Robin Hood and þe Potter

This is an Anglish translation of Robin Hood and the Potter, a tale written down around 1500 in the manuscript Cambridge E.e.4.35. I've taken liberties to make it more comprehensible and to keep some of the lines rhyming.

As a personal preference I have opted: to use ⟨eCe⟩ and ⟨oCe⟩ instead of ⟨ee⟩ and ⟨oo⟩; to use ⟨oCe⟩ instead of ⟨oa⟩; to use ⟨e⟩, ⟨eCe⟩, or ⟨aCe⟩ instead of ⟨ea⟩, depending on vowel quality; to allow magic-E to appear after more consonant clusters than is standard today. This means that green, moon, goat, head, mead, and great become grene, mone, gote, hed, mede, and grate.

https://d.lib.rochester.edu/teams/text/robin-hood-and-the-potter

The Writ
 FIT I 

In summer, hƿen þe lefes spring, Þe blossoms on efery , So merry do þe birds sing In ƿodes merry

Harken, gode geomen, Cumly, kind, and gode, One of þe best þat efer bore a boƿ His name ƿas Robin Hode.

Robin Hode ƿas þe geomans name, Hƿo ƿas boþ kind and free, For þe luf of ure lady, All ƿomen he.

But as þe gode geoman stode one day, Among his merry men free, He ƿas aƿare of a potter, Hƿo came drifing ofer þe lee.

"Geonder cums a prude potter," said Robin, "Hƿo long has fared by ure feldes, He ƿas nefer so kind a man Not one penny for toll he'd gelde."

"I met him at Ƿentbricg," said Littel John, "May efil haf ƿiþ him its ƿay! Þree strokes he me gafe, Still to my sides þey.

I stake forty scillings," said Littel John, "I ƿill it in hƿole, To any man among us all Hƿo can make him gelde þe toll."

"Here is forty scillings," said Robin, "And more if dare say, I scall ƿork þat prude potter, A toll to me scall he lay."

Þe scillings ƿere set aside, Under of geomen hy ƿere laid, Robin bade þe potter stand still, Hƿen before him Robin.

Hands upon his hors he laid, And bade þe potter stand full still, Þe potter scortly to him said, "Felloƿ, hƿat is þy ƿill?"

"For þree geres and more, potter," Robin said, "Þu hast fared by þis ƿay, Get þu ƿere nefer so kind a man, One penny of toll to lay."

"Hƿat is þy name," asked þe potter, "For toll þu ask of me?" "Robin Hode is my name, A scall þu lefe me."

"A ƿed I ƿill not lefe," said þe potter, "Nor toll ƿill I lay, Aƿay þy hand from my hors, Or I ƿill do þee efil, ."

Þe potter to his he ƿent, To þe back did he crepe, A gode tƿohanded staff þere ute he , Before Robin did he lepe.

Robin ute ƿiþ a sƿord bent, A littel scelde in toƿ, Þe potter to Robin ƿent, And said, "Felloƿ, let my hors go."

Togeþer þen ƿent þese tƿo geomen, It ƿas a gode sigt to see, Þereof lauged Robins men, Þere hy stode under a tree.

Littel John to his felloƿ he said, "Geond potter ƿill stiffly stand" Þe potter, ƿiþ an aƿkƿard stroke, Smote þe littel scelde ute of his hand.

And Robin migt get it again, His littel scelde at his feet, Þe potter in þe neck him toke, To þe grunde sone he.

Þat Robins men did see, As hy stode under a bue, "Let us help ure lord," said Littel John, "Els his life he may ."

Þese bold geomen ƿiþ a , To þeir lord did hy run. Littel John to his lord said, "Hƿo has þe staking ƿon?"

"Scall I haf þy forty scillings," asked Littel John, "Or ge, lord, scall haf mine?" "If hy ƿere a hundred," said Robin "I say, hy are all þine."

"It is full littel kindness," said þe potter, "As I haf herd ƿise men say, If an geoman cums drifing ofer þe land And   him of his ƿay."

By my, þu says , said Robin, "Þy ƿords are gode geomanhode, And þu drife forþ efery day, Be by me þu nefer sculd."

"I ƿill ask þee, gode potter, A felloƿscip ƿill þu haf? Gefe me þy cloþing, and þu scalt haf mine, I ƿill go to Nottingham."

