24 
 
 Geordy, how have yoa come on, and what 
 do yon think of yon man ? — " The rascal I" 
 says Geordy, " what did he do first think 
 ye? he held up one finger, as much as to 
 say, you have only one eye ; then 1 held up 
 two, meaning that my one eye was perhaps 
 as good as both his. Then the fellow held 
 up three of his fingers, to say there were but 
 three eyes between us ; and then I was so 
 mad at the scoundrel, that I steeked my 
 neive, and was going to come a whack on 
 the side of his head, and wad ha'e done't 
 too, but for your sakes. Then the rascal 
 did not stop with his provocation here, but 
 forsooth, takes out an orange, as much as to 
 say, your poor beggarly cold country cannot 
 produce that ! I shewed him a whang of a 
 bear bannock, meaning that I didna care a 
 farthing for him, nor his trash neither, as 
 king's I ha'e this ! But by a' that's guid, 
 (continued Geordy,) I'm angry yet, that 1 
 didna thrash the hide o' the scoundrel !" — So 
 much for the signs, or two ways of telling 
 a story, 
 
 THE 
 
 CELEBRATED HISTORY 
 
 OF THE RENOWNED 
 
 J TO 
 
 THE MERRY OUTLAW 
 OF SHERWOOD FOREST. 
 
 TO WHICH IS ADDED, 
 
 THE PROFESSOR OF SIGNi 
 
 leg 
 
 GLASGOW: 
 
 PRIMED FOB THE liOi/ivclXLEES. 
 
 23 
 
12 
 
 Robin tied his horse to a tree, and coming 
 up to the friar, said, " Garry me over this 
 river, thou brawny friar, or I will crack thy 
 crown." The friar returned no answer, but 
 immediately took Robin upon his back, and 
 carried him to the other side without speak- 
 ing a single word. Robin leapt off the 
 friar's back, and pretended to be going away; 
 but the friar stopped him, saying, '< Carry 
 me back again, thou fine fellow, or it shall 
 breed thee pain." Robin took the friar on 
 his back ; and having carried him across the 
 water, he then insisted on the monk taking 
 him over again, or he would break his bones. 
 The friar took Robin on his back ; but on 
 coming to the middle of the water, he 
 threw him in, saying, " Now my fine fellow, 
 take your choice, whether thou will sink or 
 swim," Robin, however, got to land as soon 
 as the friar ; and challenged him to wrestle, 
 shoot, and to a bout at quarter-staff; but at 
 none of these could he beat the friar, nor the 
 friar him. Robin was so well pleased with 
 the friar, that he wanted him to join the 
 merry men ; but the friar would not consent, 
 and even tried to persuade Robin to turn 
 monk ; so they shook hands, and parted 
 good friends. 
 
 One day, as Robin was in search of ad- 
 ventures near the skirts of the Forest, he 
 mounted, with a fat buck 
 
 13 
 
 across his saddle, and disguised in a coun- 
 tryman's frock. Being in want of a horse, 
 he resolved to rob the parson, and laying 
 hold to the briddle, ordered him to dismount ; 
 but the priest struck a furious blow at^ Robin 
 with the but-end of his whip, which he 
 received on his staff, and soon brought the 
 priest to the ground. 
 
 After robbing the parson of his money 
 and horse, and. requesting to be remembered 
 in his prayers, Robin rode oil" for for Strat- 
 ford. On the road he fell in with a rich 
 country dealer going to purchase goods at 
 Lancaster, with whom he soon got acquainted 
 and they travelled together ; but the mer- 
 chant was so close, that Robin, could make 
 nothing of him. On reaching Coventry, 
 where they dined together, and drank some 
 good wine and ale, Robin told his fellow- 
 traveller, that as the roads they had to travel 
 were so dangerous, the safest way was to 
 conceal their money in their boots, and on 
 seeing Robin deposit a bag of gold, the 
 merchant did the same. They again con- 
 tinued their journey until they came to a part 
 of the road which crossed two ways, where 
 Robin pulled off the merchant's boots, in 
 which he got three hundred pieces of gold, 
 and rode off for Sherwood Forest. 
 
