Chapter 2

Up she rose, and forth she goes, Evil may she speed therefore; For she had set no foot on ground In seven year before.

She went unto the justice hall, As fast as she could hie: This night, she said, is come to town William of Cloudesly.

Thereat the justice was full fayne,[40] And so was the sheriff also: Thou shalt not travel hither, dame, for nought; Thy meed thou shalt have ere thou go.

They gave to her a right good gown Of scarlet, and of grain:[41] She took the gift, and home she went, And couched her down again.

They raised the town of merry Carlisle In all the haste they can; And came thronging to William's house, As fast as they might ran.

There they beset that good yeomàn Round about on every side: William heard great noise of folks That thither-ward fast hied.

Alice opened a back windòw And looked all about, She was 'ware of the justice and sheriff both, And with them a great rout.

Alas! treason, cried Alice, Ever woe may thou be! Go into my chamber, husband, she said, Sweet William of Cloudesly.

He took his sword and his buckler, His bow and his children three, And went into his strongest chamber, Where he thought surest to be.

Fair Alice, like a lover true, Took a pollaxe in her hand: Said, He shall die that cometh in This door, while I may stand.

Cloudesly bent a right good bow, That was of a trusty tree, He smote the justice on the breast, That his arrow burst in three.

A curse on his heart, said William, This day thy coat put on! If it had been no better than mine, That had gone near thy bone.

Yield thee, Cloudesly, said the justice, And thy bow and thy arrows thee fro'. A curse on his heart, said fair Alice, That my husband counselleth so.

Set fire on the house, said the sheriff, Since it will no better be, And burn we therein William, he said, His wife and children three.

They fired the house in many a place, The fire flew up on high: Alas! then cried fair Alice, I see we here shall die.

William opened a back window, That was in his chamber hi', And there with sheets he did let down His wife and children three.

Have you here my treasure, said William, My wife and my children three: For Christ's love do them no harm, But wreak you all on me.

William shot so wondrous well, Till his arrows were all ago', And the fire so fast upon him fell That his bowstring burnt in two.

The sparkles burnt and fell upon Good William of Cloudesly: Then was he a woeful man, and said, This is a coward's death to me.

Liever had I, said William, With my sword in the route to run, Than here among mine enemies wode[42] Thus cruelly to burn.

He took his sword and his buckler, And among them all he ran: Where the people were most in prece,[43] He smote down many a man.

There might no man abide his strokes, So fiercely on them he ran: Then they threw windows, and doors on him, And so took that good yeomàn.

There they him bound both hand and foot, And in deep dungeon him cast: Now Cloudesly, said the justice, Thou shalt be hanged in haste.

A pair of new gallows, said the sheriff, Now shall I for thee make; And the gates of Carlisle shall be shut: No man shall come in thereat.

Then shall not help Clym of the Clough, Nor yet shall Adam Bell, Though they came with a thousand more, Nor all the devils in hell.

Early in the morning the justice uprose, To the gates first gan he to gon', And commanded to be shut full close Lightly every one.

Then went he to the market place, As fast as he could hie; There a pair of new gallows he set up Beside the pillory.

A little boy among them asked, What meaneth that gallows-tree? They said to hang a good yeoman, Called William of Cloudesly.

That little boy was the town swine-herd, And kept fair Alice's swine; Oft he had seen William in the wood, And given him there to dine.

He went out at a crevice in the wall, And lightly to the wood did gon'; There met he with these wight yeomen Shortly and anon.

Alas! then said that little boy, Ye tarry here all too long; Cloudesly is taken, and dampned[44] to death, All ready for to hong.[45]

Alas! then said good Adam Bell, That ever we see this day! He had better with us have tarried, So oft as we did him pray.

He might have dwelt in green forest, Under the shadows green, And have kept both him and us at rest, Out of all trouble and teen.[46]

Adam bent a right good bow, A great hart soon he had slain; Take that, child, he said, to thy dinner, And bring me mine arrow again.

Now go we hence, said these wight yeomen, Tarry we no longer here; We shall him borrow[47] by God his grace, Though we buy it full dear.

To Carlisle went these bold yeomen, All in the morning of May. Here is a FYT[48] of Cloudesly, And another is for to say.

PART THE SECOND.

And when they came to merry Carlisle, All in the morning tide, They found the gates shut them against About on every side.

Alas! then said good Adam Bell, That ever we were made men! These gates he shut so wondrous fast, We may not come therein.

Then bespake him Clym of the Clough, With a wile we will us in bring; Let us say we be messengers, Straight come now from our king.

Adam said, I have a letter written, Now let us wisely work, We will say we have the king's seal; I hold the porter no clerk.

Then Adam Bell beat on the gates With strokes great and strong, The porter marvelled who was there, And to the gates he throng.[49]

Who is there now, said the porter, That maketh all this knocking? We be two messengers, quoth Clym of the Clough, Be come right from our king.

