Adam bent a right good bow,
A great hart soon he had slain;
Take that, child, he said, to thy dinner,
And bring me mine arrow again.
Now go we hence, said these wight yeomen,
Tarry we no longer here;
We shall him borrow[47] by God his grace,
Though we buy it full dear.
To Carlisle went these bold yeomen,
All in the morning of May.
Here is a FYT[48] of Cloudesly,
And another is for to say.
PART THE SECOND.
Alas! then said good Adam Bell,
That ever we were made men!
These gates he shut so wondrous fast,
We may not come therein.
Then bespake him Clym of the Clough,
With a wile we will us in bring;
Let us say we be messengers,
Straight come now from our king.
Adam said, I have a letter written,
Now let us wisely work,
We will say we have the king's seal;
I hold the porter no clerk.
Then Adam Bell beat on the gates
With strokes great and strong,
The porter marvelled who was there,
And to the gates he throng.[49]
Who is there now, said the porter,
That maketh all this knocking?
We be two messengers, quoth Clym of the Clough,
Be come right from our king.