The morning call., 1891-02-08

for the prestige, rights and perquisites Of
| serving men in English inns, as were vourhed
| Tor III the butchers galaxy of song. All of
which IS related. because it suggested to me
q new line OF inquiry in the identification of
Robin Hood With Robin Hoods land; and
| limited universally of traditional linking
OF the actual parsonage of the famous out
| law to our own time. OF which literature
| gives but the fainteSt insight.
| As is well understood. all the legends,
| tales and ballads known to literature as of
| ancient origin and founded on suppusiti-
| tiously authentic incidents in the life of
| Robin Hood were collected and published
| in 1855, by Joseph Ritson, High Bailiff of
| the Liberties of Savoy, of whom it was said !:
He never appeared human except when
| he was porting over Gothic books" He was
undoubtedly one of the most critical and
| painstaking antiquarians OF his time. The
entire collection numbers scarcely more than
| fifty pieces. These were reproduced from
| ancient Diack-letter copies, absolutely au-
thenlicated. Yet in this one night i had
| listened to one-third as many as
THE FAMOUS RrrSoN COLLECTION
Contained. Ii those, the work of writer's
from the fourteenth to seventeenth CEN
turles, could be regarded as possessing many
inherent evidences of having been based on
| actualities, why should not those lingering
| among the masses be regarded with at least
that strong presumption of an original
! source in TACT, attributed to most of the
| tradltonary lore handed down from father
| to son through many generations ? And If
! buttwo classes, the butchers and inn-ServerS.
were so fruitful in this sort of lore, why could
not similar discoveries be made among others
| of their ilk? l pushed the investigation in
Nottingham and shire with extraordinary
results.
Briefly, the members of every craft and vo-
| cation whose origin anted ites or is con-
| temporaneous with Robin Hoods time, pos
| SesS, and retain with secret treaSuring and
pride, very many of these ballads. Each
builds, in warm and loving way, relation
snip with the outlaw himself; with his deeds
of cunning, yaior OF chiYdlry, or with the
unfortunate subjects of his mad and merry
pranks. | have certainly counted different
ballads of this class to above 800 in number
| believe in Nottinghamshire alone fully
secured among the lowly for printing. Nor
do they comprise modern ideas and situa-
tionS clad in ancient garb. In verbal gar
nlture, smile, construction, incident, and in
what may he termed their indestructiDle
| Wilderness, they possess every evidence of
| great antiquity.
But this IS by no means the most interes ST
| ing Identification of actual or legendary hero
| with his haunts afforded the patient pilgrim
| IN Nottingham. In the ancient books o i the
| old city and the ancient hooks of the old
shire is much curious Information to be dug
up regarding Sherwood Forest, and abuHd-
ant FOLKLORE, legends and Superstitious
pointing as uuerrinSly as the flight oil an
arrow from his own bent bow to the one
time existence OF the unconquerable archer
behind. The Forest of Sherwood was first
mentioned by writer's during the reign of
Henry II, batweea 1854 and 1859; and was
then place of royal resort Tor hunting
In that time the Archbishop of York also
claimed the right Of hunting in Sherwood
three days
AT CHRISTMAS
Three at Easter and three at Whitsuntide,
and kept in the forest his foresters ''aeryles
of hawks and panage." John, before as
cendng the throne in 1899. while still Earl
Of Nonteyn, executed a charter OF all the
| liberties and free customs of the forests of
Nottinghamshire and Dtrbyshire. specifi-
cally including Sherwood But it was not
until 1871, in the reign Of Henry II, that
the exact limits of Sherwood Forest were
fixed. The DECENTRALIZATION" under royal
writ then held gave Sherwood Forest proper
length of nearly thirty miles, extending
due north from short distance below Not
tingham to just below Worksop, with a
mean breadth OF nine miles. These boun-
DIARIES were reatfirmed in 1872, and as late
as fifty years since gave opportunity
for continuing horde of titled "For-
est Officers The chet of these
were Lord Warden" Bow
bearer and Ranger" four "Yerdurers," a
steward" and nine keepers" ana it is an
AAbCACStilIE AdCG liAdb 1-DEu byron, Inc poet
held office as one of the last ''Bow-bearers
and Rangers" of this historic forest. 1t has
been frequently stated that all traces of
Sherwood Forest had entirely disappeared.
This Is not true. l found near Newstead
Abbey several groups of its original oaks
In the district comprising its former south
ern reach, about Bramcote, and to the east
near Sutton aud Carleton, are a number Of
the gnarled old Sherwood patriarchs. The
entire district Is now dotted with towns and
villages, intersperSed with farms, gentle
mems seats and demeSneS OF the nobility. In
the park, and frequently in the beech and
hr plantations OF the dtmeSneS, especially in
the northern district between Newstead
Abbey aud WorksOp. that portion of Sher-
wood in ancient times known as High
Forest, are very great number Of the origi-
nal oaks; no doubt from 5000 to 5000 trees.
These are generally unknown, because shut
from public gaze by park and demesne
walls. Then the friendship of game keeper
or poacher must he made. Through these
| found nearly 500 of the ancient oaks in
Weloeck Park There are fully that num-
Der
IN CLUMBER PARK,
Near WOrksop. Some of these oaks are
supposed to be more than 1000 years old. l
found scores TO be above twenty-five feet In
circumference, and quite number to eX-
coed thirty-iye feet. None are OF great
height; but all are tremendous in trunk and
OYerreaching limbs. Their scars, knots and
gnarled growth are identical with the most
ancient description of the forest.
As with the Motif CHAM owly of all an
Gent crafts the peasantry of the entire dis
trict are saturated with Robin Hood legends
and superstitions. There is not forester,
game-keeper OF poacher within the ancient
boundaries but has his ballad, tradition or
superStltlous practice based on the existence
and customs of the olden outlaw tenantry.
Wayside inns are named in honor of the
outlaw. OF some of his followers, or in COM
memoratlon OF some one of the bold archer
deeds. Every simple farmer has customs or
Interpretations practices, originating in
some reputed thing Robin Hood did or
would not do. Kinds, haryesters and cotters
preserve his memory il tradition, custom
and song. And there is not a housewife in
the countryside in all the west of Noting
hamshire who has not some reward or pun
ishment for dutful or fractions child, in
prOyerD OF bugab0o from this eXhaustieSs
source. The books may fill you with wise
doubts that ever real Robin Hood played
mad prankS iii Sherwood Forest. If you
will get close to the lives and hearts of the
Nottinghamshire lowly your own conviction
that he once existed will strengthen,
through immune able evidences of fadelesS
memorial relics i'll custom, tradition and
character, until you realize how loyal to the
truth was forest-lOving poet DraytOn, when
he sung nearly 800 years ago:
In this spacious isle 1 think there is not one
But he Of Robin Hood hath heard aud Little John; ;
And TO the end OF time the tales shall meier be done
OF Scariock, GEORGE Green, and Much, the miliers
OF Tuck. the merry friar, which many sermon
made
In praise of Robin Hood, his outlaws, and their
*CoDyyfghL EDGAR L. wAKEMAs
The sketch on Liverpoops Lowry"
which had been announced for this issue,
has been delayed by Mr.. w ak emaD, and in
place thereof second letter, descriptive
6NfN hi 10 lsauah 10 "A