Lond. 1791," 8vo., the variations from which, that occur in the following copy, are
selected from many others in the folio MS. above mentioned.
In the same MS. this ballad is followed by another, entitled Younge
Cloudeslee, being a continuation of the present story, and reciting the adventures of
William of Cloudesly's son: but greatly inferior to this both in merit and antiquity.
PART THE FIRSTMERY it was in the grene forest
Amonge the leves grene,
Wheras men hunt east and west
Wyth bowes and arrowes kene;
To raise the dere out of theyr denne;
Suche sightes hath ofte bene sene;
As by thre yemen of the north countrèy,
By them it is I meane.
The one of them hight Adam Bel,
The other Clym of the Clough,[3]
The thyrd was William of Cloudesly,
And archer good ynough.
They were outlawed for venyson,
These yemen everychone;
They swore them brethren upon a day,
To Englyshe wood for to gone.
Now lith and lysten, gentylmen,
That of myrthes loveth to here:
Two of them were single men,
The third had a wedded fere.
Wyllyam was the wedded man,
Muche more then was hys care:
He sayde to hys brethren upon a day,
To Carleile he would fare,
For to speke with fayre Alyce his wife,
And with hys chyldren thre.
"By my trouth," sayde Adam Bel,
"Not by the counsell of me:"
"For if ye go to Carlile, brother,
And from thys wylde wode wende,
If that the justice may you take,
Your lyfe were at an ende."
"If that I come not to-morowe, brother,
By pryme to you agayne,
Truste you then that I am taken,
Or else that I am slayne."
He toke hys leave of hys brethren two,
And to Carlile he is gon