Thy father once mine honour wronged

In days of youthful pride;

Do thou the injury repair

In fondness for thy bride.

And as thou love her, and hold her dear,

Heaven prosper thee and thine :

And now my blessing wend wi' thee,

My lovely Emmeline.

*

PART THE FIRST.

M

ERRY it was in the green forest

Among the leavès green,

Wherein men hunt east and west

With bows and arrows keen;

To raise the deer out of their den;

Such sights hath oft been seen;

As by three yeomen of the north countrèy,
By them it is I mean.

The one of them hight† Adam Bell,
The other Clym of the Clough,

The third was William of Cloudesly,
An archer good enough.

* Clem (Clement) of the cliff.

+ Called.

They were outlawed for venison,

These yeomen everyone;

They swore together upon a day,
To English wood to be gone.

Now lithe and listen, gentlemen,
That of mirth loveth to hear:

Two of them were single men,
The third had a wedded fere."

William was the wedded man,

Much more then was his care: He said to his brethren upon a day, To Carlisle he would fare,t

For to speak with fair Alice his wife,

And with his children three.

By my troth, said Adam Bell,
Not by the counsel of me:

For if ye go to Carlisle, brother,
And from this wild wood wend,
If that the justice should you take,
Your life were at an end.

If that I come not to-morrow, brother,

By pryme* to you again,

Trust you then that I am taken

Or else that I am slain.

He took his leave of his brethren two,

And to Carlisle he is gone :

There he knock'd at his own window

Shortly and anon.

Where be you, fair Alice, he said,
My wife and children three?
Lightly let in thine own husband,
William of Cloudesly.

Alas! then said fair Alice,

And sighed wondrous sore,

This place hath been beset for you
This half a year and more.

Now am I here, said Cloudesly,
I would that in I were:

Now fetch us meat and drink enough,

And let us make good cheer.

* Noon.

She fetched him meat and drink plenty,

Like a true wedded wife;

And pleased him with that she had,

Whom she loved as her life.

There lay an old wife in that place,
A little beside the fire,

Which William had found of charity

More than seven year.

Up she rose, and forth she goes,
Evil may she speed therefore;
For she had set no foot on ground
In seven year before.

She went unto the justice hall,

As fast as she could hie:

This night, she said, is come to town
William of Cloudesly.

Thereat the justice was full fayne,*

And so was the sheriff also:

Thou shalt not travel hither, dame, for nought; Thy meed thou shalt have ere thou go.

* Glad.