 At one time when the finances of the 
 merry men Avere very low, they resolved to 
 
20 
 
 could not help thinking they were much 
 better trained than his own men. 
 
 After dinner, the pretended monks again 
 mounted their horses, and were preparing 
 to take their leave of the bowmen, when the 
 king said to Robin Hood, " N ow, my brave 
 fellow, if I were to procure your pardon and 
 that of your men, would you turn faithful 
 and useful subjects ?" This being the first 
 wish of Robin's heart, and for some time 
 past always uppermost in his thoughts, he 
 replied, " Abbot, I am tired of this kind of 
 life; and though some may praise our bold 
 adventures and generous actions, yet I now 
 hate every thing connected with it. Were 
 King Richard, who is a gallant soldier and 
 a generous prince, to pardon our offences, 
 and take us into favour, he woidd never 
 have reason to repent his clemency, for he 
 would find us the most loyal and peaceful of 
 his subjects." 
 
 "Behold your king !" said Richard open- 
 ing a part of the monk's cloak, which dis- 
 covered the star and other insignia, Robin 
 and his bowmen were instantly on their 
 knees before him. " Rise up my brave 
 fellows, your leader is now Earl of Hunt- 
 ingdon, which is his just right, from being 
 next heir to the late earl. I restore you 
 again to society, by freely pardoning all your 
 past offences ; and I expect from your future 
 
 5 
 
 only means of saving his soul. When 
 Robin arrived at the Hall, his uncle was 
 dead, and the monks, who had taken posses- 
 sion of the house, shut the doors against him, 
 and would give him nothing, which was 
 a sad reverse to poor Robin, for he had been 
 brought iip as a gentleman without learning 
 any business, and was unable to gain a 
 livelihood. On turning from the Hall, he 
 found Little John waiting for him, and, 
 determined to unite their fortunes, they re- 
 solved to go to Sherwood Forest, and support 
 themselves by their bows. 
 
 Although the Forest abounded with deer, 
 Robin found that other comforts were neces- 
 sary, which could not be procured without 
 money ; and thinking that the monks who 
 had deprived him of his estate ought to sup- 
 ply this, he laid every priest under contri- 
 bution. 
 
 The fame of Robin Hood, and the merry 
 life he led, soon drew a number of young 
 men to join his band, and increased it to 
 above one hundred of the bravest fellows in 
 the kingdom, whom he clothed in green. 
 When the monks, from being so often plun- 
 dered, came less in the way, Robin's men 
 were obliged to extend their depredations to 
 other parts of the country. It was only to 
 priests, and the niggardly rich, that Robin 
 Hood was an enemy; for he held the person 
 
4 
 
 up and played all the tricks after him, and 
 in a better style. The Squire was so de- 
 lighted with his nephew, that he promised 
 to make him his heir, if he would remain at 
 Gamewell Hall. Robin consented to stay, 
 provided he got little John to attend him, 
 for a great intimacy had taken place between 
 
 them. 
 
 Robin Hood, to a very handsome person, 
 added a courageous and enterprising spirit, 
 and a disposition noble and generous ; but 
 his uncle's indulgence obscured his better 
 qualities. Except an occasional visit to his 
 parents, Robin lived always at Gamewell 
 Hall, where he passed his time agreeably 
 away in wrestling, quarter-staff, archery, 
 and other athletic diversions, m all ot which 
 he excelled ; and was attended by Little 
 John, who was a ready assistant m every 
 mischievous prank. 
 
 Robin had gone to pay his father a visit, 
 when the Squire being suddenly taken, ill, 
 a messenger was despatched to hasten him 
 home ; but the dangerous state of his mother s 
 health prevented him from leaving her till 
 a late hour on the following day. In the 
 meantime, the Squire finding himself dying, 
 sent for a monk in order that he might 
 make his peace with Heaven, and who pre- 
 vailed on the dying man to sign a deed, 
 conveying all he had to the church, as the 
 
 21 
 
 good behaviour, and the services which you 
 are able to render me by your skill and 
 bravery, if you are inclined, never to have 
 cause to repent of my kindness." 
 
