The baylyes and the bedyls both, And the sergeauntes of the law, 170 And forty fosters of the fe, These outlawes had yslaw, And broke his parks, and slaine his dere; Over all they chose the best; So perelous outlawes as they were, 175 Walked not by easte nor west. When the kynge this letter had red, In hys harte he syghed sore; "Take vp the table anone," he bad, "For I may eate no more." 180 The kyng called hys best archars, To the buttes with hym to go; "I wylle se these felowes shote," he sayd, In the north have wrought this wo." The kynges bowmen buske them blyve, 185 And the quenes archers also, So dyd these thre wyght yemèn, Wyth them they thought to go. There twyse or thryse they shote about, For to assay theyr hande; 190 There was no shote these yemen shot, That any prycke might them stand. Then spake Wyllyam of Cloudeslè, "By him that for me dyed, I hold hym never no good archar 195 That shuteth at buttes so wyde." "Wherat?" then sayd our kyng,[L197] "I pray thee tell me:" "At such a but, syr," he sayd, "As men use in my countree." 200 Wyllyam went into a fyeld, And his to brethren with him, There they set vp to hasell roddes, Twenty score paces betwene. "I hold him an archar," said Cloudeslè, 205 "That yonder wande cleveth in two:" "Here is none suche," sayd the kyng, "Nor none that can so do." "I shall assaye, syr," sayd Cloudeslè, "Or that I farther go:" 210 Cloudeslè, with a bearyng arow, Clave the wand in to. "Thou art the best archer," then said the king, "Forsothe that ever I se:" "And yet for your love," said Wylliam, 215 "I wyll do more maystry. "I have a sonne is seven yere olde,[L217] He is to me full deare; I wyll hym tye to a stake, All shall se that be here; 220 "And lay an apele upon hys head, And go syxe score paces hym fro, And I myselfe, with a brode arow, Shall cleve the apple in two." "Now haste the," then sayd the kyng, 225 "By him that dyed on a tre; But yf thou do not as thou hast sayde,[L227] Hanged shalt thou be. "And thou touche his head or gowne, In syght that men may se, 230 By all the sayntes that be in heaven, I shall hange you all thre." "That I have promised," said William, "I wyl it never forsake;" And there even before the kynge, 235 In the earth he droue a stake,