PART THE SECOND.
And when they came to mery Carleile,
All in 'the' mornyng tyde,
They founde the gates shut them untyll[715]
About on every syde.
Alas! then sayd good Adam Bell,5
That ever we were made men!
These gates be shut so wonderous fast,
We may not come therein.
Then bespake him Clym of the Clough,
Wyth a wyle we wyl us in bryng;10
Let us saye we be messengers,
Streyght come nowe from our king.
Adam said, I have a letter written,
Now let us wysely werke,
We wyl saye we have the kynges seale;15
I holde the porter no clerke.
Then Adam Bell bete on the gates
With strokes great and stronge:
The porter marveiled, who was therat,
And to the gates he thronge.[716]20
Who is there now, sayde the porter,
That maketh all thys knockinge?
We be tow messengers, quoth Clim of the Clough,
Be come ryght from our kyng.
We have a letter, sayd Adam Bel,25
To the justice we must itt bryng;
Let us in our message to do,
That we were agayne to the kyng.
Here commeth none in, sayd the porter,
By hym that dyed on a tre,30
Tyll a false thefe be hanged,
Called Wyllyam of Cloudeslè.