Dost mind my Song
o' Rogues? A good song, methinks, tripping merrily o' the tongue:
"'I'll sing a song
Not over long,
A song o' roguery,
For I'm a rogue,
And thou'rt a rogue,
And so, in faith is he.'
I mind thy fierce, hawk-nosed gossip in rusty jack and ragged cloak, his
curses! Troth brother,'tis a world of change methinks, this same fierce,
cursing, hook-nose rogue a noble knight and to-day my lord Duke! I, that
was poor outlaw, knight-at-arms and lord warden, and thou--a motley Fool
still--and my prisoner. How say'st thou, brother?"
"Why I say, Robin, that my three questions wait thy answers!"
"Verily, brother, and for this reason. I am a knight and noble, and so
being have learned me policy, and my policy is, when unable to give answer
direct to question direct, to question myself direct thus directing
question to questions other or to talk of matters of interest universal, so
do I of thyself and myself speak. And talking of myself I have on myself,
of myself, of myself made a song, and these the words, hark 'ee:
"Now Rob that was Robin Sir Robert is hight
Though Rob oft did rob when outlaw,
Since outlaw now in law is dubbed a good knight,
Robin's robbing is done, Rob robbeth no more.
Pages:
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306