Life, 1887-07-07 · page 3 of 16
Life — July 7, 1887 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Robin Hood and the Abbot: A Ballad from Percy's Reliques This is a literary piece rather than political satire—a ballad adaptation about Robin Hood encountering the Abbot of Lindelisonne. The narrative depicts Robin's rage upon learning the Abbot mistreated him, followed by the Abbot's encounter with a beggar (Robin in disguise) who requests charity. The ballad's satirical edge targets ecclesiastical hypocrisy: the Abbot boasts of his generous charitable works while actually refusing to help a poor beggar. The illustrations by Kemble show the confrontation between Robin and the Abbot, emphasizing the irony of the church's claimed virtue versus its actual callousness. This reflects historical anticlerical sentiment common in satirical literature and medieval folklore traditions.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
‘LIFE: ROBIN HOOD AND THE ABBOT. A BALLAD LEFT OVER FROM PERCY’S RELIQUES. Y i) ERRILYE, merrilye blewe the sS breeze, \ The sun was bryghte, the month was Maye, When Robin Hood stood midst the Sherwood trees, A watchynge the King’s highwaye. Itt chaunced that the Abbot of Lundisnone Rode bye towards Nottingham Towne, And riche was the golde and rare eche stone That shone on hys silken gowne. “*Sir Abbot, pull uppe!" cryed the out- lawe bolde, I prithee, and give to mee That jeweled cross and that chayne of golde, For love of sweet Charitye.” ‘* For everye groat of my stolen store, To spend in good workes I try; What I gett from the riche I give to the poor— ‘A generous heart have I.” The Abbot hee wagged his sayntlye head, For hys biceppe was bigge, I trowe ; “Tis a holy gift for a priest,” hee sayd, “* To be able to answer ‘ No,’” He plucked uppe the skirts of hys longe black gowne, And downe from hys mule leaped hee ; He smote with hys staffe upon Robin Hood's crowne, In a waye that was blythe to see. When Robin Hood came to hys wittes agayne, All down in the dumpes he satte, And over hys face came a scowl of payne As blacke as a new sylke hatte. He felt he hadde suffered a grievous wronge ; Quoth hee, as he rubbed eche bone, ‘* Noe Abbot there is in ballad or songe Like the Abbot of Lundisnone.” Nowe as he sate groaning with rage and shame, And cursynge that hapless daye, Itt chaunced that a blind olde beggarman came A trudging along the waye. “Tam olde and weak,” the beggar hee sayes, “And lame soe I scarce can stir; I have fasted, God wat, these three long dayes, Pray give mee a gifte, good sir.” Cryed Robin, ‘A curse on thy olde, weak backe, And a curse on thy poor gayme legge; Away, away with thy gylefulle clack, Ile teache thee to lye and begge.” Sayd hee, as he smote the old man full sore, “* Take that as a gift from mee; What I gett from the riche I give to the poor—” A generous heart hadde hee. John Brook, comicbooks.com