Then went they all into supper
With such meat as they had;
And thanked God of their fortune:
They were both merry and glad.
And when they all had supped well,
Certainly without lease,[61]
Cloudesly said, We will to our king,
To get us a charter of peace.
Alice shall be at our sojourning
In a nunnery here beside;
My two sons shall with her go,
And there they shall abide.
Mine eldest son shall go with me;
For him have you no care:
And he shall bring you word again,
How that we do fare.
Thus be these yeomen to London gone,
As fast as they might hie,
Till they came to the king's palace,
Where they would needs be.
And when they came to the king's court,
Unto the palace gate,
Of no man would they ask no leave,
But boldly went in thereat.
They pressed prestly[62] into the hall,
Of no man had they dread:
The porter came after, and did them call,
And with them began to chide.
The usher said, Yeoman, what would ye have?
I pray you tell to me:
You might thus make officers shent:[63]
Good sirs, of whence be ye?
Sir, we be outlaws of the forest
Certainly without lease;
And hither we be come to our king,
To get us a charter of peace.
And when they came before the king,
As it was the law of the land,
They kneeled down without hindrance,
And each held up his hand.