We have a letter, said Adam Bell, To the justice we must it bring; Let us in our message to do, That we may again to the king.

Here cometh none in, said the porter, By him that died on a tree, Till a false thief be hanged up, Called William of Cloudesly.

Then spake the good yeoman, Clym of the Clough, And swore by Mary free, And if that we stand long without, Like a thief hanged thou shalt be.

Lo! here we have the king's seal: What, Lurden,[50] art thou wood?[51] The porter thought it had been so, And lightly did off his hood.

Welcome is my lord's seal, he said; For that ye shall come in. He opened the gate full shortly; An evil opening for him.

Now are we in, said Adam Bell, Whereof we are full fain; But Christ he knowes, that harrowed hell, How we shall come out again.

Had we the keys, said Clym of the Clough, Right well then should we speed, Then might we come out well enough When we see time and need.

They called the porter to counsel, And wrung his neck in two, And cast him in a deep dungeon, And took his keys him fro'.

Now am I porter, said Adam Bell, See, brother, the keys are here, The worst porter to merry Carlisle That they had this hundred year.

And now will we our bows bend, Into the town will we go, For to deliver our dear brother, That lyeth in care and woe.

Then they bent their good yew bows, And looked their strings were round, The market place in merry Carlisle They beset that stound.[52]

And, as they looked them beside, A pair of new gallows they see, And the justice with a quest of squires, Had judged William hanged to be.

And Cloudesly lay ready there in a cart, Fast bound both foot and hand; And a strong rope about his neck, All ready for to hang.

The justice called to him a lad, Cloudesly's clothes he should have, To take the measure of that yeoman, Thereafter to make his grave.

I have seen as great marvel, said Cloudesly, As between this and pryme,[53] He that maketh a grave for me Himself may lie therein.

Thou speakest proudly, said the justice, I will thee hang with my hand. Full well heard this his brethren two, There still as they did stand.

Then Cloudesly cast his eyes aside, And saw his brethren twain At a corner of the market place, Ready the justice for to slain.

I see comfort, said Cloudesly, Yet hope I well to fare, If I might have my hands at will Right little would I care.

Then spake good Adam Bell To Clym of the Clough so free, Brother, see you mark the justice well; Lo! yonder you may him see:

And at the sheriff shoot I will Strongly with arrow keen; A better shot in merry Carlisle This seven year was not seen.

They loosed their arrows both at once, Of no man had they dread; The one hit the justice, the other the sheriff, That both their sides 'gan bleed.

All men 'voided, that them stood nigh, When the justice fell to the ground, And the sheriff nigh him by; Either had his death's wound.

All the citizens fast began to fly, They durst no longer abide: There lightly they loosed Cloudesly, Where he with ropes lay tied.

William start to an officer of the town, His axe from his hand he wrung, On each side he smote them down, He thought he tarried too long.

William said to his brethren two, This day let us live and die, If ever you have need, as I have now, The same shall you find by me.

They shot so well in that tide, Their strings were of silk full sure, That they kept the streets on every side; That battle did long endure.

They fought together as brethren true, Like hardy men and bold, Many a man to the ground they threw, And many a heart made cold.

But when their arrows were all gone, Men pressed to them full fast, They drew their swords then anon, And their bows from them cast.

They went lightly on their way, With swords and bucklers round; By that it was mid of the day, They made many a wound.

There was many an out-horn[54] in Carlisle blown, And the bells backward did ring, Many a woman said, Alas! And many their hands did wring.

The mayor of Carlisle forth was come, With him a full great rout: These yeomen dreaded him full sore, Of their lives they stood in doubt.

The mayor came armed at full great pace, With a pollaxe in his hand; Many a strong man with him was, There in that stowre[55] to stand.

The mayor smote at Cloudesly with his bill, His buckler he burst in two, Full many a yeoman with great evil, Alas! Treason they cried for woe. Keep well the gates fast, they bade, That these traitors thereout not go.

But all for nought was that they wrought, For so fast they down were laid, Till they all three, that so manfully fought, Were gotten without, abroad.

Have here your keys, said Adam Bell, Mine office I here forsake, And if you do by my counsel A new porter do ye make.

He threw their keys at their heads, And bade them well to thrive, And all that letteth[56] any good yeoman To come and comfort his wife.

Thus be these good yeomen gone to the wood, And lightly, as leaf on lynde;[57] To laugh and be merry in their mood, Their enemies were far behind.

And when they came to English wood, Under the trusty tree, There they found bows full good, And arrows full great plenty.

So God me help, said Adam Bell, And Clym of the Clough so free, I would we were in merry Carlisle, Before that fair meynye.[58]

They sate them down, and made good cheer, And ate and drank full well. A second FYT of the wighty yeomen, Another I will you tell.

