Robin Hood And The Potter Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: A B C B DEDE EFEF GHHH IEBH EIE EHJI EIK EIB LMLN LNL LIE B G BIC LOLL LLL EHEH LLPL ELQL EEE LGL E E BII EBIH BRE BLS ELE ELT EEL TSEN ILIL TIEI EBE LBBB E SU VBW LVBW EBE EBK E BE GLBL B X LBOB ELLE BBE LELE LLYE BBL XBU ZLLD L B LQLL EBA2B GEGE E ELE X B2 XB BBL X LL LLLL WDB W LB LELB ELL C2LLL E L GBT EBT E LL BBL EBC XL ZLD2L BL BLW XLD2L L EE LBB DBCB T LE E2 BBF2 EBL BBG2B

The Text is modernised as far as is possible from a MS of about in the University Library at Cambridge Ee The ballad was first printed therefrom by Ritson in his Robin Hood vol i p on the whole very accurately and with a few necessary emendations He notes that the scribe was evidently 'a vulgar and illiterate person' who 'irremediably corrupted' the ballad In several places however a little ingenuity will restore a lost rhymeA
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The Story of an outlaw disguising himself in order to gain information from his enemies is common to the legends of Hereward the Saxon Wallace Eustace the monk and Fulk Fitz Warine the first three of whom assumed the guise of a potter at one time or anotherB
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The ballad of Robin Hood and the Butcher is a tale similar to this and part of the Play of Robin Hood is based on this ballad see Introduction p xxiiiC
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ROBIN HOOD AND THE POTTERB
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In summer when the leav s springD
The blossoms on every boughE
So merry doth the bird s singD
In wood s merry nowE
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Hearken good yeomenE
Comely courteous and goodF
One of the best that ever bare bowE
His name was Robin HoodF
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Robin Hood was the yeoman's nameG
That was both courteous and freeH
For the love of Our LadyH
All women worshipped heH
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But as the good yeoman stood on a dayI
Among his merry meynE
He was ware of a proud potterB
Came driving over the leeH
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'Yonder cometh a proud potter ' said RobinE
'That long hath haunted this wayI
He was never so courteous a manE
One penny of pavage to pay '-
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'I met him but at Wentbridge ' said Little JohnE
'And therefore evil mote he theeH
Such three strok s he me gaveJ
That by my sides cleft theyI
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'I lay forty shillings ' said Little JohnE
'To pay it this same dayI
There is not a man among us allK
A wed shall make him lay '-
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'Here is forty shillings ' said RobinE
'More and thou dare sayI
That I shall make that proud potterB
A wed to me shall he lay '-
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There this money they laidL
They toke it a yeoman to keepM
Robin before the potter he breydeL
And bade him stand stillN
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Hands upon his horse he laidL
And bade the potter stand full stillN
The potter shortly to him saidL
'Fellow what is thy will '-
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'All this three year and more potter ' he saidL
'Thou hast haunted this wayI
Yet were thou never so courteous a manE
One penny of pavage to pay '-
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'What is thy name ' said the potterB
''Fore pavage thou ask of me '-
'Robin Hood is my nameG
A wed shall thou leave me '-
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'Wed will I none leave ' said the potterB
'Nor pavage will I none payI
Away thy hand fro my horseC
I will thee tene else by my fay '-
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The potter to his cart he wentL
He was not to seekO
A good two hand staff he hentL
Before Robin he leapedL
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Robin out with a sword bentL
A buckler in his handL
The potter to Robin he wentL
And said 'Fellow let my horse go '-
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Together then went these two yeomenE
It was a good sight to seeH
Thereof low Robin his menE
There they stood under a treeH
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Little John to his fellows saidL
'Yon potter will stiffly stand'L
The potter with an ackward strokeP
Smote the buckler out of his handL
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And ere Robin might get it againE
His buckler at his feetL
The potter in the neck him tookQ
To the ground soon he yedeL
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That saw Robin his menE
As they stood under a boughE
'Let us help our master ' said Little JohnE
'Yonder potter else will him slo '-
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These yeomen went with a breydeL
To their master they cameG
Little John to his master saidL
'Who hath the wager won '-
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'Shall I have your forty shillings ' said Little JohnE
'Or ye master shall have mine '-
'If they were a hundred ' said RobinE
'I' faith they been all thine '-
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'It is full little courtesy ' said the potterB
'As I have heard wise men sayI
If a poor yeoman come driving on the wayI
To let him of his journey '-
