"Ye shal be dead without mercy,
As I am kynge of this lande."
He commanded his officers everichone,
Fast on them to lay hande.
There they toke these good yemen,
And arested them al thre:
"So may I thryve," sayd Adam Bell,
"Thys game lyketh not me.
"But, good lorde, we beseche you now,
That yee graunt us grace,
Insornuche as frely we be to you come,
As frely we may fro you passe.
"With such weapons, as we have here,
Tyll we be out of your place;
And yf we lyve this hundreth yere,
We wyll aske you no grace."
"Ye speake proudly," sayd the kynge;
"Ye shall be hanged all thre."
"That were great pitye," then sayd the quene,
"If any grace myght be."
"My lorde, whan I came fyrst into this lande
To be your wedded wyfe,
The fyrst boone that I wold aske,
Ye would graunt it me belyfe:
"And I asked you never none tyll now;
Therefore, good lorde, graunt it me."
"Now aske it," madam, sayd the kynge,
"And graunted it shal be."
"Then, good my lord, I you beseche,
These yemen graunt ye me."
"Madame, ye myght have asked a boone,
That shuld have been worth them all thre.
"Ye myght have asked towres, and townes,
Parkes and forestes plenté"
"None soe pleasant to my pay," shee sayd;
"Nor none so lefe to me."
"Madame, sith it is your desyre,
Your askyng graunted shal be;
But I had lever had given you
Good market townes thre."
The quene was a glad woman,
And sayde, "Lord, gramarcy;
"I dare undertake for them,
That true men shal they be."