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The Shooting Match at Nottingham Town
Nay,goodDavid,whatthoutellestmemakethmetodesiretheprizeevenmorethanIelseshoulddo.ButwhatsayethourgoodgossipSwanthold?Isitnot‘Ahastymanburnethhismouth,andthefoolthatkeepethhiseyesshutfallethintothepit’?Thushesays,truly,thereforewemustmeetguilewithguile.Nowsomeofyouclotheyourselvesascurtalfriars,andsomeasrusticpeasants,andsomeastinkers,orasbeggars,butseethateachmantakethagoodboworbroadsword,incaseneedshouldarise.Asformyself,Iwillshootforthissamegoldenarrow,andshouldIwinit,wewillhangittothebranchesofourgoodgreenwoodtreeforthejoyofalltheband.Howlikeyoutheplan,mymerrymenall?"
Then"Good,good!"criedallthebandrightheartily.
AfairsightwasNottinghamTownonthedayoftheshootingmatch.Allalonguponthegreenmeadowbeneaththetownwallstretchedarowofbenches,oneabovetheother,whichwereforknightandlady,squireanddame,andrichburghersandtheirwives;fornonebutthoseofrankandqualityweretositthere.Attheendoftherange,nearthetarget,wasaraisedseatbedeckedwithribbonsandscarfsandgarlandsofflowers,fortheSheriffofNottinghamandhisdame.Therangewastwoscorepacesbroad.Atoneendstoodthetarget,attheotheratentofstripedcanvas,fromthepoleofwhichflutteredmany-coloredflagsandstreamers.Inthisboothwerecasksofale,freetobebroachedbyanyofthearcherswhomightwishtoquenchtheirthirst.
Acrosstherangefromwheretheseatsforthebetterfolkwereraisedwasarailingtokeepthepoorerpeoplefromcrowdinginfrontofthetarget.Already,whileitwasearly,thebencheswerebeginningtofillwithpeopleofquality,whokeptconstantlyarrivinginlittlecartsoruponpalfreysthatcurvetedgailytothemerrytinkleofsilverbellsatbridlereins.
