Nor all the devels in hell.'

41.
Early in the mornyng the justice uprose,
To the gates fast gan he gon,
And commaunded to be shut full close
Lightile everychone.

42.
Then went he to the markett place,
As fast as he coulde hye;
A payre of new gallowes there dyd he up set,
Besyde the pyllorye.

43.
A lytle boy stood them among,
And asked what meaned that gallow-tre?
They sayde, 'To hange a good yeman,
Called Wyllyam of Cloudesle.'

44.
That lytle boye was the towne swyne-heard,
And kept fayre Alyce swyne;
Full oft he had seene Cloudesle in the wodde,
And geven hym there to dyne.

45.
He went out of a crevis in the wall,
And lightly to the woode dyd gone;
There met he with these wight yonge men
Shortly and anone.

46.
'Alas!' then sayde that lytle boye,
'Ye tary here all too longe;
Cloudeslee is taken, and dampned to death,
All readye for to honge.'

47.
'Alas!' then sayd good Adam Bell,
'That ever we see thys daye!
He might here with us have dwelled,
So ofte as we dyd him praye.

48.
'He myght have taryed in grene foreste,
Under the shadowes sheene,
And have kepte both hym and us in reste,
Out of trouble and teene.'

49.
Adam bent a ryght good bow,
A great hart sone had he slayne:
'Take that, chylde,' he sayde, 'to thy dynner,
And bryng me myne arrowe agayne.'

50.
'Now go we hence,' sayed these wight yong men,
'Tarry we no longer here;
We shall hym borowe, by God's grace,
Though we buy itt full dere.'

51.
To Caerlel wente these good yemen,
In a mery mornyng of Maye.
Here is a fyt of Cloudesly,
And another is for to saye.

52.
And when they came to mery Caerlell,
In a fayre mornyng-tyde,
They founde the gates shut them untyll
Round about on every syde.

53.
'Alas!' than sayd good Adam Bell,
'That ever we were made men!
These gates be shut so wonderly well,
That we may not come herein.'

54.
Than spake Clym of the Clough,
'Wyth a wyle we wyl us in bryng;
Let us saye we be messengers,
Streyght comen from our king.'

55.
Adam said, 'I have a letter written wele,
Now let us wysely werke,
We wyl saye we have the kynges seale;
I holde the porter no clerke.'

56.
Than Adam Bell bete on the gate
With strokes great and stronge:
The porter herde suche a