me;
He that maketh this grave for me,
Himself may lie therein."--
"Thou speakest proudly," said the Justice;
"I shall hang thee with my hand."
Full well that heard his brethren two,
There still as they did stand.

Then Cloudeslie cast his eyen aside,
And saw his two brethren
At a corner of the market-place,
Ready the Justice to slain.
"I see good comfort," said Cloudeslie,
"Yet hope I well to fare;
If I might have my hands at will,
Right little would I care."

Then spake good Adam Bell
To Clym of the Clough so free,
"Brother, see ye mark the Justice well;
Lo, yonder ye may him see;
And at the Sheriff shoot I will
Strongly with arrow keen."
A better shot in merry Carlisle
This seven year was not seen.

They loosed their arrows both at once,
Of no man had they drede;
The one hit the Justice, the other the Sheriff,
That both their sides gan bleed.
All men voided, that them stood nigh,
When the Justice fell to the ground,
And the Sheriff fell nigh him by,
Either had his death's wound.

All the citizens fast gan flee,
They durst no longer abide;
Then lightly they loos-ed Cloudeslie,
Where he with ropes lay tied.
William stert to an officer of the town,
His axe out of his hand he wrong,
On each-e side he smote them down,
Him thought he tarried too long.

William said to his brethren two:
"Together let us live and dee;
If e'er you have need, as I have now,
The same shall ye find by me."
They shot so well in that tide,
For their strings were of silk full sure,
That they kept the streets on every side,
That battle did long endure.

They fought together as brethren true,
Like hardy men and bold;
Many a man to the ground they threw,
And many an heart made cold.
But when their arrows were all gone,
Men pressed to them full fast;
They drew their sword-es then anon,
And their bow-es from them cast.

They went lightly on their way,
With swords and bucklers round;
By that it was the middes of the day,
They had made many a wound.
There was many a neat-horn in Carlisle blown,
And the bells back-ward did ring;
Many a woman said "Alas!"
And many their hands did wring.

The Mayor of Carlisle forth