“Robin Hood being sore smitten with fever, betook himself to the prioress of Kirklees, his own cousin and one cunning in leechcraft, to let blood, the which false and cruel woman, being thereunto set on by her infamous favourite Sir Roger of Doncaster, having blooded him in the arm, would by no means staunch the same, but so left him.
“He in a while, finding himself like to die, sounded feebly a blast on his bugle-horn; whereat Little John, his fellow and most trusty friend, doubting that his gentle master had fallen into some grievous strait, speedily made way into the chamber where he lay, and perceiving the truth of the matter, would incontinently have set fire on the house; but Robin would not that he should do any violence, and calling for bow and arrow, let fly through the window, bidding Little John to bury him wheresoever he should find the arrow; and straightway there he died.”
Chance & Co., Birmingham, mid-Victorian c.1850-60
Portions of the old ballad of Robin Hood relating to the subject are introduced on a scroll at the base of the subject, and run as follows:-
“Yet he was beguiled, I wis,
By a wicked woman,
The prioress of Kirkleys,
That nigh was of his kin.
For the love of a knight,
Sir Roger of Doncaster,
That was her own special.
“Give me my bent bow in my hand,
And a broad arrow I’ll let flee;
And where this arrow is taken up,
There shall my grave digged be.
Lay me a green sod under my head,
And another at my feet;
And lay my bent bow at my side,
Which was my music sweet.”
Another verse of an old ballad is inscribed on the flag across the canopy-work:-“Gentles and yeomen all, comely, courteous, and good, one of the best that ever bore bow, his name was Robin Hood;” and on the other side, ” God have mercy on Robin Hood, and save all good yeomanry.”
The collar round the greyhound’s neck has the suggestive motto, “Fidèle à la mort.”
The grotesque figures about the canopies and the cabinet, the serpent strangling the eagle, which supplies the place of one of the crockets; the tapestries in the background, on one of which is represented Jael about to drive the nail into the head of Sisera; and other details, are all arranged so as to carry out the general idea of the artist, who, we would add, has produced a very excellent and original work, which, owing to its unfortunate position in the building, could not be properly appreciated.
The design and cartoons for the Robin Hood window were drawn entirely by Sebastian Evans, Esq., M.A., at a time when he was manager of the artistic department of the Messrs. Chance’s glass-works, but who has since entered into business on his own account. The glass was manufactured at the establishment under his superintendence.
“THE high reputation of the Messrs. Chance as glass-manufacturors is so widely extended that further eulogium on our part would be quite superfluous.
On referring to the official Report of the Jury, Class 34, we find the following remarks :
Messrs. Chance Brothers & Co. are large exhibitors in the English department, of crown-glass, sheet-glass of all descriptions, coloured pot-metal, and flashed glass of all colours, patent plate, patent rolled plate, stained and embossed glass, and stained windows. Mr. Chance having kindly consented to act as one of the Jurors in this class, is thus prevented from receiving a medal, to which he is so well entitled. The report made by the experts upon the glass exhibited by Messrs. Chance & Co. places it, in most respects, without a rival.
To Mr. Evans also is due one of the best reviews on the glass department of the International Exhibition, which appeared in the «Practical Mechanic’s Magazine,” Parts VIII. and IX., 1862.
Both at the Exhibitions of 1851 and 1855, in London and Paris, the highest encomiums of the Juries were given to the window and optical glass of the Messrs. Chance; and the Jury of 1851 specially praised ” the magnitude and variety of operations undertaken by this firm, the merit of their works, the liberality, intelligence, and spirit of enterprise which they have manifested, at great cost and risk, in experiments tried for the purpose of introducing into this
country branches of manufacture almost exclusively practised hitherto by continental enterprise.”
Acknowledgements
My thanks to L. Addyman of Brighouse for passing this Victorian print on to me. It was Chromolithographed and Published by Day & Son, London, ‘Lithographers to the Queen, J. B. Waring direx.’
These notes are adapted from a leaflet supplied with the print, which is numbered ‘Plate 262.’ There’s a French translation on the back of the page.
From the latest date mentioned in the notes and the comment: ‘a very excellent and original work, which, owing to its unfortunate position in the building, could not be properly appreciated’, my guess is that this was an exhibit in the International Exhibition of 1862.