A Bundle of Ballads [12]
in her hand: "He shall be dead that here cometh in This door, while I may stand." Cloudeslie bent a well-good bow, That was of trusty tree, He smote the Justice on the breast, That his arrow burst in three.
"God's curse on his heart!" said William, "This day thy coat did on, If it had been no better than mine, It had gone near thy bone!" "Yield thee, Cloudeslie," said the Justice, "And thy bow and thy arrows thee fro!" "God's curse on his heart," said fair Al-ice, "That my husband counselleth so!"
"Set fire on the house," said the Sheriff, "Sith it will no better be, And burn we therein William," he said, "His wife and his children three!" They fired the house in many a place, The fire flew up on high; "Alas," then cried fair Al-ice, "I see we shall here die!"
William opened his back wind-ow, That was in his chamber on high, And with shet-es let his wif-e down, And his children three. "Have here my treasure," said Willi-am, "My wife and my children three; For Christ-es love do them no harm, But wreak you all on me."
William shot so wondrous well, Till his arrows were all gone, And the fire so fast upon him fell, That his bowstring burnt in two. The sparkles burnt, and fell upon, Good William of Cloudeslie! But then was he a woeful man, and said, "This is a coward's death to me.
"Liever I had," said Willi-am, "With my sword in the rout to run, Than here among mine enemies' wood, Thus cruelly to burn." He took his sword and his buckler then, And among them all he ran, Where the people were most in press, He smote down many a man.
There might no man abide his stroke, So fiercely on them he ran; Then they threw windows and doors on him, And so took that good yeom-an. There they bound him hand and foot, And in a deep dungeon him cast: "Now, Cloudeslie," said the high Just-ice, "Thou shalt be hanged in haste!"
"One vow shall I make," said the Sheriff, "A pair of new gallows shall I for thee make, And all the gates of Carlisle shall be shut, There shall no man come in thereat. Then shall not help Clym of the Clough Nor yet Adam Bell, Though they came with a thousand mo, Nor all the devils in hell."
Early in the morning the Justice uprose, To the gates fast gan he gone, And commanded to shut close Lightly every one; Then went he to the market-place, As fast as he could hie, A pair of new gallows there he set up, Beside the pillor-y.
A little boy stood them among, And asked what meant that gallows tree; They said-e, "To hang a good yeoman, Called William of Cloudeslie." That little boy was the town swineherd, And kept fair Alice' swine, Full 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 gone; There met he with these wight yeomen, Shortly and anon. "Alas!" then said that little boy, "Ye tarry here all too long! Cloudeslie is taken and damned to death, And ready for to hong."
"Alas!" then said good Adam Bell, "That ever we see this day! He might here with us have dwelled, So oft as we did him pray. He might have tarried in green for-est, Under the shadows sheen, And have kept both him and us at rest, Out of all trouble and teen."
Adam bent a right good bow, A great hart soon had he 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, by God's grace, Though we abye it full dear."
To Carlisle went these good yeom-en On a merry morning of May. Here is a fytte of Cloudeslie, And another is for to say.
THE SECOND FYTTE.
And when they came to merry Carlisle, All in a morning tide, They found the gates shut them until, Round about on every side. "Alas," then said good Adam Bell, "That ever we were made men! These gates be shut so wonderly well, That we may not come here in."
Then spake him Clym of the Clough: "With a wile we will us in bring; Let us say we be messengers, Straight comen from our King." Adam said: "I have a letter written well, Now let us wisely werk; We will say we have
"God's curse on his heart!" said William, "This day thy coat did on, If it had been no better than mine, It had gone near thy bone!" "Yield thee, Cloudeslie," said the Justice, "And thy bow and thy arrows thee fro!" "God's curse on his heart," said fair Al-ice, "That my husband counselleth so!"
"Set fire on the house," said the Sheriff, "Sith it will no better be, And burn we therein William," he said, "His wife and his children three!" They fired the house in many a place, The fire flew up on high; "Alas," then cried fair Al-ice, "I see we shall here die!"
William opened his back wind-ow, That was in his chamber on high, And with shet-es let his wif-e down, And his children three. "Have here my treasure," said Willi-am, "My wife and my children three; For Christ-es love do them no harm, But wreak you all on me."
William shot so wondrous well, Till his arrows were all gone, And the fire so fast upon him fell, That his bowstring burnt in two. The sparkles burnt, and fell upon, Good William of Cloudeslie! But then was he a woeful man, and said, "This is a coward's death to me.
"Liever I had," said Willi-am, "With my sword in the rout to run, Than here among mine enemies' wood, Thus cruelly to burn." He took his sword and his buckler then, And among them all he ran, Where the people were most in press, He smote down many a man.
There might no man abide his stroke, So fiercely on them he ran; Then they threw windows and doors on him, And so took that good yeom-an. There they bound him hand and foot, And in a deep dungeon him cast: "Now, Cloudeslie," said the high Just-ice, "Thou shalt be hanged in haste!"
"One vow shall I make," said the Sheriff, "A pair of new gallows shall I for thee make, And all the gates of Carlisle shall be shut, There shall no man come in thereat. Then shall not help Clym of the Clough Nor yet Adam Bell, Though they came with a thousand mo, Nor all the devils in hell."
Early in the morning the Justice uprose, To the gates fast gan he gone, And commanded to shut close Lightly every one; Then went he to the market-place, As fast as he could hie, A pair of new gallows there he set up, Beside the pillor-y.
A little boy stood them among, And asked what meant that gallows tree; They said-e, "To hang a good yeoman, Called William of Cloudeslie." That little boy was the town swineherd, And kept fair Alice' swine, Full 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 gone; There met he with these wight yeomen, Shortly and anon. "Alas!" then said that little boy, "Ye tarry here all too long! Cloudeslie is taken and damned to death, And ready for to hong."
"Alas!" then said good Adam Bell, "That ever we see this day! He might here with us have dwelled, So oft as we did him pray. He might have tarried in green for-est, Under the shadows sheen, And have kept both him and us at rest, Out of all trouble and teen."
Adam bent a right good bow, A great hart soon had he 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, by God's grace, Though we abye it full dear."
To Carlisle went these good yeom-en On a merry morning of May. Here is a fytte of Cloudeslie, And another is for to say.
THE SECOND FYTTE.
And when they came to merry Carlisle, All in a morning tide, They found the gates shut them until, Round about on every side. "Alas," then said good Adam Bell, "That ever we were made men! These gates be shut so wonderly well, That we may not come here in."
Then spake him Clym of the Clough: "With a wile we will us in bring; Let us say we be messengers, Straight comen from our King." Adam said: "I have a letter written well, Now let us wisely werk; We will say we have