PART THE THIRD.

As they sat in the merry green wood, Under the green-wood tree, They thought they heard a woman weep, But her they mought[59] not see.

Sore then sighed the fair Alice: That ever I saw this day! For now is my dear husband slain: Alas! and well-a-way!

Might I have spoken to his dear brethren, Or with either of them twain, To show to them what him befell, My heart were out of pain.

Cloudesly walked a little beside, He looked under the green-wood lynde; He was aware of his wife, and children three, Full woe in heart and mind.

Welcome, wife, then said William, Under this trusty tree: I had ween'd yesterday, by sweet saint John, Thou shouldst me never have see.

Now well is me that ye be here, My heart is out of woe; Dame, he said, be merry and glad, And thank my brethren two.

Hereof to speak, said Adam Bell, I think it is no boot: The meat, that we must sup withal, It runneth yet fast on foot.

Then went they down into a lawn, These noble archers all three; Each of them slew a hart of grease,[60] The best that they could see.

Have here the best, Alice my wife, Said William of Cloudesly; Because ye so boldly stood by me When I was slain full nigh.

Then went they all into supper With such meat as they had; And thanked God of their fortune: They were both merry and glad.

And when they all had supped well, Certainly without lease,[61] Cloudesly said, We will to our king, To get us a charter of peace.

Alice shall be at our sojourning In a nunnery here beside; My two sons shall with her go, And there they shall abide.

Mine eldest son shall go with me; For him have you no care: And he shall bring you word again, How that we do fare.

Thus be these yeomen to London gone, As fast as they might hie, Till they came to the king's palace, Where they would needs be.

And when they came to the king's court, Unto the palace gate, Of no man would they ask no leave, But boldly went in thereat.

They pressed prestly[62] into the hall, Of no man had they dread: The porter came after, and did them call, And with them began to chide.

The usher said, Yeoman, what would ye have? I pray you tell to me: You might thus make officers shent:[63] Good sirs, of whence be ye?

Sir, we be outlaws of the forest Certainly without lease; And hither we be come to our king, To get us a charter of peace.

And when they came before the king, As it was the law of the land, They kneeled down without hindrance, And each held up his hand.

They said, Lord, we beseech thee here, That you will grant us grace; For we have slain your fat fallow deer In many a sundry place.

What be your names, then said our king, Anon that you tell me? They said, Adam Bell, Clym of the Clough, And William of Cloudesly.

Be ye those thieves, then said our king, That men have told of to me? Here to God I make a vow, Ye shall be hanged all three.

Ye shall be dead without mercy, As I am king of this land. He commanded his officers everyone, Fast on them to lay hand.

There they took these good yeomen, And arrested them all three: So may I thrive, said Adam Bell, This game liketh not me.

But, good lord, we beseech you now, That ye grant us grace, Insomuch as freely to you we come, As freely we may from you pass,

With such weapons as we have here, Till we be out of your place; And if we live this hundred year, We will ask you no grace.

Ye speak proudly, said the king; Ye shall be hanged all three. That were great pity, then said the queen, If any grace might be.

My lord, when I came first into this land To be your wedded wife, The first boon that I would ask, Ye would grant it me belyfe:[64]

And I never asked none till now; Therefore, good lord, grant it me. Now ask it, madam, said the king, And granted it shall be.

Then, good my lord, I you beseech, These yeomen grant ye me. Madame, ye might have asked a boon, That should have been worth them all three.

Ye might have asked towers and towns, Parks and forests plenty. None so pleasant to my liking, she said; Nor none so lefe[65] to me.

Madame, since it is your desire, Your asking granted shall be; But I had lever[66] have given you Good market towns three.

The queen she was a glad woman, And said, Lord, gramercy: I dare undertake for them, That true men shall they be.

But, good my lord, speak some merry word, That comfort they may see. I grant you grace, then said our king; Wash, fellows, and to meat go ye.

They had not setten but a while Certain, without lesynge,[67] There came messengers out of the north With letters to our king.

And when they came before the king, They knelt down on their knee: And said, Lord, your officers greet you well, Of Carlisle, in the north country.

How fareth my justice, said the king, And my sheriff also? Sir, they be slain, without lesynge, And many an officer mo'.

Who hath them slain, said the king; Anon thou tell to me? Adam Bell, and Clym of the Clough, And William of Cloudesly.

Alas for ruth! then said our king: My heart is wondrous sore; I had rather than a thousand pound, I had known of this before;

For I have granted them grace, And that forthinketh me: But had I known all this before, They had been hanged all three.

