"Alyce shal be at our sojournyng
In a nunnery here besyde;
My tow sonnes shall wyth her go,
And there they shall abyde.
"Myne eldest son shall go wyth me;
For him have you no care:
And he shall bring you worde agayn,
How that we do fare.
Thus be these yemen to London gone,
As fast as they myght he,[8]
Tyll they came to the kynges pallace,
Where they woulde nedes be.
And whan they came to the kynges courte,
Unto the pallace gate,
Of no man wold they aske no leave,
But boldly went in therat.
They preced prestly into the hall,
Of no man had they dreade:
The porter came after, and dyd them call,
And with them began to chyde.
The usher sayde, "Yemen, what wold ye have?
I pray you tell to me:
You myght thus make offycers shent:
Good syrs, of whence be ye?"
"Syr, we be out-lawes of the forest
Certayne withouten lease;
And hether we be come to the kyng,
To get us a charter of peace."
And whan they came before the kyng,
As it was the lawe of the lande,
The kneled downe without lettyng,
And eche held up his hand.
The sayed, "Lord, we beseche the here,
That ye wyll graunt us grace;
For we have slayne your fat falow dere
In many a sondry place."
"What be your nams," then said our king,
"Anone that you tell me?"
They sayd, "Adam Bell, Clim of the Clough,
And Wyllyam of Cloudeslè."
"Be ye those theves," then sayd our kyng,
"That men have tolde of to me?
Here to God I make an avowe,
Ye shal be hanged al thre.