Wyllyam hearde great noyse of folkes,
That thither-ward fast hyed.
Alyce opened a backe windòwe,
And loked all aboute,
She was ware of the justice and shirife bothe,
Wyth a full great route.
"Alas! treason," cryed Alyce,
"Ever wo may thou be!
Goe into my chamber, my husband," she sayd,
"Swete Wyllyam of Cloudeslee."
He toke hys sweard and hys bucler,
Hys bow and hys chyldren thre,
And wente into hys strongest chamber,
Where he thought surest to be.
Fayre Alyce, like a lover true,
Took a pollaxe in her hande
Said, "He shall dye that cometh in
Thys dore, whyle I may stande."
Cloudeslè bente a right good bowe,
That was of a trusty tre,
He smot the justise on the brest,
That hys arowe burst in three.
"A curse on his harte," saide William,
"Thys day thy cote dyd on;
If it had ben no better then myne,
It had gone nere thy bone."
"Yelde the Cloudeslè," sayd the justise,
"And thy bowe and thy arrowes the fro."
"A curse on hys hart," sayd fair Alyce,
That my husband councelleth so.
"Set fyre on the house," saide the sherife,
"Syth it wyll no better be,
"And brenne we therin William," he saide,
"Hys wyfe and chyldren thre."
They fyred the house in many a place,
The fyre flew up on hye:
"Alas!" then cryed fayre Alice,
"I se we here shall dy."
William openyd a backe wyindòw,
That was in hys chamber hie,
And there with sheetes he did let downe
His wyfe and children three.
"Have you here my treasure," sayde William,
My wyfe and my chyldren thre: