59. ‘Here commeth no man in,’ sayd the porter, ‘By hym that dyed on a tre, Tyll a false thefe be hanged Called Wyllyam of Cloudesle.’ 60. Than spake that good yeman Clym of the Clough, And swore by Mary fre, ‘If that we stande long wythout, Lyke a thefe hanged shalt thou be. 61. ‘Lo! here we have got the kyngës seale: What, lordane, art thou wode?’ The porter had wende it had ben so, And lyghtly dyd off hys hode. 62. ‘Welcome be my lordes seale,’ saide he; ‘For that ye shall come in.’ He opened the gate right shortly: An evyl openyng for him! 63. ‘Now we are in,’ sayde Adam Bell, ‘Therof we are full faine; But Christ knoweth, that harowed hell, How we shall com out agayne.’ 64. ‘Had we the keys,’ said Clim of the Clough, ‘Ryght wel than shoulde we spede, Than might we come out wel ynough Whan we se tyme and nede.’ 65. They called the porter to a councell, And wrong his necke in two, And caste hym in a depe dongeon, And toke the keys hym fro. 66. ‘Now am I porter,’ sayd Adam Bel, ‘Se, brother, the keys have we here, The worst porter to mery Carlile That ye had thys hondreth yere. 67. ‘Now wyll we our bowës bend, Into the towne wyll we go, For to delyver our dere brother, Where he lyeth in care and wo.’ 68. Then they bent theyr good yew bowes, And loked theyr stringes were round; The markett place of mery Carlile They beset in that stound. 69. And, as they loked them besyde, A paire of new galowes there they see, And the justice with a quest of squyers, That judged William hanged to be. 70. And Cloudesle hymselfe lay ready in a cart Fast bound both fote and hand; And a stronge rope about hys necke, All readye for to be hangde. 71. The justice called to him a ladde, Cloudesles clothes shold he have, To take the measure of that good yoman, And thereafter to make hys grave. 72. ‘I have sene as great a mervaile,’ said Cloudesle, ‘As betweyne thys and pryme, He that maketh thys grave for me, Hymselfe may lye therin.’ 73. ‘Thou speakest proudlye,’ said the justice, ‘I shall hange thee with my hande.’ Full wel that herd his brethren two There styl as they dyd stande. 74. Then Cloudesle cast his eyen asyde, And saw hys brethren stande At a corner of the market place, With theyr good bowes bent in theyr hand, Redy the justyce for to chase. 75. ‘I se good comfort,’ sayd Cloudesle, ‘Yet hope I well to fare, If I might have my handes at wyll Ryght lytel wold I care.’ 76. Than bespake good Adam Bell To Clym of the Clough so free, ‘Brother, se ye marke the justyce wel; Lo! yonder ye may him se: 77. ‘And at the shyrife shote I wyll Strongly wyth an arrowe kene; A better shote in mery Carlile Thys seven yere was not sene.’