The Impoverished Knight
Horse rider on Loxley Common
The French word geste means gesture or action, and “The Gest of Robin Hood” tells of Robin’s adventures in which the impoverished knight features twice. While Little John and Will Scarlet prepared the table for their first guest, Robin told them not to exert force or harm the ploughman, yeoman, knight, or squire. Instead, they were to beat and bind (defeat and restrain) the archbishop and bishops and watch out for Nottingham’s sheriff. When the table was ready, Robin told Little John, Much, and Will Scarlet to go to the Saylis. Before long, a lone horseman rode by, and when they demanded his name, the knight replied, “Sir Richard at the Lee.”
On returning to the forester’s lodge with the impoverished knight, Robin questioned Sir Richard as they ate the meal he had prepared earlier. The knight’s troubles began when his friends stole his money. His problems got worse when John O’Gaunt imprisoned his son for killing his two best knights at the joust. (His lance lacked a stopper on the point. It went under his opponent’s helmet and into his throat. The joust was a sporting occasion, never intended to kill.) Wanting to bail his son out of jail, Sir Richard borrowed £400 for one year from the Abbot of Saint Mary. If he failed to repay the loan within the year, the castle will belong to the Abbott. Still in debt a year later, the outcome looked bleak.
Hearing of Sir Richard’s plight, our heroic archer loaned his fellow knight £400 to defeat the churchmen. In addition, Robin gave the knight a horse and golden spurs fit for his station. Will Scarlet, along with Little John, made him new clothes. When they were ready, Little John accompanied the knight to Saint Mary’s Abbey in the Roman seaport town of York.
Feeling angry, Sir Richard asked the abbot how they helped people in financial trouble. The abbot disregarded Sir Richard’s question while repeating his demand for the knight’s money or his castle. Sir Richard pleaded for more time, saying, “Good Abbot, if you will be my friend and hold my land until I have the money, I will be your loyal servant and serve you well.” It made no difference, and the demands continued. Their mercenary greed alarmed and saddened Sir Richard. He took the bag of gold coins loaned to him by Robin and hurled the money across the table. After giving the abbot a piece of his mind, he left, knowing his castle was secure.
When the time came for the impoverished knight to repay his loan, Robin, and Little John returned to the Saylis as arranged. Soon, the High Cellarer of Saint Mary’s Abbey came by with another monk at his side. They denied any knowledge of the knight, saying they did not know any knights and only had twenty marks with them. Little John gasped when he discovered £800 hidden in their bags! He handed the money to Robin, who thanked the monks, saying, “The Virgin Mary sent it to help the poor.” The monks devoured their meal as quickly as possible. “Doncaster and Blyth are cheaper,” they shouted as they galloped away. Robin laughed, saying, “Give the abbot my greetings, and tell him to send a monk to lunch with us each day.”
Sir Richard arrived at the Saylis just before sunset, having stopped at a tourney. He apologised for being late while holding out the £400 he owed. Robin refused the money, saying, “Nay, our Lady sent my pay through the High Cellarer.” When Robin finished recounting his story, the knight laughed. “By my pledge, your money is here already!” Robin smiled and said, “Yes. I have my money, with interest. The money you hold replaces the money your friends stole. Your son is out of jail; you are free of debt; your property is secure; and the extra £400 Our Lady sent from the abbot will help the poor. All is well.” Robin had beaten and bound the monks.
Background:
Gentle knight comes from the Latin gentilis, meaning a member of the same clan.
During King Edward’s stay in the north of England, he hunted for pleasure, established craft guilds, and held archery competitions to find the best archers. The Battle of Auray took place in September of that year.
The Abbots of St. Marys became notorious for amassing vast personal fortunes by lending money, even to the sovereign. (British History Online.)
Sir Henry Green, Knight, High Justice of England, Lord Chancellor, and Chief Justice of the King’s Bench, lost his office after being charged with corruption in 1365. The Geste tells us Saint Mary’s Abbot had a hold over the Justice of England. “Dyde hold the justice of Englonde, the Abbot there.”
