Chapter 8

+The Text+ is modernised from the Percy Folio MS. (c. 1650). At two points, after 8.3 and 18.2, half a page of the MS., or about nine stanzas, is missing--torn out and ‘used by maids to light the fire’ in Humphry Pitt’s house, where Percy discovered the volume (see Introduction, First Series, xxxix.). At the end another half-page is lacking, but Child thinks that it represents only a few verses. He also indicates a lacuna after st. 4, though none appears in the MS.

+The Story+ of this version, mutilated as it is, agrees in its main incidents with that given at the end of the _Gest_ (stt. 451-455). Another variant, _Robin Hood’s Death and Burial_, extant in two or three eighteenth-century ‘Garlands,’ but none the less of good derivation, gives no assistance at either hiatus, and we are left with a couple of puzzles.

The opening of the ballad, stt. 1-6, should be compared with _Robin Hood and the Monk_, stt. 6-10, where Much takes Will Scarlett’s place. Robin, shooting for a penny with Little John along the way, comes to a black water with a plank across it, and an old woman on the plank is cursing Robin Hood. He has been already reminded by Scarlett that he has a yeoman foe at Kirklees; but neither the banning of the witch, nor the weeping of others (‘We,’ 9.3), presumably women, deter him. The explanation of the witch is lost.

Having arrived at Kirklees and submitted to being bled, Robin at length suspects treason, and hints as much to Little John. The latter may be indoors with his master, or, as Child thinks, calling to Robin through a window from below. Here the second hiatus occurs; and when the ballad resumes, we can only guess that st. 19 is Robin’s final retort after an altercation with somebody, presumably Red Roger, who is perhaps the ‘yeoman’ referred to by Will Scarlett. A final difficulty is raised by the word ‘mood’ in st. 23; but Child’s emendation is not improbable, and Robin himself realises that he must take his ‘housel’ in an irregular way.

In the Garland version Robin goes alone to Kirklees, where his ‘cousin’ bleeds him, and leaves him to bleed all day and all night in a locked room. He summons Little John with ‘weak blasts three’ of his horn, and bids him dig a grave where the last arrow shot by Robin Hood falls.

ROBIN HOOD’S DEATH

1. ‘I will never eat nor drink,’ Robin Hood said, ‘Nor meat will do me no good, Till I have been at merry Churchlees, My veins for to let blood.’

2. ‘That I rede not,’ said Will Scarlett, ‘Master, by the assent of me, Without half a hundred of your best bowmen You take to go with ye.

3. ‘For there a good yeoman doth abide, Will be sure to quarrel with thee, And if thou have need of us, master, In faith we will not flee.’

4. ‘And thou be fear’d, thou William Scarlett, At home I rede thee be.’ ‘And you be wroth, my dear master, You shall never hear more of me.’ ... ... ...

5. ‘For there shall no man with me go, Nor man with me ride, And Little John shall be my man, And bear my benbow by my side.’

6. ‘You’st bear your bow, master, yourself, And shoot for a penny with me.’ ‘To that I do assent,’ Robin Hood said, ‘And so, John, let it be.’

7. They two bold children shotten together, All day theirself in rank, Until they came to black water, And over it laid a plank.

8. Upon it there kneeled an old woman, Was banning Robin Hood, ‘Why dost thou ban Robin Hood?’ said Robin, ... ... ...

9. ... ... ... To give to Robin Hood; We weepen for his dear body, That this day must be let blood.’

10. ‘The dame prior is my aunt’s daughter, And nigh unto my kin; I know she would me no harm this day, For all the world to win.’

11. Forth then shotten these children two, And they did never lin, Until they came to merry Churchlees, To merry Churchlees within.

12. And when they came to merry Churchlees, They knocked upon a pin; Up then rose dame prioress, And let good Robin in.

13. Then Robin gave to dame prioress Twenty pound in gold, And bade her spend while that would last, And she should have more when she wold.

14. And down then came dame prioress, Down she came in that ilk, With a pair of blood-irons in her hands, Were wrappëd all in silk.

15. ‘Set a chafing-dish to the fire,’ said dame prioress, ‘And strip thou up thy sleeve!’ I hold him but an unwise man That will no warning ‘lieve.

16. She laid the blood-irons to Robin Hood’s vein, Alack, the more pity! And pierced the vein, and let out the blood, That full red was to see.

17. And first it bled the thick, thick blood, And afterwards the thin, And well then wist good Robin Hood Treason there was within.

18. ‘What cheer, my master?’ said Little John; ‘In faith, Little John, little good; ... ... ... ... ... ...