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'By my troth thou says sooth ' said RobinE
'Thou says good yeomanryB
And thou drive forth every dayI
Thou shalt never be let for meH
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'I will pray thee good potterB
A fellowship will thou haveR
Give me thy clothing and thou shalt have mineE
I will go to Nottingham '-
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'I grant thereto ' said the potterB
'Thou shalt find me a fellow goodL
But thou can sell my pott s wellS
Come again as thou yode '-
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'Nay by my troth ' said RobinE
'And then I beshrew my headL
If I bring any pott s againE
And any wife will them chepe '-
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Then spake Little JohnE
And all his fellows hendL
'Master be well ware of the sheriff of NottinghamT
For he is little our friend '-
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'Heyt war howt ' said RobinE
'Fellows let me aloneE
Through the help of Our LadyL
To Nottingham will I gone '-
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Robin went to NottinghamT
These pott s for to sellS
The potter abode with Robin's menE
There he fared not illN
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Though Robin drove on his wayI
So merry over the landL
Here is more and after is to sayI
The best is behindL
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When Robin came to NottinghamT
The sooth if I should sayI
He set up his horse anonE
And gave him oats and hayI
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In the midst of the townE
There he showed his wareB
'Pott s pott s ' he gan cry full soonE
'Have hansel for the mare '-
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Full often against the sheriff's gateL
Show d he his chaffareB
Wives and widows about him drewB
And chep d fast of his wareB
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Yet 'Pott s great chepe ' cried RobinE
'I love evil thus to stand '-
And all that saw him sellS
Said he had be no potter longU
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The pott s that were worth pence fiveV
He sold them for pence threeB
Privily said man and wifeW
'Yonder potter shall never thee '-
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Thus Robin sold full fastL
Till he had pott s but fiveV
Up he them took off his carB
And sent them to the sheriff's wifeW
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Thereof she was full fainE
'Gramercy sir ' then said sheB
'When ye come to this country againE
I shall buy of thy pott s so mote I thee '-
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'Ye shall have of the best ' said RobinE
And sware by the TrinityB
Full courteously she gan him callK
'Come dine with the sheriff and me '-
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'God amercy ' said RobinE
'Your bidding shall be done '-
A maiden in the pott s gan bearB
Robin and the sheriff wife followed anonE
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When Robin into the hall cameG
The sheriff soon he metL
The potter could of courtesyB
And soon the sheriff he gretL
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'Lo sir what this potter hath give you and meB
Five pott s small and great '-
'He is full welcome ' said the sheriffX
'Let us wash and go to meat '-
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As they sat at their meatL
With a noble cheerB
Two of the sheriff's men gan speakO
Of a great wagerB
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Of a shooting was good and fineE
Was made the other dayL
Of forty shillings the sooth to sayL
Who should this wager winE
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Still then sat this proud potterB
Thus then thought heB
'As I am a true Christian manE
This shooting will I see '-
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When they had fared of the bestL
With bread and ale and wineE
To the butts they made them prestL
With bows and bolts full fineE
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The sheriff's men shot full fastL
As archers that were goodL
There came none near nigh the markY
By half a good archer's bowE
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Still then stood the proud potterB
Thus then said heB
'And I had a bow by the roodL
One shot should ye see '-
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'Thou shall have a bow ' said the sheriffX
'The best that thou will choose of threeB
Thou seemest a stalwart and a strongU
Assay ed shall thou be '-
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The sheriff commanded a yeoman that stood them byZ
After bows to wendL
The best bow that the yeoman broughtL
Robin set on a stringD
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'Now shall I wot and thou be goodL
And pull it up to thine ear '-
'So God me help ' said the proud potterB
'This is but right weak gear '-
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To a quiver Robin wentL
A good bolt out he tookQ
So nigh unto the mark he wentL
He fail d not a footL
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All they shot about againE
The sheriff's men and heB
Of the mark he would not failA2
He cleft the prick in threeB
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The sheriff's men thought great shameG
The potter the mastery wonE
The sheriff laughed and made good gameG