 Robin Hood, now Earl of Huntingdon, 
 and his bowmen, immediately swore alle- 
 giance to the king ; and by their good con- 
 duct afterwards, Richard was induced to 
 place them near his own person as a body 
 guard. 
 
 THE 
 
 PROFESSOR OF SIGNS. 
 
 King James the Sixth on removing to 
 London, was waited upon by the Spanish 
 Embassador, a man of erudition, but who 
 had a crotchet in his head, that every country 
 should have a professor of signs, to teach 
 him, and the like of him, to understand one 
 another. The ambassador was lamenting 
 one day, before the king, this great desidera- 
 tum throughout aE Europe, when the king, 
 who was a queerish sort of a man, says to 
 him— "Why, I have a professor of signs 
 in the northermost college in my dominions, 
 viz. at Aberdeen ; but it is a great way oft, 
 perhaps 600 miles,"— " Were it 10,000 
 leagues off 1 shall see him," says the am- 
 
16 
 
 men, and the courtiers began to offer bets 
 of six to one in favour of the king's men ; 
 but no one would bet against them. " Will 
 no knight venture his money on my side ?" 
 said the queen. " Come, Sir Robert Lee. 
 you must try your fortune;" but the knight 
 begged to be excused, as there was no chance 
 of success. The queen then asked the Bishop 
 of Hereford, Robin Hood's old foe ; but he 
 swore by his silver mitre that he woidd not 
 bet one penny. " If you won't bet on the 
 queen's side, how much will you venture on 
 the king's ?" said Robin. " All the gold I 
 have with me, which is five hundred pounds," 
 replied the bishop, and he laid the money on 
 the ground. Robin immediately produced 
 a bag of the same value, and threw it down 
 upon the green. 
 
 Before the bowmen began, Queen Eleanor 
 craved this boon from the king — that he 
 should not be angry with any of her archers, 
 but that they should be free to stay at court 
 during the match, and afterwards to have 
 forty clays to retire to where they pleased. 
 King Richard agreed to this; and then or- 
 dered the targets to be placed. The king's 
 archers lodged about forty arrows in the 
 target; but Robin's bowmen, to the aston- 
 ishment of all the court, placed all their 
 arrows in the mark. 
 
 The captain of the king's archers, chal- 
 
 9 
 
 and ordered twenty-four of his bowmen and 
 Allan-a-dale to follow him ; but proceeded to 
 the church alone, where he found the Bishop 
 putting on his robes, who asked him what 
 he wanted, Robin told him he was a harper, 
 come to offer his services at the wedding. 
 On the old knight and the bride making 
 their appearance, Robin stept forward and 
 said, " I cannot allow this marriage to go 
 on, for the bride must have her own choice. " 
 —Then pulling out his horn, he gave threp 
 blasts, and the bowmen entered the church. 
 "Young lady," said Robin, "as you are 
 now free, see if there is any one here you 
 woidd choose for your husband." She no 
 sooner saw Allan-a-dale, then she sprang to 
 him, and said "here is my choice." Robin 
 requested the Bishop to proceed ; but as he 
 refused, he pulled off his robes, and put them 
 on Little John, who took the book, and went 
 through the ceremony very gracefully, 
 Robin giving away the bride. The Bishop 
 and the old knight slunk out of the church, 
 and the rest of the party went off to celebrate 
 the wedding at Sherwood Forest. 
 
 The Bishop of Hereford was so enraged 
 at the trick played him, that he made several 
 excursions to Sherwood Forest with a party 
 of soldiers, on purpose to take Robin prisoner. 
 One day, as Robin was walking alone in the 
 Forest, he heard the trampling of horses 
 