*** *** ***

19. ‘I have upon a gown of green, Is cut short by my knee, And in my hand a bright brown brand That will well bite of thee.’

20. But forth then of a shot-window, Good Robin Hood he could glide; Red Roger, with a grounden glaive, Thrust him through the milk-white side.

21. But Robin was light and nimble of foot, And thought to abate his pride, For between his head and his shoulders He made a wound full wide.

22. Says, ‘Lie there, lie there, Red Roger, The dogs they must thee eat; For I may have my housel,’ he said, ‘For I may both go and speak.

23. ‘Now give me mood,’ Robin said to Little John, ‘Give me mood with thy hand; I trust to God in heaven so high My housel will me bestand.’

24. ‘Now give me leave, give me leave, master,’ he said, ‘For Christ’s love give leave to me To set a fire within this hall, And to burn up all Churchlee.’

25. ‘That I rede not,’ said Robin Hood then, ‘Little John, for it may not be; If I should do any widow hurt, at my latter end, God,’ he said, ‘would blame me;

26. ‘But take me upon thy back, Little John, And bear me to yonder street, And there make me a full fair grave Of gravel and of greet.

27. And set my bright sword at my head, Mine arrows at my feet, And lay my yew-bow by my side, My met-yard wi . . .’

[Annotations: 2.1: ‘rede,’ advise. 4.1,3: ‘And,’ if. 4.4: ‘A stanza or more seems to be lost here.’ --Child. There is, however, no break in the MS. 6.1: ‘You’st’ = you shall. 8.2: ‘banning,’ cursing. 11.2: ‘lin,’ stop. 14.2: ‘in that ilk’ [time], at that same moment. 14.3: ‘blood-irons,’ lancets for bleeding. 20.3: ‘glaive,’ a sword or knife tied to the end of a pole. 22.3: ‘housel,’ communion, sacrament. 23.1: ‘give me mood’: Child suggests ‘give me my God,’ _i.e._ the consecrated Host. He admits it is a bold emendation, but cites some striking parallels in support of it. 23.4: ‘bestand,’ help. 26.4: ‘greet,’ grit, sand. 27.4: ‘met-yard,’ measuring-rod.]

ADAM BELL, CLYM OF THE CLOUGH AND WILLIAM OF CLOUDESLY

+The Text.+--The earliest complete text, here given, was printed by William Copland between 1548 and 1568: there are extant two printed fragments, one printed by John Byddell in 1536, and the other in a type older than Copland’s. Later, there are two editions printed by James Roberts in 1605; and finally a MS. text in the Percy Folio (c. 1650).

Copland’s text is obviously full of faults, and in emendations I have mostly followed Child.

+The Story+, lively and admirably told, contains little extrinsic interest, except in William’s feat of shooting the apple from his son’s head. This is inevitably associated with the legend of William Tell, which is told in the White Book of Obwalden, written about 1470; but similar stories can be found in the Icelandic Saga of Dietrich of Bern (about 1250) and in Saxo Grammaticus, who wrote his Danish History about the year 1200. Three or four other versions of the story are to be found in German and Scandinavian literature before the date of our ballad; but they all agree in two points which are missing in the English ballad--the shot is compulsory, and the archer reserves another arrow for purposes of revenge in case he misses his mark. William of Cloudesly volunteers a difficult and risky feat out of bravado.

The rescue of Cloudesly by Adam Bell and Clym of the Clough may be compared with the rescue of Robin Hood by Little John and Much in _Robin Hood and the Monk_, stt. 61-81 (see pp. 107-110).

ADAM BELL, CLYM OF THE CLOUGH AND WILLIAM OF CLOUDESLY

1. Mery it was in grene forest Among the levës grene, Wher that men walke both east and west Wyth bowes and arrowes kene;

2. To ryse the dere out of theyr denne; Suche sightes as hath ofte bene sene, As by thre yemen of the north countrey, By them it is as I meane.

3. The one of them hight Adam Bel, The other Clym of the Clough, The thyrd was William of Cloudesly, An archer good ynough.

4. They were outlawed for venyson, These thre yemen everychone; They swore them brethren upon a day, To Englyshe-wood for to gone.

5. Now lith and lysten, gentylmen, And that of myrthes loveth to here; Two of them were single men, The third had a wedded fere.

6. Wyllyam was the wedded man, Muche more then was hys care: He sayde to hys brethren upon a day, To Carlile he would fare,

7. For to speke with fayre Alyce his wife, And with hys chyldren thre: ‘By my trouth,’ sayde Adam Bel, ‘Not by the counsell of me:

8. ‘For if ye go to Carlile, brother, And from thys wylde wode wende, If that the justice may you take, Your lyfe were at an ende.’

