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 hair 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 de 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 through out 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 ven'son,
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.'
'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.'
'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.'
'No pardon, no pardon,' said the bishop,
'No pardon I thee owe;
Therefore make haste, and come along with me,
For before the king you shall go.'
Then Robin he set his back against a tree,
And his foot against a thorn,
And from underneath his shepherd's coat
He pulled out a bugle horn.
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 in a row:
All making obeisance to bold Robin Hood;
'Twas a comely sight for to see.
'What is the matter, master,' said Little John,
'That you blow so lustily?'
'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.'
'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.'
'No pardon, no pardon,' said bold Robin Hood,
'No pardon I thee owe;
Therefore make haste, and come along with me,
For to merry Barnsdale you shall go.'
Then Robin he took the bishop by the hand,
And led him to merry Barnsdale;
He made him stay and sup with him that night,
And to drink wine, beer, and ale.
'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,
