‘Yelde the Cloudesley,’ sayd the Justice, ‘And thy bowe and thy arrowes the fro.’-- ‘God’s curse on hys hart,’ sayd fair Alyce, ‘That my husband councelleth so!’-- XXIX ‘Set fyre on the house,’ saide the Sherife, ‘Syth it wyll no better be, And brenne we therin Wyllyam,’ he saide, ‘Hys wyfe and chyldren thre.’ XXX They fyred the house in many a place, The fyre flew up on hye: ‘Alas!’ then cryèd fayre Alyce, ‘I see we here shall dye.’ XXXI Wyllyam openyd a backe wyndowe, That was in hys chamber hie, And there with sheetes he did let downe His wyfe and children three. XXXII ‘Have you here my treasure,’ sayde Wyllyam, ‘My wyfe and my chyldren thre: For Christès love do them no harme, But wreke you all on me.’ XXXIII Wyllyam shot so wonderous well, Tyll hys arrowes were all agoe, And the fyre so fast upon hym fell, That hys bowstryng brent in two. XXXIV The sparkles brent and fell upon Good Wyllyam of Cloudesley: Than was he a wofull man, and sayde, ‘Thys is a cowardes death to me. XXXV ‘Leever had I,’ sayde Wyllyam, ‘With my sworde in the route to renne, Then here among myne enemyes wode[667] Thus cruelly to bren.’ XXXVI He toke hys sword and hys buckler, And among them all he ran, Where the people were most in prece[668], He smot downe many a man. XXXVII There myght no man abyde hys stroakes, So fersly on them he ran: Then they threw windowes and dores on him, And so toke that good yemàn. XXXVIII There they hym bounde both hand and fote, And in a deepe dungeon him cast: ‘Now Cloudesley,’ sayd the Justice, ‘Thou shalt be hangèd in hast.’ XXXIX ‘A payre of new gallowes,’ sayd the Sherife, ‘Now shal I for thee make;’ And the gates of Carleile shal be shutte: No man shal come in therat. XL ‘Then shall not helpe Clym of the Clough, Nor yet shall Adam Bell, Though they came with a thousand mo, Nor all the devels in hell.’ XLI Early in the mornynge the Justice uprose, To the gates first can he gone, And commaunded to be shut full close Lightilè everych-one. XLII Then went he to the markett place, As fast as he coulde hye; There a payre of new gallowes he set up Besyde the pyllorye. XLIII A lytle boy among them asked, What meanèd that gallow-tre? They sayde to hange a good yemàn, Called Wyllyam of Cloudeslèy. XLIV That lytle boye was the towne swyne-heard, And kept fayre Alyce’s swyne; Oft he had seene Wyllyam in the wodde, And geven hym there to dyne. XLV He went out att a crevis of the wall, And lightly to the woode dyd gone; There met he with these wight yemen Shortly and anone. XLVI