9. ‘If that I come not to-morrowe, brother, By pryme to you agayne, Truste not els but that I am take, Or else that I am slayne.’

10. He toke hys leave of hys brethren two, And to Carlel he is gone; There he knocked at his owne windowe Shortlye and anone.

11. ‘Wher be you, fayre Alyce, my wyfe, And my chyldren three? Lyghtly let in thyne husbande, Wyllyam of Cloudeslee.’

12. ‘Alas!’ then sayde fayre Alyce, And syghed wonderous sore, ‘Thys place hath ben besette for you Thys halfe yere and more.’

13. ‘Now am I here,’ sayde Cloudeslee, ‘I would that in I were. Now feche us meate and drynke ynough, And let us make good chere.’

14. She feched hym meate and drynke plenty, Lyke a true wedded wyfe; And pleased hym with that she had, Whome she loved as her lyfe.

15. There lay an old wyfe in that place, A lytle besyde the fyre, Whych Wyllyam had found of cherytye More then seven yere.

16. Up she rose, and walked full still, Evel mote shee spede therfore! For she had not set no fote on ground In seven yere before.

17. She went unto the justice hall, As fast as she could hye: ‘Thys night is come unto this town Wyllyam of Cloudesle.’

18. Thereof the justice was full fayne, And so was the shirife also: ‘Thou shalt not travaile hither, dame, for nought, Thy meed thou shalt have er thou go.’

19. They gave to her a ryght good goune, Of scarlat it was, as I heard sayne; She toke the gyft, and home she wente, And couched her doune agayne.

20. They rysed the towne of mery Carlel, In all the hast that they can; And came thronging to Wyllyames house, As fast as they might gone.

21. There they besette that good yeman Round about on every syde: Wyllyam hearde great noyse of folkes, That heyther-ward they hyed.

22. Alyce opened a shot-windowe, And lokëd all aboute, She was ware of the justice and the shirife bothe, Wyth a full great route.

23. ‘Alas! treason,’ cryed Alyce, ‘Ever wo may thou be! Goe into my chamber, my husband,’ she sayd, ‘Swete Wyllyam of Cloudesle.’

24. He toke his sweard and hys bucler, Hys bow and hys chyldren thre, And wente into hys strongest chamber, Where he thought surest to be.

25. Fayre Alyce followed him as a lover true, With a pollaxe in her hande: ‘He shall be deade that here cometh in Thys dore, while I may stand.’

26. Cloudeslee bente a wel good bowe, That was of trusty tre, He smot the justise on the brest, That hys arowe brest in thre.

27. ‘God’s curse on his hart,’ saide William, ‘Thys day thy cote dyd on! If it had ben no better then myne, It had gone nere thy bone.’

28. ‘Yelde thee, Cloudesle,’ sayd the justise, ‘And thy bowe and thy arrowes the fro.’ ‘God’s curse on hys hart,’ sayd fair Alyce, ‘That my husband councelleth so.’

29. ‘Set fyre on the house,’ saide the sherife, ‘Syth it wyll no better be, And brenne we therin William,’ he saide, ‘Hys wyfe and chyldren thre.’

30. They fyred the house in many a place, The fyre flew up on hye: ‘Alas!’ than cryed fayr Alice. ‘I se we shall here dye.’

31. William openyd hys backe wyndow, That was in hys chamber on hie, And with sheetes let hys wyfe downe And hys children three.

32. ‘Have here my treasure,’ sayde William, ‘My wyfe and my chyldren thre: For Christës love do them no harme, But wreke you all on me.’

33. Wyllyam shot so wonderous well, Tyll hys arrowes were all go, And the fyre so fast upon hym fell, That hys bowstryng brent in two.

34. The spercles brent and fell hym on, Good Wyllyam of Cloudesle; But than was he a wofull man, and sayde, ‘Thys is a cowardes death to me.

35. ‘Lever I had,’ sayde Wyllyam, ‘With my sworde in the route to renne, Then here among myne enemyes wode Thus cruelly to bren.’

36. He toke hys sweard and hys buckler, And among them all he ran, Where the people were most in prece He smote downe many a man.

37. There myght no man stand hys stroke, So fersly on them he ran: Then they threw wyndowes and dores on him And so toke that good yeman.

38. There they hym bounde both hand and fote, And in a deepe dongeon him cast: ‘Now, Cloudesle,’ sayd the hye justice, ‘Thou shalt be hanged in hast.’

39. ‘One vow shal I make,’ sayde the sherife, ‘A payre of new gallowes shal I for thee make; And all the gates of Carlile shal be shutte: There shall no man come in therat.

