"For Christes love do them no harme,
But wreke you all on me."
Wyllyam shot so wonderous well,
Tyll hys arrowes were all agoe,
And the fyre so fast upon hym fell,
That hys bowstryng brent in two.
The sparkles brent and fell upon
Good Wyllyam of Cloudeslè:
Than was he a wofull man, and sayde,
"Thys is a cowardes death to me.
"Lever had I, sayde Wyllyam,
With my sworde in the route to renne,
Then here among myne enemyes wode
Thus cruelly to bren."
He toke hys sweard and hys buckler,
And among them all he ran,
Where the people were most in prece,
He smot downe many a man.
There myght no man abyde hys stroakes,
So fersly on them he ran:
Then they threw wyndowes and dores on him,
And so toke that good yeman.
There they hym bounde both hand and fote,
And in a deepe dungeon him cast:
Now, "Cloudeslè," sayd the justice,
"Thou shalt be hanged in hast."
"A payre of new gallowes," sayd the sherife,
"Now shal I for thee make;
And the gates of Carleil shal be shutte:
No man shal come in therat.
"Then shall not helpe Clym of the Cloughe,
Nor yet shall Adam Bell,
Though they came with a thousand mo,
Nor all the devels in hell."
Early in the mornynge the justice uprose,
To the gates first can he gone,
And commaunded to be shut full close
Lightilè everychone.
Then went he to the markett place,
As fast as he coulde hye;
There a payre of new gallowes he set up
Besyde the pyllorye.
A lytle boy among them asked,
"What meaneth that gallow-tre?"