A lytle boy 'among them asked,'
What meaned that gallow-tre?170
They sayde to hange a good yemàn,
Called Wyllyam of Cloudeslè.
That lytle boye was the towne swyne-heard,
And kept fayre Alyces swyne;
Oft he had seene William in the wodde,175
And geuen hym there to dyne.
He went out att a crevis of the wall,
And lightly to the woode dyd gone;
There met he with these wightye[707] yemen[708]
Shortly and anone.180
Alas! then sayde the lytle boye,
Ye tary here all too longe;
Cloudeslee is taken, and dampned[709] to death,
And readye for to honge.[710]
Alas! then sayd good Adam Bell,185
That ever we saw thys daye!
He had better have tarryed with us,
So ofte as we dyd hym praye.
He myght have dwelt in grene forèste,
Under the shadowes greene,[711]190
And have kepte both hym and us att reste,
Out of all trouble and teene.[712]
Adam bent a ryght good bow,
A great hart sone hee had slayne:
Take that, chylde, he sayde, to thy dynner,195
And bryng me myne arrowe agayne.
Now go we hence, sayed these wightye yeomen,[713]
Tarry we no longer here;
We shall hym borowe[714] by God his grace,
Though we buy itt full dere.200
To Caerleil wente these bold yemen,
All in a mornyng of maye.
Here is a FYT of Cloudeslye,
And another is for to saye.