8 
 
 desired one of his bowmen to bring the young 
 man to him ; and when he came, Robin in- 
 quired the cause of his sadness. The young 
 man taking a ring from his pocket, said, 
 u I was to have been married yesterday to 
 i young lady whom I have long courted, 
 and I bought this ring for the occasion, 
 but the Bishop of Hereford, her uncle, has 
 rejected me, and means to give her to an old 
 wealthy knight." Robin inquired whether 
 the young lady had consented to her uncle's 
 choice or not, and when and where the cere- 
 mony was to take place. Alan-a-dale (for 
 that was the name of the young man) told 
 him that the lady was forced to comply 
 much against her inclinations, and that the 
 marriage was to take place that day in the 
 parish chapel, about five miles from the 
 forest. When Robin heard the Bishop's 
 name, who was his great enemy, and the 
 time and place, he told Alan-a-dale to put 
 on a cheerful look, and he would ensure him 
 of getting his mistress. " If you incline to 
 join our bowmen," said Robin, " bring your 
 bride to the forest, and let her live with us ; 
 but if you do not like our merry life, you 
 are at liberty to carry her wherever you 
 please. " Alan-a-dale agreed to j oin the bow- 
 men, as with them he felt himself sure of pro- 
 tection ; and then, seeing there was no time 
 to lose, Robin disguised himself as a harper, 
 
 17 
 
 lenged Robin to shoot three arrows with him 
 for one hundred pounds ; to which Robin 
 agreed, on condition that he would shoot one 
 at the mark he produced. A fresh target 
 was set up, and the captain amidst thunders 
 of applause fixed his three arrows in the mark, 
 and one of them in the very center of the 
 target ; but Robin, with seeming careless- 
 ness, let fly his first arrow, which split the 
 centre one to shivers, and stuck in its place. 
 Robin then caused two willow wands to be 
 stuck in the ground at double distance, ob- 
 serving, that this was the kind of mark he was 
 accustomed to, and challenged all the king's 
 archers to a trial ; but as none of them durst 
 venture after what they had seen, Robin, 
 with the remaining' two arrows, clove both 
 the wands. The king's bowmen whispered 
 to each other, that he must be the devil, for 
 there never was such archery seen before ; 
 but the Bishop of Hereford said to the king, 
 " I know now who they are; that is Robin 
 Hood, and these fellows are his band." The 
 king would not have allowed them to depart ; 
 but as his word had been already given for 
 their security, he made a noble least, be- 
 stowed on them the prizes, and sent them 
 away with honour. 
 
 King Richard often thought of the won- 
 derful dexterity shown by Robin Hood 
 and his band, and having heard of many of 
 
6 
 
 and property of every woman sacred, and 
 always took the part of the weak and injur- 
 ed. By the poor people he was adored, for 
 lie generously supplied their wants from his 
 own private purse. 
 
 Robin Hood, who loved a good joke as well 
 as good booty, meeting one day a jolly-look- 
 ing butcher on horseback, who was going to 
 Nottingham fair, with panniers on each side, 
 made a bargain for the mare and panniers, 
 and an exchange of clothes. The butcher 
 having put on the fine green uniform, Robin 
 dressed and mounted as a butcher, and rode 
 straight to Nottingham market, where he 
 hired a stall, and began to dispose of his 
 meat, giving more for one penny than the 
 butchers could do for five, so that they sold 
 nothing. The butchers supposing him to 
 be some senseless spendthrift, and that a 
 good bargain might be got off him, asked 
 him to dine with them. Robin consented, 
 and after dinner insisted on paying the bill ; 
 which was no sooner observed by the Sheriff, 
 a cunning old miser, who was master both 
 of the market and tavern, than he determined 
 to take advantage of it, and said to him, 
 " Good fellow, hast thou any horned beast 
 to sell ?" " Yes, good Master Sheriff," re- 
 plied Robin, " if you will please to go and 
 see them." 
 