The king he opened the letter anon, Himself he read it thro', And found how these outlaws had slain Three hundred men and mo':

First the justice, and the sheriff, And the mayor of Carlisle town; Of all the constables and catchpolls Alive were scarce left one:

The baillies, and the beadles both, And the sergeants of the law, And forty foresters of the fee,[68] These outlaws had yslaw.[69]

And broke his parks, and slain his deer; Of all they chose the best; Such perilous outlaws, as they were, Walked not by east nor west.

When the king this letter had read, In his heart he sighed sore: Take up the tables anon he said, For I may eat no more.

The king called his best archers To the butts with him to go: I will see these fellows shoot, he said, In the north have wrought this woe.

The king's bowmen buske[70] them blyve,[71] And the queen's archers also; So did these three wighty yeomen; With them they thought to go.

There twice or thrice they shot about For to assay their hand; There was no shot these yeomen shot, That any prick might stand.

Then spake William of Cloudesly; By Him that for me died, I hold him never no good archer, That shooteth at butts so wide.

At what a butt now would you shoot, I pray thee tell to me? At such a butt, sir, he said, As men use in my country.

William went into a field, And with him his two brethren: There they set up two hazel rods Twenty score paces between.

I hold him an archer, said Cloudesly, That yonder wand cleaveth in two. Here is none such, said the king, Nor none that can so do.

I shall assay, sir, said Cloudesly, Or that I farther go. Cloudesly with a bearyng[72] arrow Clave the wand in two.

Thou art the best archer, then said the king, For sooth that ever I see. And yet for your love, said William, I will do more mastery.

I have a son is seven year old, He is to me full dear; I will him tie to a stake; All shall see, that be here;

And lay an apple upon his head, And go six score pace him fro', And I myself with a broad arrow Shall cleave the apple in two.

Now haste thee, then said the king, By Him that died on a tree, But if thou do not as thou hast said, Hanged shalt thou be.

An thou touch his head or gown, In sight that men may see, By all the saints that be in heaven, I shall hang you all three.

That I have promised, said William, That I will never forsake. And there even before the king In the earth he drove a stake:

And bound thereto his eldest son, And bade him stand still thereat; And turned the child's face him from, Because he should not start.

An apple upon his head he set, And then his bow he bent: Six score paces they were meaten,[73] And thither Cloudesly went.

There he drew out a fair broad arrow, His bow was great and long, He set that arrow in his bow, That was both stiff and strong.

He prayed the people that were there, That they all still would stand, For he that shooteth for such a wager, Behoveth a stedfast hand.

Much people prayed for Cloudesly, That his life saved might be, And when he made him ready to shoot, There was many a weeping ee.

But Cloudesly cleft the apple in two, His son he did not nee.[74] Over Gods forebode,[75] said the king, That thou should shoot at me.

I give thee eighteen pence a day, And my bow shalt thou bear, And over all the north country I make thee chief ranger.

And I thirteen pence a day, said the queen, By God, and by my fa'; Come fetch thy payment when thou wilt, No man shall say thee nay.

William, I make thee a gentleman Of clothing, and of fee: And thy two brethren, yeomen of my chamber, For they are so seemly to see.

Your son, for he is tender of age, Of my wine-cellar he shall be; And when he cometh to man's estate, Better advanced shall he be.

And, William, bring to me your wife, said the queen, Me longeth her sore to see: She shall be my chief gentlewoman, To govern my nursery.

The yeomen thanked them courteously. To some bishop will we wend, Of all the sins that we have done, To be assoyld[76] at his hand.

So forth be gone these good yeomen, As fast as they might he;[77] And after came and dwelled with the king, And died good men all three.

Thus ended the lives of these good yeomen; God send them eternal bliss. And all, that with a hand-bow shooteth, That of heaven they never miss. Amen.

FOOTNOTES:

[35] Clem (Clement) of the cliff.

[36] Called.

[37] Mate.

[38] Pass.

[39] Noon.

[40] Glad.

[41] Red.

[42] Wild.

[43] Pressed.

[44] Condemned.

[45] Hang.

[46] Sorrow.

[47] Redeem.

[48] Part of a song.

[49] Hastened.

[50] Sluggard.

[51] Mad.

[52] Time.

[53] Noon.

[54] Summons to arms.

[55] Fight.

[56] Hindereth.

[57] Lime-tree.

[58] Company.

[59] Might for could.

[60] Fat hart.

[61] Lies.

[62] Quickly.

[63] Disgraced.

[64] Immediately.

[65] Dear.

[66] Rather.

[67] Lies.

[68] The King's foresters.

[69] Slain.

[70] Dress.

[71] Instantly.

[72] An arrow that flies well.

[73] Measured.

[74] Nigh.

[75] God forbid.

[76] Absolved.

[77] Hie.

SIR LANCELOT DU LAKE.

When Arthur first in court began, And was approved king, By force of arms great victories won, And conquest home did bring.

Then into England straight he came With fifty good and able Knights, that resorted unto him, And were of his round table: