The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-04-11

steam Laiz Robert Earl of Hunting
don. piple kaud i'm Robin Heud. 80
The genuineness Of this epitaph is, it
may be stated, generally denied, but the
pros and cons on this and similar dis
puted records are far too volumin0Us to
be more than mentioned. There is
something to be said for the cOnten-
ton that the calling Of outlaw" in
Robin Hoods day was in public opinion
held as little morally wrong or dis
graceful as was deer stealing in Shake
speare's time. or smuggling a hundred
years ago; in the case of Robin Hood,
moreover, his ''outlawry" has been held
10 mean that he was a patriot Saxon
or. according TO other accounts, a loyal
adherent to Richard the Lion Heart
against the Usurping John.
As we see him in the old ballads. it
is not his rObberies that are so much
recorded as his bravery, his simple
piety. his loyalty to his comrades, his
succor Of the oppressed. The old" bal
Iads-without entering too closely into
the question Of their comparative earli-
ness or authenticity-may be reczoned
as seven, ali probably, certainly some.
prior to 1900. when appeared the "Lytell
geste Of Robyn Hode and his meyrie
men. and Of the prOude sheTyfe of Not
NLlEtldGll- lt@- are ER0DllA I1Df0 ana
the Monk" ROBIN Hood and the Pot
ter" Robin Hood and Aueu-a-DaIe.' '
Robin Hood and the Widows Three
Sons Robin Hood and Guy of CHS
borne" and the Death Of Robin
Hood" And each and all Of these show
the outlaw with the character above
given. and with personal and very hu-
man traits perfectly consistent with a
well-founded tradition of q real indi-
viduai. In the first Robin and Little
John have a sQUabble and separate.
Robin going to mass at q church in
Nottingham where he is recognized by
"a great hooded monk" betrayed 10
the sheriff. and condemned to dea tn
being promptly rescued by Little John
In the ballad of Guy Of Osborne
there is another squabble between the
friends. and when they have parted it
is Little John who IS captured and cast
for death, being rescued by Robin Al
/ len-a-Dale is "a brave young man
whose sweetheart is about to be forci-
bly, married to IAN old knight" He
falls into Robins hands. tells his STONY
and Robin Hood with his merry men at
tend the proposed wedding, forbid It
and has Allen-a-DaIe married to the
maiden instead. The story Of the pot
/ ter shows Robin stern TO men and
courteous to women. the Widow
/ three sons are three followers oe his
own whom he rescues from the ~a!Iows
[ by presenting himself In disguise az 2
volunteer hanEman. and then with 2
blast Of his famous hOTn-the same that
/ Wanda made such good use of-Sum-
moning his men. releasing the prisoners
and hanging the sheriff in their stead
And the deatH Of Robin Hood show,
/ him Dious and chivalrous TO the last
/ Feeling III he visited his cousin. tn.
/ DrioTess Of KirlSlev. who undertook I,
bleed him. She did this so effectusII,
rs 70 kill him. He had only strength
/ feebly to blow his horn. but that wa,
enough to call the faithful Little John
who in his rage besought his DIVING
master for leave to burn the nunnerv
/ Robin refuses:
! never hurt woman in all my life
Nor at my end shall 1t be.
I And so he died and was buried a
his own wish ON the spot where fell IN,
last arrow he shet-"with a greed sor
under my head. And another under m,
feet. And my bent bow by my sid.
Which was my music sweet"