THE JOLLY PINDER OF WAKEFIELD, WITH ROBIN HOOD, SCARLET, AND JOHN (Robin Hood 16th century lyrics)

Song: THE JOLLY PINDER OF WAKEFIELD, WITH ROBIN HOOD, SCARLET, AND JOHN.
Lyrics: 16th century Traditional
Music: AI

"From an old black letter copy in Anthony a Wood’s collection, compared with two others in the British Museum, one in black letter. It should be sung “To an excellent tune,” which has not been recovered.

Several lines of this ballad are quoted in the two old plays of the “Downfall” and “Death of Robert, Earle of Hun­ting­ton,” 1601, 4to, b. l., but acted many years before. It is also alluded to in Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor, act i. scene 1, and again in his Second Part of King Henry IV., act v. scene 3.

In 1557 certain “ballets” are entered on the books of the Stationers’ Company “to John Wallye and Mrs. Toye,” one of which is entitled “Of wakefylde and a grene:” meaning apparently the ballad here reprinted."
Link: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/56926/56926-h/56926-h.htm

In Wakefield there lives a jolly pindèr,
In Wakefield all on a green,
In Wakefield all on a green :

There is neither knight nor squire, said the pindèr,
Nor baron that is so bold,
Nor baron that is so bold,

Dare make a trespàss to the town of Wakefield,
But his pledge goes to the pinfold, &c.

All this beheard three witty young men,
’Twas Robin Hood, Scarlet, and John ;
With that they espy’d the jolly pindèr,
As he sat under a thorn.

Now turn again, turn again, said the pindèr,
For a wrong way you have gone ;
For you have forsaken the kings highway,
And made a path over the corn.

O that were a shame, said jolly Robin,
We being three, and thou but one.
The pinder leapt back then thirty good foot,
’Twas thirty good foot and one.

He leaned his back fast unto a thorn,
And his foot against a stone,

And there he fought a long summers day,
A summers day so long,
Till that their swords on their broad bucklèrs
Were broke fast into their hands.

Hold thy hand, hold thy hand, said bold Robin Hood,
And my merry men every one ;
For this is one of the best pindèrs,
That ever I tryed with sword.

And wilt thou forsake thy pinders craft,
And live in the green-wood with me ?
“At Michaelmas next my cov’nant comes out,
When every man gathers his fee ;

Then I’le take my blew blade all in my hand,
And plod to the green-wood with thee.”
Hast thou either meat or drink, said Robin Hood,
For my merry men and me ?

I have both bread and beef, said the pindèr,
And good ale of the best.
And that is meat good enough, said Robin Hood,
For such unbidden ‘guests.’

“O wilt thou forsake the pinder his craft,
And go to the green-wood with me ?
Thou shalt have a livery twice in the year,
The one green, the other brown.”

“If Michaelmas day was come and gone,
And my master had paid me my fee,
Then would I set as little by him,
As my master doth by me.”