 The Sheriff immediate])' ordered out his 
 
 19 
 
 stand, and deliver your money; it was a 
 monk that ruined me, and I have sworn to 
 spare none of your fraternity." " But wo 
 are going on the king's message," said 
 Richard. When Robin heard this, he let 
 go the bridle, saying, "God save him! and 
 confound all his enemies !" " Thou art curs- 
 ing thyself," said the king; "for thou art 
 a robber, an outlaw, and a traitor." Were 
 you not his messenger," returned Robin, "I 
 would say you lied; for I never injured the 
 honest and industrious man ; I protect 
 women and children and all the poor around 
 me; it is only from the miserly rich, and 
 those who live upon the labours of others, 
 that I take any thing ; but as you are King 
 Richard's servants, 1 will not deprive you oi 
 a single penny, and also excuse what you 
 have said." 'Robin asked them to partake 
 of his good cheer before they proceeded on 
 their journey. This being exactly the thing 
 that the king wished for in order to sound 
 Robin, he gave a ready consent, and then 
 said, " was you not afraid singly to attack 
 thirteen men?" "I am not afraid often 
 thirteens," returned Robin ; then putting his 
 horn to his mouth, he blew a shrill blast, 
 and one hundred and fifty of his bowmen 
 instantly appeared in view. The king was 
 so charmed with the sight, and the manner 
 in which they obeyed their captain, that he 
 
 18 
 
 their generous actions, he regretted that they 
 were outlaws, who by plundering those whom 
 lie was bound to protect, were therefore ene- 
 mies to the state. Sometimes he would 
 exclaim, " If I could make these outlaws 
 faithful subjects, what a pride they would be 
 to my court !" 
 
 One day queen Eleanor entered, and craved 
 the boon he had promised to grant if her 
 champions were victorious, " My dear Rich- 
 ard," said she, " the boon I ask is the free 
 pardon of Robin Hood and his men, who 
 will, I am certain, prove themselves worthy 
 of your clemency, and be a valuable acquisi- 
 tion to your crown." "My dear mother," 
 said he, "I can refuse you nothing; but, 
 before I grant your request, I must see 
 Robin Hood again, in order to discover what 
 his sentiments are ; for which _ purpose I 
 mean to disguise myself immediately, and 
 go to Sherwood Forest." 
 
 As the queen approved of this, Richard, 
 accompanied by twelve of his courtiers, all 
 disguised as monks, mounted their horses, 
 and proceeded to the Forest. Robin Hood, 
 who observed them at a distance, thought it 
 was a whole monastery of friars, and he de- 
 termined to plunder them. King Richard, 
 who was taller than the rest, rode foremost, 
 and Robin taking him for the abbot, seized 
 his horse by the bridle, saying, " Abbot, 
 
 7 
 
 horse, and putting three hundred pounds in 
 gold into a bag, rode off with Robin on the 
 road that leads through Sherwood Forest 
 On'entering the Forest the Sheriff exclaim- 
 ed, "God preserve us from the man called 
 Robin Hood !" and they had not proceeded 
 far when a number of fat deer were seen 
 skipping about. " How do you like my 
 horned beasts, Master Sheriff?" said Robin; 
 " these are the cattle I told you of." " To 
 tell you the truth," replied he, "I don't 
 much like your company, and wish I were 
 safely in Nottingham again." Robin blew 
 three blasts with his buglehorn, and Little 
 John, with a number of the merry men, 
 immediately appeared. < ' Here, comrades," 
 said he, " I have brought the Sheriff of 
 Nottingham to dine with you to-day, and 
 1 hope he will pay for his dinner.'' The 
 Sheriff was forced, much against his inclina- 
 tion, to go and dine with them. After the 
 entertainment, Robin eased him of the three 
 hundred pounds he had in the bag to pay for 
 his intended purchase, and then placing him 
 on his horse, he led him out of the forest, 
 and desired to be kindly remembered to his 
 wife. 
 
 One morning as Robin was strolling in 
 (lie Forest, he saw a genteel-looking young 
 man sitting under a tree, who appeared to 
 be very melancholy and dejected. He 
 
10 
 
 behind him, and looking- about, saw the 
 Bishop with six of his followers in pursuit of 
 him. As they were only at a short distance 
 behind him, Robin had no time to lose, there- 
 fore he ran forward till he reached the cot- 
 tage of a poor old woman, into which he 
 rushed and begged her to save his life. She 
 immedietely exchanged clothes with him, 
 and as the Bishop came in with his men, 
 Robin passed by them and got clear oft'. 
 When he came in sight of his band, one of the 
 bowmen, who observed him coming, cried out 
 t 6 A witch, a witch !" and was about to let liy 
 an arrow at him, when Robin discovered 
 himself. He then told Little John to kill 
 a fat deer, as the Bishop of Hereford was to 
 dine with them, and taking his bowmen 
 along with him, went to a particular spot to 
 wait for his guest. 
 
