The mad merry Pranks of Robin Goodfellow.  
To the Tune of, Dulcina.  
 
 

FRom Ob●on in Fairy Land,  
the King of Ghosts and shadows there  
Mad Robin I at his command,  
and sent to diew the night-sports here:  
What revel rout  
Is kept about,  
In every corner where I go,  
I will over see,  
And merry be,  
And make good sport with, ho ho ho.   

More swift than lightning can I sly,  
and round about this are welkin soon,  
And in a minute's space descry  
each thing thats done beneath the moon  
there's not a Hag,  
nor Ghost shall wag,  
Nor cry Goblin where I do go,  
but Robin I,  
their seats will spy,  
And fear them home with, ho ho ho.   

If any wanderers I meet,  
that from their nightsports do trudg home  
With counterfeiting voice I greet,  
and cause them on with me to roam;  
through woods, through lakes,  
through bogs, through brakes,  
o'er bush and brier with them I go,  
I call upon  
them to come on;  
And went me laughing, ho ho ho.   

Sometimes I meet them like a man,  
sometimes an Ox, sometimes a hound,  
And to a horse I turn me can.  
to trip and troth about them round;  
but if to ride,  
my back they stride,  
More swift than wind away I go,  
o'er hedge, and lands,  
through pools and ponds,  
I whirry laughing, ho ho ho.   

When Lads and Lasses merry be,  
with pessets and with lunkets fine,  
Unséen of all the company,  
I eat their Cakes and sip the Wine,  
and to make sport,  
I fart and snort,  
And out the Candles I do blow,  
the Maids I kiss,  
they shrick, who's this,  
I answer nought but, ho ho ho.   

Yet now and then the Maids to please,  
I carded at midnight up their wool,  
And while they sleep, snort, fart, and sneas,  
with wheel to thread their flax I pull,  
I grind at Mill  
their Malt up still,  
I dress their hemp, I spin their tow,  
if any awake  
and would me take,  
I wend me Laughing, ho ho ho.   

 

The second Part,  
to the same Tune.  
WHen House or hearth doth fluttish lie,  
I pinch the Maids there black and blue  
And from the bed the bed-cloaths I,  
pull off and lay them naked to view:  
twixt sleep and wake  
I do them take,  
And on the keep cold floor them throw,  
if out they cry,  
than forth fly I,  
And loudly Laugh, ho ho ho.   

When any need to borrow-ought,  
we lend them what they do require,  
And for the use demand we nought,  
our own is all we do desire;  
if to repay  
they do delay,  
Abroad amongst them than I go,  
and night by night,  
I them affright,  
With pinching, dreams, and ho ho ho.   

When lazy queans have nought to do,  
but study how to cog and lie,  
To make debate and mischief too,  
twixt one another secretly:  
I mark their gloze  
and do disclose  
To them that I had wronged so,  
when I have done,  
I get me gone,  
And leave them scolding, ho ho ho.   

When men do traps and engines set,  
in loopholes where the vermin creep,  
That from their folds and houses set,  
their ducks and geese, their lambs & sheep  
I spy the gin,  
and enter in,  
And seems a vermin taken so,  
but when they there  
approach me near,  
I leap out laughing, ho ho ho.   

By Wells and Giles in Meadow green,  
we nightly dance our hey day guise,  
And to our Fairy King and Queen,  
we chant our Moonlight harmonies:  
when Larks gi'en sing,  
away we fling,  
And babes new born steal as we go,  
all Elf in bed  
we leave in stead,  
And wend us Laughing, ho ho ho.   

From Hay-bred Merlin's time have I,  
thus mighty revealed too and fro,  
And for my pranks men call me by  
the name of Robin Goodfellow.  
Fiends, Ghosts, and Spirits,  
that haunt the nights,  
The Hags and Goblins do me know,  
and Beldames old,  
my feats have told,  
So Vale, Vale, ho ho ho.     

London, Printed for F. Coles, T. Vere, and J. Wright.