40. ‘Then shall not helpe Clym of the Cloughe, Nor yet Adam Bell, Though they came with a thousand mo, Nor all the devels in hell.’

41. Early in the mornyng the justice uprose, To the gates fast gan he gon, And commaunded to be shut full close Lightile everychone.

42. Then went he to the markett place, As fast as he coulde hye; A payre of new gallowes there dyd he up set, Besyde the pyllorye.

43. A lytle boy stood them among, And asked what meaned that gallow-tre? They sayde, ‘To hange a good yeman, Called Wyllyam of Cloudesle.’

44. That lytle boye was the towne swyne-heard, And kept fayre Alyce swyne; Full oft he had seene Cloudesle in the wodde, And geven hym there to dyne.

45. He went out of a crevis in the wall, And lightly to the woode dyd gone; There met he with these wight yonge men Shortly and anone.

46. ‘Alas!’ then sayde that lytle boye, ‘Ye tary here all too longe; Cloudeslee is taken, and dampned to death, All readye for to honge.’

47. ‘Alas!’ then sayd good Adam Bell, ‘That ever we see thys daye! He might here with us have dwelled, So ofte as we dyd him praye.

48. ‘He myght have taryed in grene foreste, Under the shadowes sheene, And have kepte both hym and us in reste, Out of trouble and teene.’

49. Adam bent a ryght good bow, A great hart sone had he slayne: ‘Take that, chylde,’ he sayde, ‘to thy dynner, And bryng me myne arrowe agayne.’

50. ‘Now go we hence,’ sayed these wight yong men, ‘Tarry we no longer here; We shall hym borowe, by God’s grace, Though we buy itt full dere.’

51. To Caerlel wente these good yemen, In a mery mornyng of Maye. Here is a fyt of Cloudesly, And another is for to saye.

52. And when they came to mery Caerlell, In a fayre mornyng-tyde, They founde the gates shut them untyll Round about on every syde.

53. ‘Alas!’ than sayd good Adam Bell, ‘That ever we were made men! These gates be shut so wonderly well, That we may not come herein.’

54. Than spake Clym of the Clough, ‘Wyth a wyle we wyl us in bryng; Let us saye we be messengers, Streyght comen from our king.’

55. Adam said, ‘I have a letter written wele, Now let us wysely werke, We wyl saye we have the kyngës seale; I holde the porter no clerke.’

56. Than Adam Bell bete on the gate With strokës great and stronge: The porter herde suche a noyse therat, And to the gate faste he thronge.

57. ‘Who is there now,’ sayde the porter, ‘That maketh all this knockinge?’ ‘We be two messengers,’ sayd Clim of the Clough, ‘Be comen streyght from our kyng.’

58. ‘We have a letter,’ sayd Adam Bell, ‘To the justice we must it bryng; Let us in our message to do, That we were agayne to our kyng.’

59. ‘Here commeth no man in,’ sayd the porter, ‘By hym that dyed on a tre, Tyll a false thefe be hanged Called Wyllyam of Cloudesle.’

60. Than spake that good yeman Clym of the Clough, And swore by Mary fre, ‘If that we stande long wythout, Lyke a thefe hanged shalt thou be.

61. ‘Lo! here we have got the kyngës seale: What, lordane, art thou wode?’ The porter had wende it had ben so, And lyghtly dyd off hys hode.

62. ‘Welcome be my lordes seale,’ saide he; ‘For that ye shall come in.’ He opened the gate right shortly: An evyl openyng for him!

63. ‘Now we are in,’ sayde Adam Bell, ‘Therof we are full faine; But Christ knoweth, that harowed hell, How we shall com out agayne.’

64. ‘Had we the keys,’ said Clim of the Clough, ‘Ryght wel than shoulde we spede, Than might we come out wel ynough Whan we se tyme and nede.’

65. They called the porter to a councell, And wrong his necke in two, And caste hym in a depe dongeon, And toke the keys hym fro.

66. ‘Now am I porter,’ sayd Adam Bel, ‘Se, brother, the keys have we here, The worst porter to mery Carlile That ye had thys hondreth yere.

67. ‘Now wyll we our bowës bend, Into the towne wyll we go, For to delyver our dere brother, Where he lyeth in care and wo.’

68. Then they bent theyr good yew bowes, And loked theyr stringes were round; The markett place of mery Carlile They beset in that stound.

69. And, as they loked them besyde, A paire of new galowes there they see, And the justice with a quest of squyers, That judged William hanged to be.

70. And Cloudesle hymselfe lay ready in a cart Fast bound both fote and hand; And a stronge rope about hys necke, All readye for to be hangde.

