Thereof the iustice was full fayne, And so was the shirife also; 70 "Thou shalt not travaile hether, dame, for nought,[L71] Thy meed thou shalt have or thou go." They gave to her a ryght good goune, Of scarlat it was, as I heard sayne;[L74] She toke the gyft and home she wente, 75 And couched her downe agayne. They rysed the towne of mery Carlel, In all the hast that they can, And came thronging to Wyllyames house, As fast as they myght gone. 80 Theyr they besette that good yeman, Round about on every syde, Wyllyam hearde great noyse of folkes, That heytherward they hyed. Alyce opened a shot-wyndow,[L85] 85 And loked all about, She was ware of the justice and shirife bothe, Wyth a full great route.[L88] "Alas! treason," cry'd Aleyce. "Ever wo may thou be! 90 Go into my chambre, my husband," she sayd,[L91] "Swete Wyllyam of Cloudeslè." He toke hys sweard and hys bucler, Hys bow and hy[s] chyldren thre, And wente into hys strongest chamber, 95 Where he thought surest to be. Fayre Alice folowed him as a lover true, With a pollaxe in her hande; "He shal be dead that here cometh in Thys dore, whyle I may stand." 100 Cloudeslè bent a wel good bowe, That was of trusty tre, He smot the justise on the brest, That hys arrowe brest in thre. "God's curse on his hartt," saide William, 105 "Thys day thy cote dyd on; If it had ben no better then myne, It had gone nere thy bone." "Yelde the, Cloudeslè," sayd the justise, "And thy bowe and thy arrowes the fro:" 110 "Gods curse on hys hart," sayde fair Alice, "That my husband councelleth so." "Set fyre on the house," saide the sherife, "Syth it wyll no better be, And brenne we therin William," he saide, 115 "Hys wyfe and chyldren thre." They fyred the house in many a place, The fyre flew up on hye; "Alas!" then cryed fayr Alice, "I se we here shall dy." 120 William openyd hys backe wyndow, That was in hys chambre on hye,[L122] And wyth shetes let hys wyfe downe, And hys chyldren thre. "Have here my treasure," sayde William, 125 "My wyfe and my chyldren thre, For Christes love do them no harme, But wreke you all on me." Wyllyam shot so wonderous well, Tyll hys arrowes were all ygo,[L130] 130 And the fyre so fast upon hym fell, That hys bowstryng brent in two.