A Bundle of Ballads Part 4

"A baron's child to be beguiled!

It were a curs-ed dede; To be fel-aw with an out-law Almighty G.o.d forbede!

Yet better were, the poor squyere Alone to forest yede, Than ye shall say another day, That by my wicked dede Ye were betrayed: Wherefore, good maid, The best rede that I can, Is, that I to the green wood go, Alone, a banished man."

SHE.

"Whatsoever befall, I never shall Of this thing you upbraid: But if ye go, and leave me so, Then have ye me betrayed.

Remember you wele, how that ye dele, For if ye, as ye said, Be so unkind to leave behind Your love, the Nut-brown Maid, Trust me tru-ly, that I shall die Soon after ye be gone: For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone."

HE.

"If that ye went, ye should repent; For in the forest now I have purveyed me of a maid, Whom I love more than you; Another fairer than ever ye were, I dare it well avow; And of you both, each should be wroth With other, as I trow: It were mine ease to live in peace; So will I, if I can: Wherefore I to the wood will go, Alone, a banished man."

SHE.

"Though in the wood I understood Ye had a paramour, All this may nought remove my thought, But that I will be your: And she shall find me soft and kind, And courteis every hour; Glad to fulfil all that she will Command me, to my power: For had ye, lo! an hundred mo, Yet would I be that one: For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone."

HE.

"Mine own dear love, I see the proof That ye be kind and true; Of maid, and wife, in all my life, The best that ever I knew.

Be merry and glad; be no more sad; The case is chang-ed new; For it were ruth that for your truth You should have cause to rue.

Be not dismayed, whatsoever I said To you, when I began: I will not to the green wood go; I am no banished man."

SHE.

"These tidings be more glad to me, Than to be made a queen, If I were sure they should endure: But it is often seen, When men will break promise they speak The wordis on the spleen.

Ye shape some wile me to beguile, And steal from me, I ween: Then were the case worse than it was And I more wo-begone: For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone."

HE.

"Ye shall not nede further to drede: I will not dispar-age You (G.o.d defend!), sith you descend Of so great a lin-age.

Now understand: to Westmoreland, Which is my heritage, I will you bring; and with a ring By way of marri-age I will you take, and lady make, As shortly as I can: Thus have ye won an earl-es son And not a banished man."

Here may ye see, that women be In love, meek, kind, and stable; Let never man reprove them than, Or call them vari-able; But, rather, pray G.o.d that we may To them be comfort-able, Which sometime proveth such as he loveth, If they be charit-able.

For sith men would that women should Be meek to them each one; Much more ought they to G.o.d obey, And serve but Him alone.

ADAM BELL, CLYM OF THE CLOUGH, AND WILLIAM OF CLOUDESLIE.

THE FIRST FYTTE.

Merry it was in green for-est, Among the leav-es green, Where that men walk both east and west With bows and arrows keen, To raise the deer out of their den, Such sights as hath oft been seen; As by three yeomen of the North Countrey: By them is as I mean.

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

They were outlawed for venison, These three yeomen every one; They swore them brethren upon a day, To Ingle wood for to gone.

Now lith and listen, gentlemen, And that of mirths love to hear: Two of them were single men, The third had a wedded fere.

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

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 the Justice may you take, Your life were at an end."--

"If that I come not to-morrow, brother, By prime to you again, Trust not else but that I am take, Or else that I am slain."-- He took his leave of his brethren two, And to Carlisle he is gone.

There he knocked at his own wind-ow Shortly and anon.

"Where be you, fair Alice, my wife?

And my children three?

Lightly let in thine husb-and, William of Cloudeslie."-- "Alas," then saide fair Al-ice, And sigh-ed wondrous sore, "This place hath been beset for you, This half-e year and more."

"Now am I here," said Cloudeslie, "I would that I in were;-- Now fetch us meat and drink enough, And let us make good cheer."

She fetched him meat and drink plent-y, Like a true wedded wife, And pleas-ed 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 Mor-e than seven year; Up she rose, and walked full still, Evil mote she speed therefore: For she had not set no foot on ground In seven year before.

She went unto the justice hall, As fast as she could hie: "This night is come unto this town William of Cloudeslie."

Thereof the Justice was full fain, 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 it was, as I heard sain; She took the gift and home she went, And couched her down again.

They raised the town of merry Carlisle, In all the haste that they can, And came throng-ing to William's house, As fast as they might gan.

There they beset that good yeo-man, Round about on every side; William heard great noise of folks, That hitherward hied.

Alice opened a shot wind-ow, And look-ed all about She was ware of the Justice and the Sheriff both, With a full great rout.

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

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

Fair Al-ice followed him as a lover true, With a poleaxe 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.

"G.o.d'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!"

"G.o.d'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 h.e.l.l."

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.