6 ‘Soone dop the dore, faire Cicelie bright, I come with all the hast: I come a wooing thee for loue, Here am I come at last.’ 7 ‘I know you not,’ quoth Cicelie tho, ‘From whence that yee bee come; My loue you may not haue, I trow, I vow by this faire sonne. 8 ‘For why, my loue is fixt so sure Vpon another wight; I swere by sweet Saint Anne, I’le neuer Abuse him, out of sight. 9 ‘This night I hope to see my loue, In all his pride and glee; If there were thousands, none but him My heart would ioy to see.’ 10 ‘God’s curse vpon him,’ yong William said, ‘Before me that hath sped! A foule ill on the carrion nurse That first did binde his head!’ 11 Gan William tho for to prepare A medicine for that chaffe: ‘His life,’ quoth he, ‘full hard may fare; Hee’s best to keepe alaffe.’ 12 He drew then out his bright brown sword, Which was so bright and keene; A stouter man and hardier Nere handled sword, I weene. 13 ‘Browne tempered, strong, and worthy blade, Vnto thy maister show, If now to triall thou bee put, How thou canst bide a blow.’ 14 Yong William till an oake gan hie, Which was in compasse round Well six and fifty inches nie, And feld it to the ground. 15 ‘So mot he fare,’ quoth William tho, ‘That for her loue hath laid Which I haue loued, and nere did know Him suter till that maide. 16 ‘And now, deare father, stout and strong, William of Cloudesley, How happie were thy troubled sonne If here I mot thee see. 17 ‘And thy too brethren, Adam Bell And Clim of the Clough; Against a thousand men, and more, We foure would be enough. 18 ‘Growne it is full foure a clocke, And night will come beliue; Come on, thou lurden, Cislei’s loue, This night must I thee shriue. 19 ‘Prepare thee strong, thou fow[l] black caufe! What ere thou be, I weene I’le giue thy coxcomb saick a gird In Mansfield as neuer was seene.’ 20 William a yong faune had slaine, In Sherwood, merry forrest; A fairer faune for man’s meat In Sherwood was neuer drest. 21 Hee hied then till a northerne lasse, Not halfe a mile him fro; He said, Dop dore, thou good old nurse, That in to thee I goe. 22 ‘I faint with being in the wood; Lo heere I haue a kid, Which I haue slo for thee and I; Come dresse it then, I bid. 23 ‘Fetch bread and other iolly fare, Whereof thou hast some store; A blither gest this hundred yeare Came neuer here before.’ 24 The good old nant gan hie a pace To let yong William in; ‘A happie nurse,’ quoth William then, ‘As can be lightly seene. 25 ‘Wend till that house hard by,’ quoth he, ‘That’s made of lime and stone, Where is a lasse, faire Cisse,’ hee said; ‘I loue her as my owne.