 When the Bishop entered the cottage, he 
 seized the old woman, who was in Robin's 
 clothes and said, u I know you are one of 
 Robin Hood's gang, therefore take me to 
 v/here he is, and your life shall be saved." 
 The old woman, who had got her directions 
 from Robin, agreed to take him ; and being 
 soon mounted, they rode on to an opening in 
 the Forest, where Robin's bowmen were all 
 drawn up, when the Bishop asked, " who are 
 these?" " I think it is Robin Hood, whom 
 you want, and his merry men," replied she ; 
 
 15 
 
 Soon after King Richard's return from 
 Palestine, he proclaimed a grand shooting 
 match to take place in the palace grounds, and 
 prizes were to be awarded to the best marks- 
 men. Queen Eleanor, thinking this a 
 favourable opportunity to execute her design 
 in favour of Robin Hood, told the king, 
 that she could bring one hundred men who 
 would beat the most skilful of his archers. 
 The king requested her to bring forward 
 her champions, and if they were victorious, 
 he would not only bestow on them the prizes, 
 but grant her any boon she asked. The 
 queen immediately despatched the following 
 message to Robin Hood : " Queen Eleanor 
 greets you well, requesting that you will 
 take one hundred of your bowmen with you, 
 and hasten to London ; for a great match 
 at the bow is to take place there, and she has 
 chosen you and your men to be her cham- 
 pions." 
 
 On the appointed day, in presence of the 
 whole court, the king's archers, who were 
 thought to be the best in the kingdom ranged 
 themselves on one side; while the queen's 
 champions, all clad in gTeen, with Robin 
 Hood at their head, took their station on the 
 other ; but the queen was the only person 
 there who knew them. After sounding the 
 trumpets, King - Richard announced the prizes 
 which were to be bestowed on the best marks- 
 
 14 
 
 plunder the rich convent of St. Mary, and 
 to carry off the image of the Holy Virgin, 
 which was of solid silver. Under the dis- 
 guise of a poor blind minstrel and his mother, 
 Robin Hood and Little John gained admit- 
 tance to the convent ; and, when the nuns 
 and friars had returned to their cells, opened 
 the gates to their companions. The alarm 
 soon spread through the convent, and every 
 one flew to the chapel for protection ; but 
 the bowmen having already entered the place, 
 were proceeding to spoil it of what was most 
 valuable, and to take down the silver image, 
 when one of the nuns cried out, u Oh, 
 mercy will they take away the gift of our 
 queen, even while she is within our walls ?" 
 On hearing this, Robin said, "My brave 
 comrades, desist, and let not disloyalty be 
 ranked among our errors ; this house and all 
 within it are rendered sacred by the presence 
 of Queen Eleanor!" The bowmen instantly 
 obeyed their leader, and as they quitted the 
 convent, Robin told the nuns to bless the 
 queen for preserving their image, which 
 otherwise would have bought wine to the 
 Sherwood venison. 
 
 When the queen heard of the behaviour of 
 Robin Hood, and that his respect for her alone 
 had saved the convent from being plun- 
 dered, she was so much pleased, that she 
 determined to be a friend to him and his men. 
 
 11 
 
 "but I cannot be certain, for I am only a pogr 
 old woman, who changed clothes with him." 
 The Bishop, after bestowing a hearty male- 
 diction on. the old woman, was turning to 
 ride off; but Robin brought him down from 
 his horse, and forced him to go and partake 
 of their good cheer. After dinner he made 
 the Bishop dance a hornpipe, to the no small 
 diversion of the bowmen ; and having eased 
 him of five hundred pounds, as payment of 
 his reckoning, they led him and his fol- 
 lowers to the high road, where the bowmen 
 gave three cheers, and then returned to the 
 Forest. 
 
