The Book of Brave Old Ballads Part 3

Here, take her, Childe of Elle, he said, And gave her lily hand; Here, take my dear and only child, And with her half my land:

Thy father once mine honour wronged In days of youthful pride; Do thou the injury repair In fondness for thy bride.

And as thou love her, and hold her dear, Heaven prosper thee and thine: And now my blessing wend wi' thee, My lovely Emmeline.

FOOTNOTES:

[26] Knight.

[27] Bedeck'd.

[28] Eyes.

[29] Churlish.

[30] Stopped.

[31] Lose.

[32] Go.

[33] Good.

[34] Much grief.

ADAM BELL, CLYM OF THE CLOUGH,[35] AND WILLIAM OF CLOUDESLY.

PART THE FIRST.

Merry it was in the green forest Among the leaves green, Wherein men hunt east and west With bows and arrows keen;

To raise the deer out of their den; Such sights hath oft been seen; As by three yeomen of the north countrey, By them it is I mean.

The one of them hight[36] Adam Bell, The other Clym of the Clough, The third was William of Cloudesly, An archer good enough.

They were outlawed for venison, These yeomen everyone; They swore together upon a day, To English wood to be gone.

Now lithe and listen, gentlemen, That of mirth loveth to hear: Two of them were single men, The third had a wedded fere.[37]

William was the wedded man, Much more then was his care: He said to his brethren upon a day, To Carlisle he would fare,[38]

For to speak with fair Alice his wife, And with his children three.

By my troth, said Adam Bell, Not by the counsel of me:

For if ye go to Carlisle, brother, And from this wild wood wend, If that the justice should you take, Your life were at an end.

If that I come not to-morrow, brother, By pryme[39] to you again, Trust you then that I am taken Or else that I am slain.

He took his leave of his brethren two, And to Carlisle he is gone: There he knock'd at his own window Shortly and anon.

Where be you, fair Alice, he said, My wife and children three?

Lightly let in thine own husband, William of Cloudesly.

Alas! then said fair Alice, And sighed wondrous sore, This place hath been beset for you This half a year and more.

Now am I here, said Cloudesly, I would that in I were: Now fetch us meat and drink enough, And let us make good cheer.

She fetched him meat and drink plenty, Like a true wedded wife; And pleased him with that she had, Whom she loved as her life.

There lay an old wife in that place, A little beside the fire, Which William had found of charity More than seven year.

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 yeoman Round about on every side: William heard great noise of folks That thither-ward fast hied.

Alice opened a back windw 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ADAM BELL AND CLYM OF THE CLOUGH.]

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.