To make this Sherwood Eden o'er again, And these rough oaks the palms of Paradise! Ah! but who be those three yonder with bows?-not of my band-the Sheriff, and by heaven, Prince John himself and one of those mercenaries that suck the blood of England. My people are all scattered I know not where. Have they come for me? Here is the witch's hut. The fool-people call her a witcha good witch to me! I will shelter here. [Knocks at the door of the hut. OLD WOMAN comes out. Old Woman (kisses his hand). Ah dear Robin! ah noble captain, friend of the poor! Robin. I am chased by my foes. I have forgotten my horn that calls my men together. Disguise me-thy gown and thy coif. Old Woman. Come in, come in; I Prince John. cottage then! Interior of the hut. ROBIN disguised at old woman. Prince John (without). Knock again. knock again! Robin (to Old Woman). Get thee int the closet there, and make a ghostly wa ever and anon to scare 'em. Old Woman. I will, I will, goo Robin. [Goes into che Prince John (without). Open, ope. or I will drive the door from the doorpos Robin (opens door). Come in, come in. Prince John. Why did ye keep at the door so long? Robin (curtseying). I was afear'd was the ghost, your worship. Prince John. Ghost! did one in wh pass? Robin (curtseying). No, your worshi Prince John. Did two knights pass Robin (curtseying). No, your worship Sheriff. I fear me we have lost out labour, then. Prince John. Except this old ha have been bribed to lie. Robin. We old hags should be bribed speak truth, for, God help us, we lie nature. Prince John. There was a man just w that enter'd here? Robin. There is but one old woman the hut. [Old Woman yells. Robin. I crave your worship's pardon. here is yet another old woman. She as murdered here a hundred year ago, d whenever a murder is to be done ain she yells out i' this way-so they y, your worship. Mercenary. Now, if I hadn't a sprig wickentree sewn into my dress, I should n. Prince John. Tut! tut! the scream of some wild woodland thing. ow came we to be parted from our men? Fe shouted, and they shouted, as I thought, ut shout and echo play'd into each other o hollowly we knew not which was which. Robin. The wood is full of echoes, vls, elfs, ouphes, oafs, ghosts o' the ist, wills-o'-the-wisp; only they that be red in it can find their way a-nights it. Prince John. I am footsore and famish'd therewithal. s there aught there? [Pointing to cupboard. Robin. Naught for the likes o' you. Prince John. Speak straight out, crookback. Robin. Sour milk and black bread. Prince John. Well, set them forth. I could eat anything. [He sets out a table with black bread. This is mere marble. Old hag, how hould thy one tooth drill thro' this? Robin. Nay, by St. Gemini, I ha' vo; and since the Sheriff left me naught ut an empty belly, they can meet upon nything thro' a millstone. You gentles hat live upo' manchet-bread and marchane, what should you know o' the food 'the poor? Look you here, before you an eat it you must hack it with a hatchet, reak it all to pieces, as you break the Sheriff. Thou hast a cow then, hast thou? Robin. Ay, for when the Sheriff took my little horse for the King without paying for it Sheriff. How hadst thou then the means to buy a cow? Robin. Eh, I would ha' given my whole body to the King had he asked for it, like the woman at Acre when the Turk shot her as she was helping to build the mound against the city. I ha' served the King living, says she, and let me serve him dead, says she; let me go to make the mound: bury me in the mound, says the woman. Sheriff. Ay, but the cow? Sheriff. Who, woman, who? Robin (sings). He was a forester good; Your worship may find another rhyme if you care to drag your brains for such a minnow. Sheriff. That cow was mine. I have lost a cow from my meadow. Robin Hood was it? I thought as much. He will come to the gibbet at last. [Old Woman yells. Mercenary. O sweet sir, talk not of COWS. You anger the spirit. Prince John. Anger the scritch-owl. Mercenary. But, my lord, the scritchowl bodes death, my lord. Robin. I beseech you all to speak lower. Robin may be hard by wi' three score of his men. He often looks in here by the moonshine. Beware of Robin. [Old Woman yells. Mercenary. Ah, do you hear? There may be murder done. Sheriff. Have you not finished, my lord? Robin. Thou hast crost him in love, and I have heard him swear he will be even wi' thee. [Old Woman yells. Mercenary. Now is my heart so down in my heels that if I stay, I can't run. Sheriff. Shall we not go? Robin. And, old hag tho' I be, I can spell the hand. Give me thine. Ay, ay, the line o' life is marked enow; but look, there is a cross line o' sudden death. I pray thee, go, go, for tho' thou wouldst bar me fro' the milk o' my cow, I wouldn't have thy blood on my hearth. Prince John. Why do you listen, man, to the old fool? Sheriff. I will give thee a silver penny if thou