"I þereto," said þe potter, "Þu scalt find me a felloƿ gode, But þu can sell my pots ƿell, Cum as þu gede."

"Nay, by my troþ," said Robin, "And þen I my hed, If I bring any pots agen, "And any  ƿill  bye."

Þen spake Littel John, And all his felloƿs , "Lord, be ƿell aƿare of þe sceriff of Nottingham, For he is littel ure frend."

"Þro þe help of ure lady, Felloƿs, let me alone. " said Robin "To Nottingham ƿill I go.

Robin ƿent to Nottingham, Þese pots for to sell, Þe potter abode ƿiþ Robins men, Þere he fered no efil.

Þo Robin drofe on his ƿay, So merry ofer þe land, Here is more, and after is to say, Þe best is behind.

 FIT II 

Hƿen Robin came to Nottingham, Þe soþe if I sculd say, He set up his hors anon, And gafe him oats and hay.

In þe midst of þe tune, Þere he scoƿed his ƿare; "Pots! Pots!" he scuted full sone, "Haf for þe !"

Rigt against þe sceriffs gate, To sell godes did he dare, Ƿifes and ƿidoƿs abute him dreƿ, And many bougt fast his ƿare.

Still "Pots, grate !" scuted Robin, "I ƿuld hate to lefe þese to stand". And all hƿo saƿ him sell, Said he had bene no potter long.

Þe pots þat ƿere ƿorþ pens fife, He sold þem for pens þree, said man and ƿife, "Geonder potter scall nefer ."

Þose Robin sold full fast, Until he had pots but fife, Up he toke þem onto his And sent þem to þe sceriffs ƿife.

Þereof sce ƿas full , "Gramercy," said sce, ", þen, Hƿen ge cum to þis land agen, I scall bye þe pots, so mot I þee.

Ge scall haf of þe best," said Robin, And sƿare be þe Trinity". Full kindly sce began to speke to him, "Cum ete ƿiþ þe sceriff and me."

"God, mercy" said Robin, "Geƿer bidding scall be done." A maiden bore þe pots in, Robin and þe sceriffs ƿife folloƿed.

Hƿen Robin into þe hall came, Þe sceriff sone he met. Þe potter kneƿ of , And sone þe sceriff he gret.

"Lo, ƿie, hƿat þis potter haþ gefen geƿ and me, Fife pots small and grate!" "He is full ƿelcum," said þe sceriff, "Let us ƿasc, and to mete."

As hy sat at þeir mete, In an aþel and glad mode, Tƿo of þe sceriffs men began to speke Of a grate stake.

Of a scoting mac, gode and fair, Þat ƿas laid ute þe oþer day, Of forty scillings, þe soþe to say, Hƿo sculd þis stake gain.

Still sat þis prude potter, Þus þen þout he, As I am a treƿ Cristen man, Þis scoting ƿill I see.

Hƿen hy had fared of þe best, Ƿiþ bred and ale and ƿine, To þe hy made þem prest, Ƿiþ boƿs and bolts full fain.

Þe sceriffs men scot full fast, As boƿmen þat ƿere proƿ, Þere came none nere þeir marks, By half a gode scoters boƿ.

Still þen stode þe prude potter, Þus þen said he, "If I had a boƿ, by þe rode, A treƿ scot ƿuld geƿ see."

"Þu scall haf a boƿ," said þe sceriff, "Þe best þat þu ƿill cese of þree, Þu semes stalƿard and strong, scall þu be."

Þe sceriff bade a geoman þat stode em by, After boƿs to bring, Þe best boƿ þat þe geoman brougt, Robin set on a string.

"Nu scall I knoƿ if þu be any gode, And pull it up to þy ere." said þe sceriff. "So god me help," said þe prude potter, "Þis is but rigt ƿeke gere."

To a Roben ƿent, A gode bolt ute he toke, So nie on to þe mark he ƿent, He missed not a fote.

Hy all scot a boƿ again, Þe sceriffs men and he, Off þe mark he ƿuld not miss, He cleft þe into þree.

Þe sceriffs men felt grate scame Þe potter þe scoting ƿon Þe sceriff lauged and made gode game And said, "Potter, þu art a man. Þu art ƿorþy to bare a boƿ In any sted þat þu go."

"In my crat I haf a boƿ, For soþe," he said, "one þat is gode. In my crat is þe boƿ Þat gafe me Robin Hode."

