"Tarry we no longer here; We shall him borrow, by God's grace, Though we buy it full dear." (_teen_, woe. _borrow_, rescue.) To Carlisle went these good yeomen, On a merry morning of May: Here is a fit of Cloudeslè, And another is for to say. [THE SECOND FIT.] |And when they came to merry Carlisle, In a fair morning tide, They found the gates shut them until, Round about on every side. "Alas!" then said good Adam Bell, "That ever we were made men! These gates be shut so wonderly well, That we may not come here in." Then spake him Clym of the Clough, "With a wile we will us in bring; Let us say we be messengers, Straight comen from our king." Adam said, "I have a letter written well, Now let us wisely work; We will say we have the king's seal, I hold the porter no clerk." Then Adam Bel beat on the gate, With strokes great and strong; The porter heard such noise thereat, And to the gate fast he throng. (_throng,_ hurried.) "Who is there now," said the porter, "That maketh all this knocking? "We be two messengers," said Clym of the Clough, "Be comen straight from our king." "We have a letter," said Adam Bel, "To the justice we must it bring; Let us in, our message to do, That we were again to our king." "Here cometh no man in," said the porter, "By Him that died on a tree, Till a false thief be hanged, Called William of Cloudeslè. Then spake the good yeoman Clym of the Clough, And swore by Mary free, "And if that we stand long without, Like a thief hanged shalt thou be. "Lo here we have the kings seal; What! lordeyne, art thou wode?" The porter wend it had been so, And lightly did off his hode. "Welcome be my lord's seal," he said, "For that ye shall come in:" He opened the gate full shortly, An evil opening for him. (_free_, gracious. _lordeyne_, clown. _wode_, mad. _wend_, weened, thought. _hode_, hood.) "Now are we in," said Adam Bel, "Thereof we are full fain, But Christ knoweth that harrowed hell, How we shall come out again." "Had we the keys," said Clym of the Clough, "Right well then should we speed; Then might we come out well enough, When we see time and need." They called the porter to a council, And wrang his neck in two, And cast him in a deep dungeon, And took his keys him fro. "Now am I porter," said Adam Bel, "See, brother, the keys, have we here; The worst porter to merry Carlisle, That ye had this hundred year. "And now will we our bows bend, Into the town will we go, For to deliver our dear brother, That liveth in care and woe." [And thereupon] they bent their bows, And looked their strings were round; The market place of merry Carlisle, They beset in that stound. And as they looked them beside,