Copyright © 2020, Graham Kirkby. All rights reserved NEXT PAGE
The French word geste means gesture or action, and “The Gest of Robin Hood” tells of Robin’s adventures in which the impoverished knight features twice. While Little John and Will Scarlet prepared the table for their first guest, Robin told them not to exert force or harm the ploughman, yeoman, knight, or squire. Instead, they were to beat and bind (defeat and restrain) the archbishop and bishops and watch out for Nottingham’s sheriff. When the table was ready, Robin told Little John, Much, and Will Scarlet to go to the Saylis. Before long, a lone horseman rode by, and when they demanded his name, the knight replied, “Sir Richard at the Lee.”
On returning to the forester’s lodge with the impoverished knight, Robin questioned Sir Richard as they ate the meal he had prepared earlier. The knight’s troubles began when his friends stole his money. His problems got worse when John O’Gaunt imprisoned his son for killing his two best knights at the joust. (His lance lacked a stopper on the point. It went under his opponent’s helmet and into his throat. The joust was a sporting occasion, never intended to kill.) Wanting to bail his son out of jail, Sir Richard borrowed £400 for one year from the Abbot of Saint Mary. If he failed to repay the loan within the year, the castle will belong to the Abbott. Still in debt a year later, the outcome looked bleak.
Hearing of Sir Richard’s plight, our heroic archer loaned his fellow knight £400 to defeat the churchmen. In addition, Robin gave the knight a horse and golden spurs fit for his station. Will Scarlet, along with Little John, made him new clothes. When they were ready, Little John accompanied the knight to Saint Mary’s Abbey in the Roman seaport town of York.
Feeling angry, Sir Richard asked the abbot how they helped people in financial trouble. The abbot disregarded Sir Richard’s question while repeating his demand for the knight’s money or his castle. Sir Richard pleaded for more time, saying, “Good Abbot, if you will be my friend and hold my land until I have the money, I will be your loyal servant and serve you well.” It made no difference, and the demands continued. Their mercenary greed alarmed and saddened Sir Richard. He took the bag of gold coins loaned to him by Robin and hurled the money across the table. After giving the abbot a piece of his mind, he left, knowing his castle was secure.
When the time came for the impoverished knight to repay his loan, Robin, and Little John returned to the Saylis as arranged. Soon, the High Cellarer of Saint Mary’s Abbey came by with another monk at his side. They denied any knowledge of the knight, saying they did not know any knights and only had twenty marks with them. Little John gasped when he discovered £800 hidden in their bags! He handed the money to Robin, who thanked the monks, saying, “The Virgin Mary sent it to help the poor.” The monks devoured their meal as quickly as possible. “Doncaster and Blyth are cheaper,” they shouted as they galloped away. Robin laughed, saying, “Give the abbot my greetings, and tell him to send a monk to lunch with us each day.”
Sir Richard arrived at the Saylis just before sunset, having stopped at a tourney. He apologised for being late while holding out the £400 he owed. Robin refused the money, saying, “Nay, our Lady sent my pay through the High Cellarer.” When Robin finished recounting his story, the knight laughed. “By my pledge, your money is here already!” Robin smiled and said, “Yes. I have my money, with interest. The money you hold replaces the money your friends stole. Your son is out of jail; you are free of debt; your property is secure; and the extra £400 Our Lady sent from the abbot will help the poor. All is well.” Robin had beaten and bound the monks.
Background:
Gentle knight comes from the Latin gentilis, meaning a member of the same clan.
During King Edward’s stay in the north of England, he hunted for pleasure, established craft guilds, and held archery competitions to find the best archers. The Battle of Auray took place in September of that year.
The Abbots of St. Marys became notorious for amassing vast personal fortunes by lending money, even to the sovereign. (British History Online.)
Sir Henry Green, Knight, High Justice of England, Lord Chancellor, and Chief Justice of the King’s Bench, lost his office after being charged with corruption in 1365. The Geste tells us Saint Mary’s Abbot had a hold over the Justice of England. “Dyde hold the justice of Englonde, the Abbot there.”
Copyright © 2020, Graham Kirkby. All rights reserved NEXT PAGE