A Bundle of Ballads Part 6

As they sat in Inglewood Under their trysting tree, They thought they heard a woman weep, But her they might not see.

Sore there sigh-ed fair Al-ice, And said, "Alas that e'er I see this day!

For now is my dear husband slain: Alas, and well away!

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

Cloudeslie walked a little beside, And looked under the greenwood linde; He was ware of his wife and his children three, Full woe in heart and mind.

"Welcome, wife," then said Willi-am, "Under this trysting tree!

I had weened yesterday, by sweet Saint John, Thou should me never have see."

"Now well is me," she said, "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, "Iwis it is no boot; The meat that we must sup withal It runneth yet fast on foot."

Then went they down into the launde, These n.o.ble archers all three; Each of them slew a hart of grease, The best that they could see.

"Have here the best, Al-ice, my wife,"

Said William of Cloudeslie, "Because ye so boldly stood me by When I was slain full nie."

And then they went to their supp-er With such meat as they had, And thanked G.o.d of their fort-une; They were both merry and glad.

And when that they had supp-ed well, Certain withouten lease, Cloudeslie said: "We will to our King, To get us a charter of peace; Al-ice shall be at our sojourning, In a nunnery here beside, And my two sons shall with her go, And there they shall abide.

"Mine eldest son shall go with me, For him have I 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 may hie, Till they came to the King's pal-ace, Where they would needs be.

And when they came to the King-es court, Unto the palace gate, Of no man would they ask no leave, But boldly went in thereat.

They press-ed prestly into the hall, Of no man had they dread; The porter came after, and did them call, And with them gan to chide.

The usher said: "Yeomen, what would ye have?

I pray you tell to me; You might thus make officers shent, Good sirs, of whence be ye?"

"Sir, we be outlaws of the for-est, Certain without any 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 kneel-ed down without lett-ing, And each held up his hand.

They said: "Lord, we beseech thee here, That ye 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 Cloudeslie."-- "Be ye those thieves," then said our King, "That men have told of to me?

Here to G.o.d I make avowe Ye shall be hanged all three!

"Ye shall be dead without merc-y, As I am King of this land."

He commanded his officers every one 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 will grant us grace, Insomuch as we be to you comen; Or else that we may fro you pace With such weapons as we have here, Till we be out of your place; And if we live this hundred year, Of you we will ask 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, Ye said the first boon that I would ask, Ye would grant it me belife.

"And I asked never none till now: Therefore, good lord, grant it me."

"Now ask it, madam," said the King, "And granted shall it be."-- "Then, good my lord, I you beseech, These yeomen grant ye me."-- "Madam, ye might have asked a boon, That should have been worth them all three:

"Ye might have ask-ed towers and towns, Parks and for-ests plent-y."-- "None so pleasant to my pay," she said, "Nor none so lief to me."-- "Madam, sith it is your desire, Your asking granted shall be; But I had liever have given you Good market town-es three."

The Queen she was a glad wom-an, And said: "Lord, gramerc-y, I dare well undertake for them That true men shall they be.

But, good 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 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 b.u.t.ts 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 a.s.say their hand; There was no shot these yeomen shot, That any p.r.i.c.k might them stand.

Then spake William of Cloudeslie: "By Him that for me died, I hold him never no good archer, That shooteth at b.u.t.ts so wide."-- "Whereat, then?" said our King, "I pray thee tell to me."-- "At such a b.u.t.t, 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 a.s.say, 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 G.o.d 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."--