All men voyded, that them stode nye,
When the justice fell downe to the grounde,
And the sherife fell nyghe hym by,111
Eyther had his deathes wounde.
All the citezens fast gan flye,
They durst no longer abyde;
Then lyghtly [they] loused Cloudeslè,115
When he with ropes lay tyde.
Wyllyam sterte to an officer of the towne,
Hys axe out of hys hande he wronge,
On eche syde he smote them downe,
Hym thought he taryed all to long.120
Wyllyam sayde to hys [brethren] two,
"Thys daye let us [togyder] lyve and dye;
If ever you have nede as I have now,
The same shall you fynde by me."
They shot so well in that tyde,125
For theyr stringes were of silke full sure,
That they kept the stretes on every [side]:
That batayle dyd longe endure.
The[y] fought together as brethren tru,
Lyke hardy men and bolde;130
Many a man to the ground they thrue,
And [many a herte made] colde.
But when their arrowes were all gon,
Men preced [on] them full fast;
They drew theyr swordes then anone,135
And theyr bowes from them cast.
They went lyghtlye on theyr way,
Wyth swordes and buclers round;
By that it [was the myddes] of the day,
They [had] made mani a wound.140
There was [many] an out-horne in Caerlel blowen,
And the belles bacward did [they] ryng;
Many a woman sayd alas,
And many theyr handes dyd wryng.
The mayre of Caerlel forth com was,145
And with hym a ful great route;
These [thre] yemen dred him full sore,
For of theyr lyues they stode in great doute.