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an honest man cannot take yonr word; therefore let us all go down on our knees, and pray to the Virgin Mary to send us some money to defray our charges." Upon which they offered to run away; but Robin soon put an end to their career, and made them go to prayers.
They had not been long at their snpplications, before Robin bid one of the priests feel in his pockets what the Virgin Mary had sent! upon which they both put their hands in their pockets, and pulled out nothing. Robin, upon this, fell into a great passion, and told them he believed that they were nothing but a parcel of lying deceitful knaves, to make him believe the Virgin had sent them nothing. So Robin searched their pockets, and found five hundred pieces of gold. When he saw this glorious sight, he could not forbear calling them lying and deceitful knaves. Soon after they rose up to go, but Robin stopped them, and made them take an oath never to tell lies to a friar again. After which he returned to Sherwood, where he made all his companions merry.
Being anotber time at Wigton, in Yorkshire, and hearing how barbarously the ostlers would cheat the horses of their provender, he privately went into the stable, and hid himself under the manger. A little time after came the ostler, under the pretence of feeding Robin Hood's horse: no sooner had he put the oats and beans into the manger, and laid down his sieve, but he sweeps them all into a canvas bag fixed under one corner of the manger, and away he went.
After dinner, Robin Hood asked the ostler, “What corn he had given his horse?” He said he had given him what corn he ordered him, and the gentleman who had dined with him saw him bring it through the kitchen. To which Robin Hood answered, "Don't tell me a lie, for I shall ask my horse presently; fetch him hither, and you will soon see whether the ostler has done him justice or not." Accordingly the horse was fetched, and Robin Hood striking him on the belly, he laid his mouth to his master's ear. "Look you there now," said Robin Hood, "did not I tell you that the ostler had cheated him of his corn!” “Why," said the landlord, “what does he say?” “Say," quoth Robin Hood; "why, he says your ostler has flung all the corn into a bag placed at one corner of the manger." Upon which the landlord and his guests went into the stable, and searching narrowly about the manger, found the bag of corn at one cnd of it; for which cruel villany he immediately turned his ostler away.
Robin Hood another time was riding towards London, and being on Dunsmore Heath, met with William Longchamp, who was then Bishop of Ely, with a small retinue of about
