Приключения Робин Гуда

           Withthesecamealsothepoorerfolk,whosatorlayuponthegreengrassneartherailingthatkeptthemfromofftherange.Inthegreattentthearchersweregatheringbytwosandthrees;sometalkingloudlyofthefairshotseachmanhadmadeinhisday;somelookingwelltotheirbows,drawingastringbetwixtthefingerstoseethattherewasnofrayuponit,orinspectingarrows,shuttingoneeyeandpeeringdownashafttoseethatitwasnotwarped,butstraightandtrue,forneitherbownorshaftshouldfailatsuchatimeandforsuchaprize.AndneverwassuchacompanyofyeomenasweregatheredatNottinghamTownthatday,fortheverybestarchersofmerryEnglandhadcometothisshootingmatch.TherewasGillo’theRedCap,theSheriff’sownheadarcher,andDicconCruikshankofLincolnTown,andAdamo’theDell,amanofTamworth,ofthreescoreyearsandmore,yethaleandlustystill,whoinhistimehadshotinthefamousmatchatWoodstock,andhadtherebeatenthatrenownedarcher,Clymo’theClough.Andmanymorefamousmenofthelongbowwerethere,whosenameshavebeenhandeddowntousingoodlyballadsoftheoldentime.

           Butnowallthebencheswerefilledwithguests,lordandlady,burgheranddame,whenatlasttheSheriffhimselfcamewithhislady,heridingwithstatelymienuponhismilk-whitehorseandsheuponherbrownfilly.Uponhisheadheworeapurplevelvetcap,andpurplevelvetwashisrobe,alltrimmedaboutwithrichermine;hisjerkinandhosewereofsea-greensilk,andhisshoesofblackvelvet,thepointedtoesfastenedtohisgarterswithgoldenchains.Agoldenchainhungabouthisneck,andathiscollarwasagreatcarbunclesetinredgold.Hisladywasdressedinbluevelvet,alltrimmedwithswan’sdown.Sotheymadeagallantsightastheyrodealongsidebyside,andallthepeopleshoutedfromwheretheycrowdedacrossthespacefromthegentlefolk;sotheSheriffandhisladycametotheirplace,wheremen-at-arms,withhauberkandspear,stoodabout,waitingforthem.