and in two.

151.
'Thou art the best archer,' then said the king,
'Forsothe that ever I se.'
'And yet for your love,' sayd Wyllyam,
'I wyll do more maystry.

152.
'I have a sonne is seven yere olde,
He is to me full deare;
I wyll hym tye to a stake;
All shall se, that be here;

153.
'And lay an apple upon hys head,
And go syxe score paces hym fro,
And I my selfe with a brode arow
Shall cleve the apple in two.'

154.
'Now haste thee then sayd the kyng,
'By hym that dyed on a tre;
But yf thou do not as thou hest sayde,
Hanged shalt thou be.

155.
'And thou touche his head or gowne,
In syght that men may se,
By all the sayntes that be in heaven,
I shall hange you all thre.'

156.
'That I have promised,' said William,
'I wyll it never forsake.'
And there even before the kynge
In the earth he drove a stake:

157.
And bound therto his eldest sonne,
And bad hym stand styll thereat;
And turned the childes face fro him,
Because he should not stert.

158.
An apple upon his head he set,
And then his bowe he bent:
Syxe score paces they were outmet,
And thether Cloudesle went.

159.
There he drew out fayre brode arrowe,
Hys bowe was great and longe,
He set that arrowe in his bowe,
That was both styffe and stronge.

160.
He prayed the people, that wer there,
That they wold still stand,
For he that shoteth for such a wager
Behoveth a stedfast hand.

161.
Muche people prayed for Cloudesle,
That his lyfe saved myght be,
And whan he made hym redy to shote,
There was many a weeping eye.

162.
Thus Cloudesle clefte the apple in two,
That many a man it se:
'Over Gods forbode,' sayde the kinge,
'That thou sholdest shote at me.

163.
'I geve thee eightene pence a day,
And my bowe shalt thou bere,
And over all the north countre
I make the chyfe rydere.'

164.
'And I give thee twelve pence a day,' said the quene,
'By God and by my fay;
Come feche thy payment whan thou wylt,
No man shall say thee nay.'

165.
'Wyllyam, I make thee gentleman
Of clothyng and of fe:
And thy two brethren yemen of my chambre,
For they are so semely to see.

166.
'Your sonne, for he is tendre of age,
Of my wyne-seller shall he be;
And whan he commeth to mannes state,
Better avaunced shall he