18. And that.
41, your.
50, In woulde.
62, spende.
71, fore.
74, saye. _Percy reads_, Of scarlate and of graine.
85, shop. _Percy reads_ back window.
88, great full great.
91, Gy.
122, was on.
130, gon.
174, there.
201, Cyerlel.
[THE SECOND FIT.]
And when they came to mery Caerlell, In a fayre mornyng tyde, They founde the gates shut them untyll, Round about on every syde.
"Alas!" than sayd good Adam Bell, 5 "That ever we were made men!
These gates be shut so wonderly wel,[L7]
That we may not come here in."
Then spake him Clym of the Clough, "Wyth a wyle we wyl us in bryng; 10 Let us saye we be messengers, Streyght comen from our king."[L12]
Adam said, "I have a letter written wel, Now let us wysely werke; We wyl saye we have the kinges seale,[L15] 15 I holde the portter no clerke."
Then Adam Bell bete on the gate, With strokes great and strong; The porter herde suche noyse therat, And to the gate faste he throng.[L20] 20
"Who is there nowe," sayde the porter, "That maketh all thys knocking?
"We be tow messengers," sayde Clim of the Clough, "Be comen streyght from our kyng."[L24]
"We haue a letter," sayd Adam Bel, 25 "To the justice we must it bryng;[L26]
Let us in, our messag to do, That we were agayne to our kyng."
"Here commeth no man in," sayd the porter,[L29]
"By hym that dyed on a tre,[L30] 30 Tyll a false thefe be hanged, Called Wyllyam of Cloudesle."
Then spake the good yeman Clym of the Clough, And swore by Mary fre, "And if that we stande longe wythout, 35 Lyke a thefe hanged shalt thou be.
"Lo here we have the kynges seale; What! lordeyne, art thou wode?"
The porter went it had ben so, And lyghtly dyd of hys hode. 40
"Welcome be my lordes seale," he saide, "For that ye shall come in:"
He opened the gate full shortlye, An evyl openyng for him.
"Now are we in," sayde Adam Bell, 45 "Thereof we are full faine, But Christ knoweth that harowed hell,[L47]
How we shall com out agayne."
"Had we the keys," said Clim of the Clough, "Ryght wel then shoulde we spede;[L50] 50 Then might we come out wel ynough, "When we se tyme and nede."
They called the porter to a counsell,[L53]
And wrange hys necke in two, And caste him in a depe dongen, 55 And toke hys keys hym fro.
"Now am I porter," sayde Adam Bel, "Se, brother, the keys haue we here; The worst porter to merry Caerlel, That ye had thys hundred yere. 60
"And now wyll we our bowes bend, Into the towne wyll we go, For to delyver our dere brother, That lyveth in care and wo."
[And thereupon] they bent theyr bowes, 65 And loked theyr stringes were round; The market place of mery Caerlel,[L67]
They beset in that stound.[L68]
And as they loked them besyde, A paire of new galowes ther thei see,[L71] 70 And the justice with a quest of swerers,[L72]
That had judged Cloudesle there hanged to be.
And Cloudesle hymselfe lay redy in a carte, Faste bounde both fote and hand,[L74]
And a stronge rop about hys necke, 75 All readye for to be hangde.[L76]
The justice called to him a ladde, Cloudesle [s] clothes should he have, To take the measure of that good yeman,[L79]
And therafter to make hys grave. 80
"I have seen as great a mearveile," said Cloudesli, "As betwyene thys and pryme, He that maketh thys grave for me, Himselfe may lye therin."
"Thou speakest proudli," saide the justice, 85 "I shall the hange with my hande:"
Full wel that herd hys brethren two,[L87]
There styll as they dyd stande.
Then Cloudesle cast hys eyen asyde,[L89]
And saw hys to brethren stande,[L90] 90 At a corner of the market place,[L91]
With theyr good bows bent in ther hand.[L92]
"I se good comfort," sayd Cloudesle,[L93]
"Yet hope I well to fare;[L94]
If I might haue my handes at wyll, 95 Ryght lytle wolde I care."
Then spake good Adam Bell, To Clym of the Clough so free, "Brother, se ye marke the justyce wel, Lo yonder ye may him see. 100
"And at the shyrife shote I wyll, Strongly with an arrowe kene;[L102]
A better shote in mery Caerlel Thys seven yere was not sene."