 One fine summer day, when the merry 
 bowmen were enjoying their sports, and 
 trying each other's prowess, Robin, elated 
 with his own superiority, said, " My friends, 
 do you know any man that can match me 
 at wrestling, playing the quarter-staff, or 
 killing a deer?" Will Scarlet, who bore 
 Robin a kind of grudge, replied, " I ha ve 
 heard of a friar in t ountain Abbey, who 
 will draw a bow, wrestle, or handle a quar- 
 ter-staff with any man alive." " Say you 
 so," said Robin, " I shall soon have prooi 
 of that ; u and taking his bow and quarter- 
 staff with him, went to the neighbourhood 
 of the Abbey, where he saw a tall brawny 
 friar walking by the river side, and in- 
 stantly knew him to be the man he wanted 
 
 i 
 
23 
 
 waiting the issue with fear and trembling. 
 The ambassador holds up one of his fingers to 
 Geordy; Geordy holds up two of his. The 
 ambassador holds up three; Geordy clinches 
 his firstand looks stern. The ambassador then 
 takes an orange from his pocket, and holds if 
 up ; Geordy takes a piece of barley cake from 
 his pocket, and holds that up. After which, 
 the ambassador bows to him, and retires to 
 the other professors, who anxiously enquired 
 his opinion of their brother. u He is a per- 
 fect miracle," says the ambassador, "I would 
 not give him for the wealth of the Indies !" — 
 "■ Well," says the professors, "to descend to 
 particulars." — " Why," said the ambassador, 
 " I first held up one finger, denoting that 
 there is one God; he held up two, signi- 
 fying that there are the Father and Son ; 
 I held up three, meaning the Father, Son, 
 and Holy Ghost; he clinched his fist to 
 say that these three are one. I then took 
 out an orange, signifying the goodness of 
 God, who gives his creatures not only the 
 necessaries, but the luxuries of life; upon 
 which the wonderfid man presented a piece 
 of bread, showing that it was the staff ol 
 life, and preferable to every luxury." The 
 professors were glad that matters had 
 turned out so well ; so having got quit of 
 the ambassador, they next got Geordy, to 
 hear his version of the signs. "Well, 
 
 22 
 
 bassador, " and am determined to set out in 
 two or three days." The king saw he had 
 committed himself, and writes, or causes to 
 be written, to the university of Aberdeen, 
 stating the case, and desiring the professors 
 to put him off, or make the best of him they 
 could. The ambassador arrives, is received 
 with great solemnity; but soon began to 
 enquire which of them had the honour to be 
 professor of signs ? and being told that the 
 professor was absent in the Highlands, and 
 would not return nobody could say when ; 
 says the ambassador, "I will wait his return, 
 though it were twelve months. " Seeing that 
 this would not do, and that they had to en- 
 tertain him at a great expence all the while, 
 they contrived a stratagem : There was one 
 Geordy, a butcher, blind of an eye, a droll 
 fellow, with much wit and roguery about 
 him. He is got, told the story, and instruct- 
 ed to be professor of signs ; but not to speak 
 on pain of death. Geordy undertakes it 
 — The ambassador is now told that the pro- 
 fessor of signs would be at home next day, 
 at which he rejoiced greatly. Geordy is 
 gowned, wigged, and placed in a chair ol 
 state, in a room of the college, all the profes- 
 sors and the ambassador being in an adjoin- 
 ing room. The ambassador is now shown in 
 to Geordy's room, and left to con verse with him 
 as well as he could, the whole of the professors 
 
 HISTORY OF 
 
 ROBIN HOOD- 
 
 In the time of Richard I. king of England, 
 the famous Robin Hood was born at a vil- 
 lage in Nottinghamshire, and near which 
 were many large forests filled with deer. 
 His father was a ranger of the forest, and 
 he had a rich old uncle, Squire Gamewell, 
 a brother of his mother's, who lived about 
 twenty miles distant. When Robin had 
 reached his thirteenth year, it was deter- 
 mined that he should pay his uncle a visit 
 at Christmas ; and accordingly, after put- 
 ting on a new suit of clothes, he set oft' on 
 horseback, with his mother behind him. 
 On reaching Gamewell Hall, they met 
 with a hearty welcome from the Squire, who 
 had a great company at his house, and the 
 day was spent in great merriment. It was 
 here that Robin got intimate with Little 
 John, and with great glee, he then got