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Updated: May 31, 2025
In Longland's poem, entitled The Vision of Pierce Ploughman, the date of which is between 1355 and 1365, mention is made of 'rymes of Robyn Hood and Randolph Earl of Chester, the outlaw and the earl being apparently both regarded as historical personages, about whom songs had been written.
Finally, when the voyage was completed, there was no one, either captain, or mate, or sailor, or Margaret, who said "We thank you," except our poor Robyn. We had a little package put in the ship at Falmouth, about a foot and a half square, on which the captain charged us four guilders freight, in the money of Holland.
The Dutch mate, Evert, was a wicked, impious fellow, who also drank freely. He was very proud of his knowledge and experience, which were none of the greatest. The boatswain, Abram, of Plymouth, was rough and wicked in his orders, but he was a strong and able seaman. Robyn was the best. I cannot permit myself to go further; it is too unpleasant a subject.
Their persons, as consecrated, were even to him sacred and inviolable, at least, from wounds and death; and one may suppose Hereward himself to have been the first author of the laws afterward attributed to Robin Hood. As for "robbing and reving, beting and bynding," free warren was allowed against the Norman. "'Thereof no fors, said Robyn, 'We shall do well enow.
This apparent coincidence, the author adds, 'may be but imagination; but it looks like a reality. It must be admitted, that if the Robyn Hod, or Robert Hood, of the Exchequer records be not Robin Hood the outlaw, then all these singular agreements of names, of dates, and of circumstances, will make together a far greater marvel than any that is to be found in the ballad-story itself, which some sceptics would require us to disbelieve.
'It will scarcely be believed, he observes, 'but it is, nevertheless, the plain and simple truth, that in documents preserved in the Exchequer, containing accounts of expenses in the king's household, we find the name of "Robyn Hode," not once, but several times occurring, receiving, with about eight-and-twenty others, the pay of 3d. a day, as one of the "valets, porteurs de la chambre" of the king.
We can scarcely call these historical tales: they are legendary; yet it may well be that a stratum of fact underlies the aftergrowth of romance; certainly they were history to the people, and as such, with a mental reservation, they shall be history to us. We propose, therefore, here to convert into prose "a lytell geste of Robyn Hode." It was a day in merry spring-tide.
It is no laughyng matter, my friendes, it is a wepynge matter, a heavy matter under a pretence for gatherynge for Robyn Hoode, a traytoure and a thefe, to put out a preacher, to have his office lesse esteemed, to prefer Robyn Hoode before the mynystration of God's word, and all thys hath come of unpreachynge prelates.
"Robyn loved our dere Ladye, For doubt of dedely synne, Wolde he never do company harme That any woman was ynne." And even so it was with Hereward in the Bruneswald, if the old chroniclers, Leofric especially, are to be believed. And now Torfrida was astonished. She had given way utterly at Ely, from woman's fear, and woman's disappointment. All was over. All was lost. What was left, save to die?
Under this date appears an entry, which Mr Hunter has given in the original Norman-French, but which we prefer to translate: 'Robyn Hod, heretofore one of the porteurs, because he could no longer work, received as a gift, by command, 5s. After this, we are told, his name does not again appear.
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