Part 3 (1/2)

Here, take her, Childe of Elle, he said, And gave her lily hand; Here, take my dear and only child, And with her half my land:

Thy father once mine honour wronged In days of youthful pride; Do thou the injury repair In fondness for thy bride.

And as thou love her, and hold her dear, Heaven prosper thee and thine: And now my blessing wend wi' thee, My lovely Emmeline.

FOOTNOTES:

[26] Knight.

[27] Bedeck'd.

[28] Eyes.

[29] Churlish.

[30] Stopped.

[31] Lose.

[32] Go.

[33] Good.

[34] Much grief.

ADAM BELL, CLYM OF THE CLOUGH,[35] AND WILLIAM OF CLOUDESLY.

PART THE FIRST.

Merry it was in the green forest Among the leaves green, Wherein men hunt east and west With bows and arrows keen;

To raise the deer out of their den; Such sights hath oft been seen; As by three yeomen of the north countrey, By them it is I mean.

The one of them hight[36] Adam Bell, The other Clym of the Clough, The third was William of Cloudesly, An archer good enough.

They were outlawed for venison, These yeomen everyone; They swore together upon a day, To English wood to be gone.

Now lithe and listen, gentlemen, That of mirth loveth to hear: Two of them were single men, The third had a wedded fere.[37]

William was the wedded man, Much more then was his care: He said to his brethren upon a day, To Carlisle he would fare,[38]

For to speak with fair Alice his wife, And with his children three.

By my troth, said Adam Bell, Not by the counsel of me:

For if ye go to Carlisle, brother, And from this wild wood wend, If that the justice should you take, Your life were at an end.

If that I come not to-morrow, brother, By pryme[39] to you again, Trust you then that I am taken Or else that I am slain.

He took his leave of his brethren two, And to Carlisle he is gone: There he knock'd at his own window Shortly and anon.