And when they came into the churchyard,
Marching all in a row,
The first man was Allen-a-Dale,

To give bold Robin his bow.

"This is thy true-love," Robin he said,
"Young Allen, as I hear say;

And you shall be married this same time,
Before we depart away."

"That shall not be," the bishop he cried,
"For thy word shall not stand;
They shall be three times asked in the church,
As the law is of our land."

Robin Hood pulled off the bishop's coat,
And put it upon Little John;

"By the faith of my body," then Robin said, "This cloth doth make thee a man.'

When Little John went into the quire,
The people began to laugh;

He asked them seven times into church
Lest three times should not be enough.

"Who gives me this maid?" said Little John,
Quoth Robin Hood, "That do I ;
And he that takes her from Allen-a-Dale,
Full dearly he shall her buy."

And then, having ended this merry wedding,
The bride looked like a queen ;
And so they returned to the merry greenwood,
Amongst the leaves so green.

ANONYMOUS.

THE KING AND THE MILLER OF
MANSFIELD.

HENRY, our royall king, would ride a-hunting
To the grene forest so pleasant and faire;
To see the harts skipping, and dainty does tripping:
Unto merry Sherwood his nobles repaire :
Hawke and hound were unbound, all things
prepared

For the game, in the same, with good regard.

All a long summer's day rode the king pleasantlye With all his princes and nobles eche one; Chasing the hart and hind, and the bucke gallantlye,

Till the dark evening forced all to turne home. Then at last, riding fast, he had lost quite All his lords in the wood, late in the night.

Wandering thus wearilye, all alone, up and downe, With a rude miller he mett at the last; Asking the ready way unto faire Nottingham,

"Sir," quoth the miller, "I meane not to jest,

But, prythee, say nothing wherever thou goe; We would not, for twopence, the king should it knowe."

"Doubt not," then sayd the king, "my promist

secresye;

The king shall never know more on't for me." A cupp of lamb's-wool they dranke unto him then, And to their bedds they past presentlye. The nobles, next morning, went all up and down, For to seeke out the king in every towne. At last, at the miller's "cott," soon they espied

him out,

As he was mounting upon his faire steede ; To whom they came presently, falling down on their knee,

Which made the miller's heart wofully bleede; Thinking he should have been hanged by the Rood Shaking and quaking, before him he stood,

The king perceiving him fearfully trembling,

Drew forth his sword, but nothing he sed; The miller downe did fall, crying before them all, Doubting the king would have cut off his head. But he, his kind courtesye for to requite, Gave him great living and dubbed him a knight.

ANONYMOUS

THE RETURN OF BEPPO.

come."

"Wife," quoth the miller, "fetch me forth lightfoote,

And of his sweetnesse a little we 'll taste." A fair ven'son pastye brought she out presentlye. "Eate," quoth the miller; "but, sir, make no

waste.

Here's dainty lightfoote!"—"In faith," sayd the king,

"I never before eat so daintye a thing."

"I wis," quoth Richard, "no daintye at all it is; For we doe eate of it everye day." "In what place," sayd our king, "may be bought like to this?"

"We never pay penny for itt, by my fay: From merry Sherwood we fetch it home here; Now and then we make bold with our kinge's deer."

Talking, she knew not why, and cared not what, So that her female friends, with envy broiling, Beheld her airs and triumph, and all that; And well-dressed males still kept before her filing,

And passing bowed and mingled with her chat; More than the rest one person seemed to stare With pertinacity that 's rather rare.

He was a Turk, the color of mahogany ;
And Laura saw him, and at first was glad,
Because the Turks so much admire philogyny,
Although their usage of their wives is sad;
T is said they use no better than a dog any

Poor woman, whom they purchase like a pad; They have a number, though they ne'erexhibit 'em, Four wives by law, and concubines" ad libitum."

venison."

"Eche foole," quoth Richard, “full well may know that;

Never are wee without two or three in the roof, Very well fleshed, and excellent fat :

palely;

And as the Turks abhor long conversations, Their days are either passed in doing nothing, Or bathing, nursing, making love, and clothing.

"Sir," said the Count, with brow exceeding grave, "Your unexpected presence here will make It necessary for myself to crave

Its import? But perhaps 't is a mistake; I hope it is so; and at once to waive

All compliment, I hope so for your sake: You understand my meaning, or you shall." "Sir" (quoth the Turk), "'t is no mistake at all.

“That lady is my wife!" Much wonder paints
The lady's changing cheek, as well it might ;
But where an English woman sometimes faints,
Italian females don't do so outright.
They only call a little on their saints,

And then come to themselves, almost or quite; Which saves much hartshorn, salts, and sprinkling faces,

And cutting stays, as usual in such cases.

She said, - what could she say? Why, not a word;

But the Count courteously invited in The stranger, much appeased by what he heard: "Such things, perhaps, we'd best discuss within,'

Said he; "don't let us make ourselves absurd
In public, by a scene, nor raise a din,
For then the chief and only satisfaction
Will be much quizzing on the whole transaction.'

They entered, and for coffee called, — it came,
A beverage for Turks and Christians both,
Although the way they make it 's not the same.
Now Laura, much recovered, or less loath
To speak, cries, "Beppo! what's your pagan name?
Bless me! your beard is of amazing growth!
And how came you to keep away so long?
Are you not sensible 't was very wrong?

"And are you really, truly, now a Turk?

Is 't true they use their fingers for a fork?
With any other women did you wive?

Well, that's the prettiest shawl-as I'm alive!
You'll give it me? They say you eat no pork.
And how so many years did you contrive
To Bless me! Did I ever? No, I never
Saw a man grown so yellow! How's your liver?
"Beppo, that beard of yours becomes you not;
It shall be shaved before you 're a day older;
Why do you wear it? O, I had forgot -

Pray, don't you think the weather here is colder? How do I look? You sha' n't stir from this spot In that queer dress, for fear that some beholder Should find you out, and make the story known. How short your hair is! Lord! how gray it's grown!"

What answer Beppo made to these demands
Is more than I know. He was cast away
About where Troy stood once, and nothing stands;
Became a slave, of course, and for his pay
Had bread and bastinadoes, till some bands

Of pirates landing in a neighboring bay,
He joined the rogues and prospered, and became
A renegado of indifferent fame.