HE. "Mine own dear love, I see the proof That ye be kind and true; Of maid, and wife, in all my life, The best that ever I knew. Be merry and glad; be no more sad; The case is chang-ed new; For it were ruth that for your truth You should have cause to rue. Be not dismayed, whatsoever I said To you, when I began: I will not to the green wood go; I am no banished man." SHE. "These tidings be more glad to me, Than to be made a queen, If I were sure they should endure: But it is often seen, When men will break promise they speak The wordis on the spleen. Ye shape some wile me to beguile, And steal from me, I ween: Then were the case worse than it was And I more wo-begone: For, in my mind, of all mankind I love but you alone." HE. "Ye shall not nede further to drede: I will not dispar-age You (God defend!), sith you descend Of so great a lin-age. Now understand: to Westmoreland, Which is my heritage, I will you bring; and with a ring By way of marri-age I will you take, and lady make, As shortly as I can: Thus have ye won an earl-es son And not a banished man." Here may ye see, that women be In love, meek, kind, and stable; Let never man reprove them than, Or call them vari-able; But, rather, pray God that we may To them be comfort-able, Which sometime proveth such as he loveth, If they be charit-able. For sith men would that women should Be meek to them each one; Much more ought they to God obey, And serve but Him alone. ADAM BELL, CLYM OF THE CLOUGH, AND WILLIAM OF CLOUDESLIE. THE FIRST FYTTE. Merry it was in green for-est, Among the leav-es green, Where that men walk both east and west With bows and arrows keen, To raise the deer out of their den, Such sights as hath oft been seen; As by three yeomen of the North Countrey: By them is as I mean. The one of them hight Adam Bell, The other Clym of the Clough, The third was William of Cloudeslie, An archer good enough. They were outlawed for venison, These three yeomen every one; They swore them brethren upon a day, To Ingle wood for to gone. Now lith and listen, gentlemen, And that of mirths love to hear: Two of them were single men, The third had a wedded fere. William was the wedded man, Much more then was his care; He said to his brethren upon a day, To Carlisle he would fare,