Then spake the good yeman Clym of the Clough,
And swore by Mary fre,
And if that we stande long wythout,35
Like a thefe hanged shalt thou be.
Lo! here we have the kynges seale:
What, Lurden,[717] art thou wode?[718][719]
The porter went[720] it had ben so,
And lyghtly dyd off hys hode.[721]40
Welcome is my lordes seale, he saide;
For that ye shall come in.
He opened the gate full shortlye:
An euyl openyng for him.
Now are we in, sayde Adam Bell,45
Wherof we are full faine;[722]
But Christ he knowes, that harowed[723] hell,
How we shall com out agayne.
Had we the keys, said Clim of the Clough,
Ryght wel then shoulde we spede,50
Then might we come out wel ynough
When we se tyme and nede.
They called the porter to counsell,
And wrang his necke in two,
And caste hym in a depe dungeon,55
And toke hys keys hym fro.
Now am I porter, sayd Adam Bel,
Se brother the keys are here,
The worst porter to merry Carleile
That 'the' had thys hundred yere.60
And now wyll we our bowes bend,
Into the towne wyll we go,
For to delyuer our dere brothèr,
That lyeth in care and wo.
Then they bent theyr good ewe bowes,65
And loked theyr stringes were round,[724]
The markett place in mery Carleile
They beset that stound.[725]
And, as they loked them besyde,
A paire of new galowes 'they' see,70
And the justice with a quest[726] of squyers,
That judged William hanged to be.