er and absolve their sins? Are not they state, and
am not I church? Are not they state monarchical, and am not I church
militant? Do I not excommunicate our enemies from venison and brawn,
and by 'r Lady, when need calls, beat them down under my feet? The state
levies tax, and the church levies tithe. Even so do we. Mass, we
take all at once. What then? It is tax by redemption and tithe by
commutation. Your William and Richard can cut and come again, but our
Robin deals with slippery subjects that come not twice to his exchequer.
What need we then to constitute a court, except a fool and a laureate?
For the fool, his only use is to make false knaves merry by art, and we
are true men and are merry by nature. For the laureate, his only office
is to find virtues in those who have none, and to drink sack for his
pains. We have quite virtue enough to need him not, and can drink our
sack for ourselves." "Well preached, friar," said Robin Hood: "yet there
is one thing wanting to constitute a court, and that is a queen. And
now, lovely Matilda, look round upon these sylvan shades where we have
so often roused the stag from his ferny covert. The rising sun smiles
upon us through the stems of that beechen knoll. Shall I take your hand,
Matilda, in the presence of this my court? Shall I crown you with our
wild-wood coronal, and hail you queen of the forest? Will you be the
queen Matilda of your own true king Robin?"

Matilda smiled assent.

"Not Matilda," said the friar: "the rules of our holy alliance require
new birth. We have excepted in favour of Little John, because he is
great John, and his name is a misnomer. I sprinkle, not thy forehead
with water, but thy lips with wine, and baptize thee MARIAN."

"Here is a pretty conspiracy," exclaimed the baron. "Why, you villanous
friar, think you to nickname and marry my daughter before my face with
impunity?"

"Even so, bold baron," said the friar; "we are strongest here. Say you,
might overcomes right? I say no. There is no right but might: and to
say that might overcomes right is to say that right overcomes itself: an
absurdity most palpable. Your right was the stronger in Arlingford, and
ours is the stronger in Sherwood. Your right was right as long as you
could maintain it; so is ours. So is King Richard's, with all deference
be it spoken; and so is King Saladin's; and their two mights are now
committed in bloody fray, and that which overcomes will be right, just
as long as