And said 'Potter thou art a manE
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'Thou art worthy to bear a bowE
In what place that thou go '-
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'In my cart I have a bowE
Forsooth ' he said 'and that a goodL
In my cart is the bowE
That gave me Robin Hood '-
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'Knowest thou Robin Hood ' said the sheriffX
'Potter I pray thee tell thou me '-
'A hundred turn I have shot with himB2
Under his trystell tree '-
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'I had liefer nor a hundred pound ' said the sheriffX
And sware by the TrinityB
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That the false outlaw stood by me '-
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'And ye will do after my rede ' said the potterB
'And boldly go with meB
And tomorrow ere we eat breadL
Robin Hood will we see '-
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'I will quite thee ' quoth the sheriffX
'I swear by God of might '-
Shooting they left and home they wentL
Their supper was ready dightL
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Upon the morrow when it was dayL
He busked him forth to rideL
The potter his cart forth gan rayL
And would not leave behindL
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He took leave of the sherriff's wifeW
And thanked her of all thingD
'Dame for my love and you will this wearB
I give you here a gold ring '-
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'Gramercy ' said the wifeW
'Sir God yield it thee '-
The sheriff's heart was never so lightL
The fair forest to seeB
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And when he came into the forestL
Under the leav s greenE
Bird s there sang on bough s prestL
It was great joy to seeB
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'Here it is merry to be ' said RobinE
'For a man that had ought to spendL
By my horn I shall awitL
If Robin Hood be here '-
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Robin set his horn to his mouthC2
And blew a blast that was full goodL
That heard his men that there stoodL
Far down in the woodL
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'I hear my master blow ' said Little JohnE
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They ran as they were woodL
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When they to their master cameG
Little John would not spareB
'Master how have you fare in NottinghamT
How have you sold your ware '-
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'Yea by my troth Little JohnE
Look thou take no careB
I have brought the sheriff of NottinghamT
For all our chaffare '-
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'He is full welcome ' said Little JohnE
'This tiding is full good '-
The sheriff had liefer nor a hundred poundL
He had never seen Robin HoodL
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'Had I wist that beforeB
At Nottingham when we wereB
Thou should not come in fair forestL
Of all this thousand year '-
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'That wot I well ' said RobinE
'I thank God that ye be hereB
Therefore shall ye leave your horse with usC
And all your other gear '-
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'That fend I god's forbode ' quoth the sheriffX
So to loose my goodL
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'Hither ye came on horse full highZ
And home shall ye go on footL
And greet well thy wife at homeD2
The woman is full goodL
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'I shall her send a white palfreyB
It ambleth by my fayL
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'I shall her send a white palfreyB
It ambleth as the windL
Nere for the love of your wifeW
Of more sorrow should you sing '-
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Thus parted Robin Hood and the sheriffX
To Nottingham he took the wayL
His wife fair welcomed him homeD2
And to him gan she sayL
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'Sir how have you fared in green forestL
Have ye brought Robin home '-
'Dame the devil speed him both body and boneE
I have had a full great scornE
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'Of all the good that I have led to green woodL
He hath take it fro meB
All but this fair palfreyB
That he hath sent to thee '-
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With that she took up a loud laughingD
And sware by him that died on treeB
'Now have you paid for all the pott sC
That Robin gave to meB
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'Now ye be come home to NottinghamT
Ye shall have good enow '-
Now speak we of Robin HoodL
And of the potter under the green boughE
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'Potter what was thy pott s worthE2
To Nottingham that I led with me '-
'They were worth two nobles ' said heB
'So mote I thrive or theeB
So could I have had for themF2
And I had there be '-
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'Thou shalt have ten pound ' said RobinE
'Of money fair and freeB
And ever when thou comest to green woodL
Welcome potter to me '-
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Thus parted Robin the sheriff and the potterB
Underneath the green wood treeB
God have mercy on Robin Hood's soulG2
And save all good yeomanryB

Frank Sidgwick



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