A Bundle of Ballads Part 5

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 d.a.m.ned 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 G.o.d'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 the King-e's seal, I hold the porter no clerk."

Then Adam Bell beat on the gate, With strok-es great and strong; The porter heard such noise thereat, And to the gate he throng.

"Who is there now," said the porter, "That maketh all this knocking?"

"We be two messengers," said Clym of the Clough, "Be comen straight from our King."

"We have a letter," said Adam Bell, "To the Justice we must it bring; Let us in our message to do, That we were again to our King."

"Here cometh no man in," said the porter, "By him that died on a tree, Till that a false thief be hanged, Called William of Cloudeslie!"

Then spake the good yeoman Clym of the Clough, And swore by Mary free, "If that we stand-e long without, Like a thief hanged shalt thou be.

Lo here we have the King-es seal; What, lourdain, art thou wood?"

The porter weened it had been so, And lightly did off his hood.

"Welcome be my lord's seal," said he, "For that shall ye come in."

He opened the gate right shortelie, An evil open-ing for him.

"Now are we in," said Adam Bell, "Thereof we are full fain, But Christ he knoweth, that harrowed h.e.l.l, How we shall come out again."

"Had we the keys," said Clym of the Clough, "Right well then should we speed; Then might we come out well enough When we see time and need."

They called the porter to a couns-el, And wrung his neck in two, And cast him in a deep dunge-on, And took the keys him fro.

"Now am I porter," said Adam Bell; "See, brother, the keys have we here; The worst port-er to merry Carlisle They have had this hundred year: And now will we our bow-es bend, Into the town will we go, For to deliver our dear broth-er, That lieth in care and woe."

They bent their good yew bow-es, And looked their strings were round, The market-place of merry Carlisle They beset in that stound; And as they look-ed them beside, A pair of new gallows there they see, And the Justice with a quest of squires, That judged William hang-ed to be.

And Cloudeslie lay ready there in a cart, Fast bound both foot and hand, And a strong rope about his neck, All ready for to be hanged.

The Justice called to him a lad, Cloudeslie's clothes should he have To take the measure of that yeom-an, Thereafter to make his grave.

"I have seen as great marvel," said Cloudeslie, "As between this and prime; He that maketh this grave for me, Himself may lie therein."-- "Thou speakest proudly," said the Justice; "I shall hang thee with my hand."

Full well that heard his brethren two, There still as they did stand.

Then Cloudeslie cast his eyen aside, And saw his two brethren At a corner of the market-place, Ready the Justice to slain.

"I see good comfort," said Cloudeslie, "Yet hope I well to fare; If I might have my hands at will, Right little would I care."

Then spake good Adam Bell To Clym of the Clough so free, "Brother, see ye mark the Justice well; Lo, yonder ye may him see; And at the Sheriff shoot I will Strongly with arrow keen."

A better shot in merry Carlisle This seven year was not seen.

They loosed their arrows both at once, Of no man had they drede; The one hit the Justice, the other the Sheriff, That both their sides gan bleed.

All men voided, that them stood nigh, When the Justice fell to the ground, And the Sheriff fell nigh him by, Either had his death's wound.

All the citizens fast gan flee, They durst no longer abide; Then lightly they loos-ed Cloudeslie, Where he with ropes lay tied.

William stert to an officer of the town, His axe out of his hand he wrong, On each-e side he smote them down, Him thought he tarried too long.

William said to his brethren two: "Together let us live and dee; If e'er you have need, as I have now, The same shall ye find by me."

They shot so well in that tide, For their strings were of silk full sure, That they kept the streets on every side, That battle did long endure.

They fought together as brethren true, Like hardy men and bold; Many a man to the ground they threw, And many an heart made cold.

But when their arrows were all gone, Men pressed to them full fast; They drew their sword-es then anon, And their bow-es from them cast.

They went lightly on their way, With swords and bucklers round; By that it was the middes of the day, They had made many a wound.

There was many a neat-horn in Carlisle blown, And the bells back-ward did ring; Many a woman said "Alas!"

And many their hands did wring.

The Mayor of Carlisle forth come was, And with him a full great rout; These three yeomen dread him full sore, For their lives stood in doubt.

The Mayor came armed a full great pace, With a poleaxe in his hand; Many a strong man with him was, There in that stour to stand.

The Mayor smote Cloudeslie with his bill, His buckler he burst in two; Full many a yeoman with great ill, "Alas! treason!" they cried for woe.

"Keep we the gat-es fast," they bade, "That these traitors thereout not go!"

But all for nought was that they wrought, For so fast they down were laid, Till they all three that so manfully fought, Were gotten without at a braid.

"Have here your keys," said Adam Bell, "Mine office I here forsake; If you do by my coun-sel, A new port-er do ye make."

He threw the keys there at their heads, And bade them evil to thrive, And all that letteth any good yeo-man To come and comfort his wife.

Thus be these good yeomen gone to the wood, As light as leaf on linde; They laugh and be merry in their mood, Their en'mies were far behind.

When they came to Inglewood, Under their trysting tree, There they found bow-es full good, And arrows great plent-y.

"So help me G.o.d," said Adam Bell, And Clym of the Clough so free, "I would we were now in merry Carlisle, Before that fair meynie!"

They sit them down and make good cheer, And eat and drink full well.-- Here is a fytte of these wight yeomen, And another I shall you tell.

THE THIRD FYTTE.