"Have here the best, Alice, my wife," Said William of Cloudeslè, "Because ye so boldly stood by me, When I was slain full nigh. Then went they to supper, With such meat as they had, And thanked God of their fortune; They were both merry and glad. (_laund_, glade. _grice_, grey.) And when they had supped well, Certain without any lease, Cloudesle said, "We will to our king, To get us a charter of peace. "Alice shall be at sojourning, In a nunnery here beside; My two sons shall with her go, And there they shall abide. "Mine eldest son shall go with me, For him have I no care, And he shall bring you word again How that we do fare." Thus be these yeomen to London gone, As fast as they might hie, Till they came to the kings palace, Where they would needs be. And when they came to the king's court, Unto the palace gate, Of no man would they aske no leave, But boldly went in thereat. They pressed prestly into the hall, Of no man had they dread; The porter came after and did them call, And with them began to chide. (_lease_, lies. _prestly,_ quickly.) The usher said, "Yeomen, what would ye have? I pray you tell me; You might thus make officers shent: Good sirs, of whence be ye?" "Sir, we be outlaws of the forest, Certain without any lease, And hither we be come to our king, To get us a charter of peace." And when they came before the king, As it was the law of the land, They kneeled down without letting, And each held up his hand. They said, "Lord, we beseech thee here, That ye will grant us grace, For we have slain your fat fallow deer, In many a sundry place." "What be your names?" then said our king, "Anon that you tell me:" They said, "Adam Bel, Clym of the Clough, And William of Cloudeslè." "Be ye those thieves," then said our king, "That men have told of to me? Here to God I make a vow, Ye shall be hanged all three. (_shent_, disgraced.) Ye shall be dead without mercy, As I am king of this land." He commanded his officers everyone Fast on them to lay hand. There they took these good yeomen, And arrested them all three: "So may I thrive," said Adam Bel, "This game liketh not me. "But, good lord, we beseech you now, That you grant us grace, Insomuch as we be to you comen, Or else that we may fro you pass, "With such weapons as we have here, Till we be out of your place; And if we live this hundreth year, We will ask you no grace." "Ye speak proudly," said the king, "Ye shall be hanged all three:" "That were great pity," then said the queen, "If any grace might be. "My lord, when I came first into this land, To be your wedded wife, The first boon that I would ask, Ye would grant it me belife; (_belife_, at once.)