71. The justice called to him a ladde, Cloudesles clothes shold he have, To take the measure of that good yoman, And thereafter to make hys grave.

72. ‘I have sene as great a mervaile,’ said Cloudesle, ‘As betweyne thys and pryme, He that maketh thys grave for me, Hymselfe may lye therin.’

73. ‘Thou speakest proudlye,’ said the justice, ‘I shall hange thee with my hande.’ Full wel that herd his brethren two There styl as they dyd stande.

74. Then Cloudesle cast his eyen asyde, And saw hys brethren stande At a corner of the market place, With theyr good bowes bent in theyr hand, Redy the justyce for to chase.

75. ‘I se good comfort,’ sayd Cloudesle, ‘Yet hope I well to fare, If I might have my handes at wyll Ryght lytel wold I care.’

76. Than bespake good Adam Bell To Clym of the Clough so free, ‘Brother, se ye marke the justyce wel; Lo! yonder ye may him se:

77. ‘And at the shyrife shote I wyll Strongly wyth an arrowe kene; A better shote in mery Carlile Thys seven yere was not sene.’

78. They loosed their arrowes both at once, Of no man had they drede; The one hyt the justice, the other the sheryfe, That both theyr sides gan blede.

79. All men voyded, that them stode nye, Whan the justice fell to the grounde, And the sherife fell nye hym by; Eyther had his deathës wounde.

80. All the citezens fast gan fle, They durst no longer abyde: There lyghtly they loosed Cloudeslee, Where he with ropes lay tyde.

81. Wyllyam stert to an officer of the towne, Hys axe out hys hand he wronge, On eche syde he smote them downe, Hym thought he had taryed too long.

82. Wyllyam sayde to hys brethren two, ‘Thys daye let us lyve and die, If ever you have nede, as I have now, The same shall you finde by me.’

83. They shot so well in that tyde, For theyr stringes were of silke ful sure, That they kept the stretes on every side; That batayle did long endure.

84. They fought together as brethren true, Lyke hardy men and bolde, Many a man to the ground they threw, And made many an hertë colde.

85. But whan their arrowes were all gon, Men presyd on them full fast, They drew theyr swordës than anone, And theyr bowës from them cast.

86. They went lyghtlye on theyr way, Wyth swordes and buclers round; By that it was the myddes of the day, They had made many a wound.

87. There was many an out-horne in Carleil blowen, And the belles backward dyd they ryng, Many a woman sayde ‘Alas!’ And many theyr handes dyd wryng.

88. The mayre of Carlile forth com was, And wyth hym a full great route: These three yemen dred hym full sore, For theyr lyvës stode in doute.

89. The mayre came armed, a full great pace, With a polaxe in hys hande; Many a strong man wyth him was, There in that stoure to stande.

90. The mayre smote at Cloudesle with his bil, Hys bucler he brast in two, Full many a yoman with great yll, ‘Alas! Treason,’ they cryed for wo. ‘Kepe we the gates fast,’ they bad, ‘That these traytours therout not go.’

91. But al for nought was that they wrought, For so fast they downe were layde, Tyll they all thre, that so manfully fought, Were gotten without at a braide.

92. ‘Have here your keys,’ sayd Adam Bel, ‘Myne office I here forsake, Yf you do by my councell A newë porter ye make.’

93. He threw the keys there at theyr heads, And bad them evil to thryve, And all that letteth any good yoman To come and comfort his wyfe.

94. Thus be these good yomen gon to the wode, As lyghtly as lefe on lynde; They laugh and be mery in theyr mode, Theyr enemyes were farr behynde.

95. Whan they came to Inglyswode, Under their trysty-tre, There they found bowës full good, And arrowës great plentë.

96. ‘So help me God,’ sayd Adam Bell, And Clym of the Clough so fre, ‘I would we were nowe in mery Carlile, Before that fayre meynë.’

97. They set them downe, and made good chere, And eate and dranke full well. Here is a fytte of the wight yongemen: And another I shall you tell.

98. As they sat in Inglyswood, Under theyr trysty-tre, They thought they herd a woman wepe, But her they myght not se.

99. Sore syghed there fayre Alyce, and sayd, ‘Alas, that ever I see thys day! For nowe is my dere husband slayne: Alas! and wel-a-way!

100. ‘Myght I have spoken wyth hys dere brethren, With eyther of them twayne, To show to them what him befell, My hart were out of payne.’

101. Cloudesle walked a lytle beside, And looked under the grene wood lynde, He was ware of his wife and chyldren three, Full wo in herte and mynde.