"Alas!" then sayde good Adam Bell,185
"That ever we see thys daye!
He myght her with us have dwelled,
So ofte as we dyd him praye!
"He myght have taryed in grene foreste,
Under the shadowes sheene,190
And have kepte both hym and us in reaste,
Out of trouble and teene!"
Adam bent a ryght good bow,
A great hart sone had he slayne;
"Take that, chylde," he sayde, "to thy dynner,
And bryng me myne arrowe agayne."196
"Now go we hence," sayed these wight yong men,
"Tary we no lenger here;
We shall hym borowe, by gods grace,
Though we bye it full dere."200
To [Caerlel] went these good yemèn,
On a mery mornyng of Maye:
Here is a fyt of Cloudesli,
And another is for to saye.
[6], as hath.
[7], the.
[8], as I.
[10, 11]. Clym of the Clough means, as Percy says, Clement of the valley; and Cloudeslè, suggests Ritson, seems to be the same with Clodsley.
[18]. And that.