"And I asked never none till now, Therefore, good lord, grant it me." "Now ask it, madam," said the king, "And granted shall it be." "Then, my good lord, I you beseech, These yeomen grant ye me:" "Madam, ye might have asked a boon That should have been worth them all three. "Ye might have asked towers and towns, Parks and forests plenty." "None so pleasant to me pay," she said, "Nor none so lief to me." "Madam, sith it is your desire, Your asking granted shall be; But I had liefer have given you Good market towns three." The queen was a glad woman, And said, "Lord, gramercy; I dare undertake for them, That true men shall they be. "But, good lord, speak some merry word, That comfort they may see." "I grant you grace," then said our king, "Wash, fellows, and to meat go ye." They had not setten but a while, Certain without leasing, There came messengers out of the north, With letters to our king. And when they came before the king, They kneeled down upon their knee, And said, "Lord, your officers greet you well, Of Carlisle in the north countrè." "How fares my justice," said the king, "And my sheriff also?" "Sir, they be slain, without leasing, And many an officer moe." "Who hath them slain?" said the king, "Anon thou tell me:" "Adam Bel, and Clym of the Clough, And William of Cloudeslè." "Alas for ruth!" then said our king, "My heart is wondrous sore; I had liefer than a thousand pound, I had known of this before. "For I have granted them grace, And that forthinketh me, But had I known all this before, They had been hanged all three." (_leasing_, lying. _forthinketh_, repenteth.) The king opened the letter anon, Himself he read it thro, And found how these three outlaws had slain Three hundred men and moe. First the justice and the sheriff, And the mayor of Carlisle town; Of all the constables and catchpolls Alive were left not one. The bailiffs and the beadle both, And the sergeants of the law, And forty fosters of the fee, These outlaws had yslaw, And broke his parks, and slain his deer; Over all they chose the best; So perilous outlaws as they were, Walked not by east nor west. When the king this letter had read, In his heart he sighed sore; "Take up the table anon," he bad, "For I may eat no more." The king called his best archers, To the butts with him to go; "I will see these fellows shoot," he said, "In the north have wrought this woe." (_catchpolls_, bumbailiffs. _fosters_, foresters. _of the fee_, in the pay of the king. _yslaw_, slain.) The kings bowmen busk them blithe, And the queen's archers also, So did these three wight yeomen, With them they thought to go. There twice or thrice they shot about, For to essay their hand;