"Knoƿest þu Robin Hode?" asked þe sceriff, "Potter, I bid geƿ tell me." "A hundred I haf scot ƿiþ him, Under his trysting tree." "I had a hundred pundes," said þe sceriff, And sƿare by þe trinity, Þat þe ƿicked utelaƿ stode by me."

"And geƿ ƿill folloƿ my ," said þe potter, "And boldly go ƿiþ me, And tomorroƿ, before ƿe ete bred, Robin Hode ƿill ƿe see."

"I ƿill þee, said þe sceriff, "I sƿere by God my lord." Scoting hy stopped, and home hy ƿent,  day's last mele ƿas on þe.

 FIT III 

Upon þe morroƿ, hƿen it ƿas day, He busked himself forþ to ride, Þe potter his crat began to reddy, And ƿuld not lefe behind.

He toke lefe of þe sceriffs ƿife, And þanked her for eferyþing. "Godeƿife, for my luf if geƿ ƿill þis ƿare, I gefe geƿ here a golden ring."

"Gramarsey," said þe ƿife, "Ƿie, God mede þee." Þe sceriffs hart ƿas nefer so ligt, Þe fair to see.

And hƿen he came in to þe ƿold, Under þe lefes grene, Birds þere sang on bues bold, It ƿas grate to see.

"Here it is merry to be," said Robin, "For a man þat had augt to spend, By my horn geƿ scall If Robin Hode be here."

Robin set his horn to his muþe, And bleƿ a blast þat ƿas full gode, Þat herd his men þat þere stode, For dune in þe ƿold. "I here my lord bloƿ," said Littel John, Hy ran as if hy ƿere.

Hƿen hy to þeir lord came, Littel John ƿuld not. "Lord, hu haf geƿ fared in Nottingham? Hu haf geƿ sold geƿer ƿare?"

"Geƿ, by my troþ, Littel John, Loke þu, take no care, I haf brougt þe sceriff of Nottingham For all ure ."

"He is full ƿelcum," said Littel John, "Þis tiding is full gode." Þe sceriff had lefer nar a hundred pundes He had nefer sene Robin Hode.

"Had I knoƿn þat before, At Nottingham hƿen ƿe ƿere, Þu sculd not cum in fair ƿold Of all þese þusand geres."

"Þat kneƿ I ƿell," said Robin, "I þank God þat geƿ be here, Þerefore scall geƿ lefe geƿer hors ƿiþ us, And all geƿer oþer gere."

"Þat fende may God forbid," "So to lose my godes." said þe sceriff, "Eiþer geƿ cum on hors full hige, And home scall geƿ go on fote, And grate ƿell þy ƿife at home, Þe ƿoman is full gode."

"I scall her send a hƿite palfrey, It treds as þe ƿind, Ƿere it not for þe luf of geƿer ƿife Of more sorroƿ sculd geƿ sing."

Þus fared aƿay Robin Hode and þe sceriff, To Nottingham he toke þe ƿay, His ƿife fair ƿelcummed him home, And to him began to say:

"Ƿie, hu haf geƿ fared in grene ƿold? Hafe geƿ brougt Robin home?" "Godeƿife, þe defil take him, boþ body and bone, I haf had a full grate skorn."

"Of all þe godes þat I haf lade to grene ƿold, He haþ taken it from me, All but þese fair palfreys, Þat he haþ sent to þee."

Ƿiþ þat sce toke up a lude lauging, And sƿore by him þat died on a tree. "Nu haf geƿ gelded for all þe pots Þat Robin gafe to me.

"Nu geƿ haf cum home to Nottingham. Geƿ scall haf gode enue." Nu speke ƿe of Robin Hode, And of þe potter under þe grene bue.

"Potter, hƿat ƿere þy pots ƿorþ To Nottingham þat I laid ƿiþ me?" "Hy ƿere ƿorþ þirtene scillings," said he, "So mot I þrife or þee, So muc culd I haf had for þem, If I had bene þere.

"Þu scall haf ten pundes," said Robin, "Of fair and free, And hƿenefer þu cumest to grene ƿold, Ƿelcum, potter, to me."

Þus fared off Robin, þe sceriff, and þe potter, Underneþe þe greneƿode tree. God scoƿ to Robin Hode soul, And all gode geomanry.