wilt show us the way back to Nottingham. Robin (with a very low curtsey). All the sweet saints bless your worship for your alms to the old woman! but make haste then, and be silent in the wood. Follow me. [Takes his bow. (They come out of the hut and close the door carefully.) [Outside hut. Robin. Softly! softly! there may be a thief in every bush. Prince John. How should this old lamester guide us? Where is thy goodman? Robin. The saints were so kind to both on us that he was dead before he was born. Prince John. Half-witted and a witch to boot! Mislead us, and I will have thy life! and what doest thou with that who art more bow-bent than the very bow thou carriest? Robin. I keep it to kill nightingales. Prince John. Nightingales! Robin. You see, they are so fond o' their own voices that I cannot sleep o' nights by cause on 'em. Prince John. True soul of the Saxon churl for whom song has no charm. Robin. Then I roast 'em, for I h nought else to live on (whines). Oy honour, I pray you too to give me alms. (To Prince John.) Sheriff. This is no bow to hit nis ingales; this is a true woodman's of the best yew-wood to slay the d Look, my lord, there goes one in moonlight. Shoot! Prince John (shoots). Missed! The goes another. Shoot, Sheriff! Sheriff (shoots). Missed! Robin. And here comes anct Why, an old woman can shoot dis than you two. Prince John. Shoot then, and if th miss I will fasten thee to thine own do post and make thine old carcase a targ for us three. Robin (raises himself upright, så. and hits). Hit! Did I not tell you? old woman could shoot better? Prince John. Thou standest straig Thou speakest manlike. Thou art De woman-thou art disguised-thou art of the thieves. [Makes a clutch at the gown, wh comes in pieces and falls, s ing Robin in his forester's dress Sheriff. It is the very captain of thieves! Stra Prince John. We have him at last we have him at advantage. Sheriff! Strike, mercenary! [They draw swords and attack him he defends himself with his. Enter LITTLE JOHN. Little John. I have lodged my pre Katekin in her bower. How now? Clashing of sword three upon one, and that one our Rob Rogues, have you no manhood? [Draws and defends Robi Enter SIR RICHARD LEA (draws sword). Sir Richard Lea. Old as I am, I Three upon two. (Maid Marian in the armour Red-cross Knight follows half ** sheathing her sword and half sten Back! back! I charge thee, back! Is this a game for thee to play at? Away. (She retires to the fringe of the copse.) [He fights on Robin's side. The other three are beaten off and exeunt. Enter FRIAR TUCK. Friar Tuck. I am too late then with my quarterstaff! Robin. Quick, friar, follow them: See whether there be more of 'em in the wood. Friar Tuck. On the gallop, on the gallop, Robin, like a deer from a dog, or a colt from a gad-fly, or a stump-tailed ox in May-time, or the cow that jumped over the moon. [Exit. Robin. Nay, nay, but softly, lest they spy thee, friar! [To Sir Richard Lea who reels. Who art thou, Take thou mine arm. gallant knight? Take him, good Little John, and give him wine. [Exit Sir Richard leaning on Little John. A brave old fellow but he angers me. [To Maid Marian who is fol lowing her father. Young Walter, nay, I pray thee, stay a moment. Marian. A moment for some matter of no moment! Well-! take and use your moment, while you may. Robin. Thou art her brother, and her voice is thine, Her face is thine, and if thou be as gentle Give me some news of my sweet Marian. Where is she? Marian. Thy sweet Marian? I believe She came with me into the forest here. Robin. She follow'd thee into the forest here? Marian. Nay-that, my friend, I am sure I did not say. Robin. Thou blowest hot and cold. Marian. Is she not here with thee? She may have lighted on your fairies here, And how to charm and waste the hearts of men. Robin. That is not brother-like. Marian (pointing to the sky). there perchance Or Up yonder with the man i' the moon. Marian. Marian. No, but my father will not Rather than that would wed her with the Sheriff. Robin. Thou hold'st with him? Robin. Thou hold'st with him? sort? what sort of man art thou For land, not love? Thou wilt inherit the land, And so wouldst sell thy sister to the Sheriff, O thou unworthy brother of my dear Marian! And now, I do bethink me, thou wast by And never drewest sword to help the old Should leave her finger. Give it me, heaven, Or I will force it from thee. Marian. O Robin, Robi Robin. O my dear Marian, Is it thou? is it thou? I fall before the clasp Thy knees. I am ashamed. Thou sha not marry The Sheriff, but abide with me who lor: thee. [She moves from him, the mo light falls upon her. O look! before the shadow of these di oaks Thou seem'st a saintly splendour out fr.s heaven, Clothed with the mystic silver of moon. Speak but one word not only of forgis ness, But to show thou art mortal. We cannot come together in this world |