The Death of Robin Hood

"Give me my bow," said Robin Hood,"An arrow give to me;And where 't is shot mark thou that spot,For there my grave shall be."

Then Little John did make no sign,And not a word he spake;But he smiled, altho' with mickle woeHis heart was like to break.

He raised his master in his arms,And set him on his knee;And Robin's eyes beheld the skies,The shaws, the greenwood tree.

The brook was babbling as of old,The birds sang full and clear,And the wild-flowers gay like a carpet layIn the path of the timid deer.

"O Little John," said Robin Hood,"Meseemeth now to beStanding with you so stanch and trueUnder the greenwood tree.

"And all around I hear the soundOf Sherwood long ago,And my merry men come back again,--You know, sweet friend, you know!

"Now mark this arrow; where it falls,When I am dead dig deep,And bury me there in the greenwood whereI would forever sleep."

He twanged his bow. Upon its courseThe clothyard arrow sped,And when it fell in yonder dell,Brave Robin Hood was dead.

The sheriff sleeps in a marble vault,The king in a shroud of gold;And upon the air with a chanted pray'rMingles the mock of mould.

But the deer draw to the shady pool,The birds sing blithe and free,And the wild-flow'rs bloom o'er a hidden tombUnder the greenwood tree.

Last night, whiles that the curfew bell ben ringing,I heard a moder to her dearie singing"Lollyby, lolly, lollyby."And presently that chylde did cease hys weeping,And on his moder's breast did fall a-sleeping,To "lolly, lolly, lollyby."

Faire ben the chylde unto his moder clinging,But fairer yet the moder's gentle singing,--"Lollyby, lolly, lollyby."And angels came and kisst the dearie smilingIn dreems while him hys moder ben beguilingWith "lolly, lolly, lollyby!"

Then to my harte saies I, "Oh, that thy beatingColde be assuaged by some swete voice repeating'Lollyby, lolly, lollyby;'That like this lyttel chylde I, too, ben sleepingWith plaisaunt phantasies about me creeping,To 'lolly, lolly, lollyby!'"

Sometime--mayhap when curfew bells are ringing--A weary harte shall heare straunge voices singing,"Lollyby, lolly, lollyby;"Sometime, mayhap, with Chrysts love round me streaming,I shall be lulled into eternal dreemingWith "lolly, lolly, lollyby."

When you were mine in auld lang syne,And when none else your charms might ogle,I'll not deny,Fair nymph, that IWas happier than a Persian mogul.

Before she came--that rival flame!--(Was ever female creature sillier?)In those good times,Bepraised in rhymes,I was more famed than Mother Ilia!

Chloe of Thrace! With what a graceDoes she at song or harp employ her!I'd gladly dieIf only IMight live forever to enjoy her!

My Sybaris so noble isThat, by the gods! I love him madly--That I might saveHim from the graveI'd give my life, and give it gladly!

What if ma belle from favor fell,And I made up my mind to shake her,Would Lydia, then,Come back againAnd to her quondam flame betake her?

My other beau should surely go,And you alone should find me gracious;For no one slingsSuch odes and thingsAs does the lauriger Horatius!

Us two wuz boys when we fell out,--Nigh to the age uv my youngest now;Don't rec'lect what't wuz about,Some small deeff'rence, I'll allow.Lived next neighbors twenty years,A-hatin' each other, me 'nd Jim,--He havin' his opinyin uv me,'Nd I havin' my opinyin uv him.

Grew up together 'nd would n't speak,Courted sisters, 'nd marr'd 'em, too;Tended same meetin'-house oncet a week,A-hatin' each other through 'nd through!But when Abe Linkern asked the WestF'r soldiers, we answered,--me 'nd Jim,--He havin' his opinyin uv me,'Nd I havin' my opinyin uv him.

But down in Tennessee one nightTher' wuz sound uv firin' fur away,'Nd the sergeant allowed ther' 'd be a fightWith the Johnnie Rebs some time nex' day;'Nd as I wuz thinkin' uv Lizzie 'nd homeJim stood afore me, long 'nd slim,--He havin' his opinyin uv me,'Nd I havin' my opinyin uv him.

Seemed like we knew there wuz goin' to beSerious trouble f'r me 'nd him;Us two shuck hands, did Jim 'nd me,But never a word from me or Jim!He went his way 'nd I went mine,'Nd into the battle's roar went we,--I havin' my opinyin uv Jim,'Nd he havin' his opinyin uv me.

Jim never come back from the war again,But I ha' n't forgot that last, last nightWhen, waitin' f'r orders, us two menMade up 'nd shuck hands, afore the fight.'Nd, after it all, it's soothin' to knowThat here I be 'nd yonder's Jim,--He havin' his opinyin uv me,'Nd I havin' my opinyin uv him.