the bishop by the hand,
And he caused the music to play;

And he made the old bishop to dance in his boots,

And glad to get so away.

"They say he is already in the forest of Arden, and a many merry men with him; and there they live like the old Robin Hood of England. . . and fleet the time carelessly as they did in the golden world."- AS YOU LIKE IT.

S has been already said, some of the ballad makers have so far erred from the truth as to represent Robin Hood as being outlawed by Henry VIII., and several stories are told of Queen Katherine's interceding with her husband for the pardon of the bold outlaw.* However this may be, it is

This seems to have been the opinion of the author from whom we draw the following account of our hero's life, to show how the doctors will disagree even on a topic as important as Robin Hood:

THE NOBLE BIRTH AND THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF ROBIN HOOD. "Robin Hood was descended from the noble family of the Earl of Huntingdon, and being outlawed by Henry VIII. for many extravagancies and outrages he had committed, he did draw together a company of such bold and licentious persons as himself, who lived for the most part on robberies committed in or near unto Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire. He had these always ready at his command, so that if need did require he at the winding of his horn would have fifty or more of them in