"Wash,fellows,and to meat go ye."
They had not sitten but a while,Certain,without leas-ing,There came two messengers out of the north,With letters to our King.
And when they came before the King,They kneeled down upon their knee,And said:"Lord,your officers greet you well Of Carlisle in the north countree."--
"How fareth my Justice?"said the King,"And my Sheriff also?"--
"Sir,they be slain,without leas-ing,And many an officer mo."--
"Who hath them slain?"then said the King,"Anon thou tell-e me."--
"Adam Bell,and Clym of the Clough,And William of Cloudeslie."--
"Alas,for ruth!"then said our King,"My heart is wondrous sore;
I had liever than a thousand pound I had known of this before;
For I have y-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 tho,And found how these three outlaws had slain Three hundred men and mo;
First the Justice and the Sheriff,And the Mayor of Carlisle town,Of all the const-ables and catchipolls Alive were left but one;
The bailiffs and the bedels both,And the serjeants of the law,And forty fosters of the fee,These outlaws have they slaw;
And broken his parks,and slain his deer,Over all they chose the best,So perilous outlaws as they were,Walked not by east nor west.
When the King this letter had read,In his heart he sigh-ed sore:
"Take up the table,"anon he bade:
"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,"That in the north have wrought this woe."
The King-es bowmen busk them blive,And the Queen's archers also,So did these three wight 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 them stand.
Then spake William of Cloudeslie:
"By Him that for me died,I hold him never no good archer,That shooteth at butts so wide."--
"Whereat,then?"said our King,"I pray thee tell to me."--
"At such a butt,sir,"he said,"As men use in my countree."--
William went into the field,And his two brothers with him,There they set up two hazel rods,Twenty score paces between.
"I hold him an archer,"said Cloudeslie,"That yonder wand cleaveth in two."--
"Here is none such,"said the King,"For no man that can so do."
"I shall assay,sir,"said Cloudeslie,"Ere that I farther go."
Cloudeslie with a bearing arrow Clave the wand in two.
"Thou art the best archer,"said the King,"Forsooth that ever I see."--
"And yet for your love,"said William,"I will do more mastrie.
"I have a son is seven year old;
He is to me full dear;
I will tie him to a stake,All shall see him that be here,And lay an apple upon his head,And go six score paces 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,Hang-ed 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 you hang 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 turn-ed the child's face him fro,Because he should not start.
An apple upon his head he set,And then his bow he bent,Six score paces they were out met,And thither Cloudeslie 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 was there,That they would still stand:
For he that shooteth for such a wag-er Hath need of a steady hand.
Much people prayed for Cloudeslie,That his life saved might be;
And when he made him ready to shoot,There was many a weeping ee.
Thus Cloudeslie cleft the apple in two,As many a man might see.
"Now God forbid,"then said the King,"That ever thou shoot at me!
I give thee eighteen pence a day,And my bow shalt thou bear,And over all the north countree I make thee chief rid-er."--
"And I give thee seventeen pence a day,"said the Queen,"By God and by my fay,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 seemly to see;
"Your son,for he is tender of age,Of my wine-cellar shall he be,And when he cometh to man's estate,Better preferred shall he be.
And,William,bring 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 full courteously,And said:"To some bishop we'll wend,Of all the sins that we have done To be assoiled at his hand."
So forth be gone these good yeomen,As fast as they might hie;
And after came and dwelt 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 may never miss!
