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Thou speakest proudly, sayd the justyce, I shall hange the
with my hande;
Full wel herd his brethren two, there styll as they dyd
stande.
Then Cloudesle cast hys eyen asyde, and saw hys brethren
twayne,
At a corner of the market-place, redy the justyce for to
slayne.
I se comfort, sayd Cloudesle, yet hope I well to fare,
If I myght have my hands at will, right little I would
care.
Then bespake good Adam Bell to Clym of the Clough so
free,
Brother, se ye mark the justyce wel, lo! yonder you may him
se.
And at the sheryfe shote I wyll, strongly wyth arrowe
kene;
A better shot in mery Carleyl thys seven yere was not
sene.
They loosed their arows both at once, of no man had the
dread,
The one hyt the justyce, the other the sheryfe, that both
theyr sydes gar blede.
All men voyded that them stood nye when the justyce fell to
the grounde,
And the sheryfe fell hym bye, eyther had hys deathes
wounde.
All the cytezens fast gar flye, the durst no longer
abyde;
There lyghtly they loosed Cloudesle where he with ropes lay
tyde.
Wyllyam sterte to an officer of the towne, his axe fro his
hand he wronge,
On eche syde he smote them down, hym thought he tarryed
long.
Wyllyam sayde to hys brothers two, Thys day let us lyve and
de;
If ever you have nede, as I have now, the same you shall
find by me.
They shot so well in that tyde, theyr strings were of silk
ful sure;
That they kept the stretes on evry syde that batayle did
long endure.
They fought together as brethren true, lyke hardy men and
bolde,
Many a man to the ground the thrue, and many a harte made
colde.
But when their arrowes were all gon men preced to them full
fast;
They drew theyr swordes then anone, and their bowes from
them cast.
They wenten lyghtly on theyr way wyth swordes and bucklers
round;
By that it was myd of the day, they made many a wound.
There was many an out-horne in Carleyl blowen, and belles
bacward dyd ryng;
Many a woman sayde alas! and many theyr hands dyd wryng.
The mayr of Carleyl forth was com, wyth hym a ful great
route;
These yemen dread hym full fore, of thyr lyves they stode
doute.
The mayr come armyd a ful great pace with a pollaxe in his
hande;
Many a strong man wyth hym was, there yn that flower to
stand.
The mayr he smot at Cloudesle wyth hys byl, hys buckler he
brast in two,
Full many a yeman wyth great wyll, alas they cryed for
wo!
But al for nought was what the wrought, for so fast they
down were layde;
Tyll the all three, that so manfully fought, were gotten
wythout abraide.
Have here your keys, said Adam Bell, myne office I here
forsake;
And yf you do by my counsel, a new porter do you make.
He threw theyr keys at theyr heads, and bad them well to
thryve;
And all that letteth any good yeman to come and comfort hys
wyfe.
Thus be these good yemen gon to the wode, and lyghtly as
lefe on wynde,
The lough and mery in theyre mode theyr foes were far
behynd.
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