Now am I here, sayde Cloudeslee,
I would that in I were.50
Now fetche us meate and drynke ynoughe,
And let us make good chere.
She fetched hym meate and drynke plentye,
Lyke a true wedded wyfe;
And pleased hym with that she had,55
Whome she loved as her lyfe.
There lay an old wyfe in that place,
A lytle besyde the fyre,
Whych Wyllyam had found of charytyè
More than seven yere.60
Up she rose, and forth shee goes,
Evill mote[692] shee speede therfore;
For shee had sett no foote on ground
In seven yere before.
She went unto the justice hall,65
As fast as she could hye:
Thys night, shee sayd, is come to town
Wyllyam of Cloudeslyè.
Thereof the justice was full fayne,[693]
And so was the shirife also.70
Thou shalt not trauaile hither, dame, for nought,
Thy meed thou shalt have ere thou go.
They gave to her a ryght good goune,
Of scarlate, 'and of graine':
She toke the gyft, and home she wente,75
And couched her doune agayne.
They raysed the towne of mery Carleile
In all the haste they can;
And came thronging to Wyllyames house,
As fast as they might gone.80
There they besette that good yemàn
Round about on every syde:
Wyllyam hearde great noyse of folkes,
That thither-ward fast hyed.
Alyce opened a backe wyndòwe,[694]85
And loked all aboute,
She was ware of the justice and shirife bothe,
Wyth a full great route.[695]