sters
brought. The sports commenced; and, after an agreeable series of
bowling, coiling, pitching, hurling, racing, leaping, grinning,
wrestling or friendly dislocation of joints, and cudgel-playing or
amicable cracking of skulls, the trial of archery ensued. The conqueror
was to be rewarded with a golden arrow from the hand of the Queen of the
May, who was to be his partner in the dance till the close of the feast.
This stimulated the knight's emulation: young Gamwell supplied him with
a bow and arrow, and he took his station among the foresters, but had
the mortification to be out-shot by them all, and to see one of them
lodge the point of his arrow in the golden ring of the centre, and
receive the prize from the hand of the beautiful Matilda, who smiled on
him with particular grace. The jealous knight scrutinised the successful
champion with great attention, and surely thought he had seen that face
before. In the mean time the forester led the lady to the station. The
luckless Sir Ralph drank deep draughts of love from the matchless grace
of her attitudes, as, taking the bow in her left hand, and adjusting the
arrow with her right, advancing her left foot, and gently curving her
beautiful figure with a slight motion of her head that waved her black
feathers and her ringleted hair, she drew the arrow to its head, and
loosed it from her open fingers. The arrow struck within the ring of
gold, so close to that of the victorious forester that the points were
in contact, and the feathers were intermingled. Great acclamations
succeeded, and the forester led Matilda to the dance. Sir Ralph gazed
on her fascinating motions till the torments of baffled love and jealous
rage became unendurable; and approaching young Gamwell, he asked him
if he knew the name of that forester who was leading the dance with the
Queen of the May?

"Robin, I believe," said young Gamwell carelessly; "I think they call
him Robin."

"Is that all you know of him?" said Sir Ralph.

"What more should I know of him?" said young Gamwell.

"Then I can tell you," said Sir Ralph, "he is the outlawed Earl of
Huntingdon, on whose head is set so large a price."

"Ay, is he?" said young Gamwell, in the same careless manner.

"He were a prize worth the taking," said Sir Ralph.

"No doubt," said young Gamwell.

"How think you?" said Sir Ralph: "are the foresters his adherents?"

"I cannot say," said young Gamwell.

"Is your peasantry loyal and well-dispo