And as they loked them besyde,
A paire of new galowes ther [thei] see,70
And the justice with a quest of [swerers],
That had judged Cloudeslè there hanged to be.
And Cloudeslè hymselfe lay redy in a carte,
Faste [bounde] both fote and hand,
And a stronge rop about hys necke,75
All readye for [to be hangde].
The justice called to him a ladde,
Cloudeslè clothes should he have,
To take the measure of that [good] yeman,
And therafter to make hys grave.80
"I have seen as great a mearveile," said Cloudesli,
"As betwyene thys and pryme,
He that maketh thys grave for me,
Himselfe may lye therin."
"Thou speakest proudli," saide the justice,85
"I shall the hange with my hande:"
Full wel [that] herd hys brethren two,
There styll as they dyd stande.
Then [Cloudeslè] cast hys eyen asyde,
And saw hys to [brethren stande],90
At a corner of the [market] place,
[With theyr good bows bent in ther hand.]
"I se [good] comfort," sayd Cloudeslè,
"Yet hope I [well] to fare;
If I might haue my handes at wyll,95
Ryght lytle wolde I care."
Then spake good Adam Bell,
To Clym of the Clough so free,
"Brother, se ye marke the justyce wel,
Lo yonder ye may him see.100
"And at the shyrife shote I wyll,
Strongly with [an] arrowe kene;
A better shote in mery Caerlel
Thys seven yere was not sene."
They lowsed [their] arrowes both at once,105
Of no man had they dread;
The one hyt the justice, the other the sheryfe,
That both theyr [sides] gan blede.