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: