August 16, 1586, there was entered to Edward White, in the
Stationers' Registers, 'A ballad of William Clowdisley neuer
printed before:' Arber, II, 455. This was in all probability the
present piece, afterwards printed with 'Adam Bell' as a Second
Part. The Second Part of Adam Bell was entered to John Wright,
September 24, 1608: Arber, III, 390. The ballad is a pure
manufacture, with no root in tradition, and it is an absurd
extravaganza besides. The copy in the Percy Folio, here collated
with the earliest preserved printed copy, has often the better
readings, but may have been corrected, a has such monstrosities
as y-then, y-so.
| 1 |
List northerne laddes to blither things
Then yet were brought to light,
Performed by our countriemen
In many a fray and fight: |
| 2 |
Of Adam Bell, dim of the Clough,
And William of Cloudisly,
Who were in fauour with the king,
For all their misery. |
| 3 |
Yong William of the wine-seller,
When yeoman he was made,
Gan follow then his father's steps:
He loued a bonny maide. |
| 4 |
'God's crosse,' quoth William, 'if I misse,
And may not of her speed,
I'le make a thousand northern hearts
For very wo to bleed.' |
| 5 |
Gone he is a wooing now,
Our Ladie well him guide!
To merry Mansfield, where I trow
A time he will abide. |
| 6 |
'Soone dop the dore, faire Cicelie bright,
I come with all the hast:
I come a wooing thee for loue,
Here am I come at last.' |
| 7 |
'I know you not,' quoth Cicelie tho,
'From whence that yee bee come;
My loue you may not haue, I trow,
I vow by this faire sonne. |
| 8 |
'For why, my loue is fixt so sure
Vpon another wight;
I swere by sweet Saint Anne, I'le neuer
Abuse him, out of sight. |
| 9 |
'This night I hope to see my loue,
In all his pride and glee;
If there were thousands, none but him
My heart would ioy to see.' |
| 10 |
'God's curse vpon him,' yong William said,
'Before me that hath sped!
A foule ill on the carrion nurse
That first did binde his head!' |
| 11 |
Gan William tho for to prepare
A medicine for that chaffe:
'His life,' quoth he, 'full hard may fare;
Hee 's best to keepe alaffe.' |
| 12 |
He drew then out his bright brown sword,
Which was so bright and keene;
A stouter man and hardier
Nere handled sword, I weene. |
| 13 |
'Browne tempered, strong, and worthy blade,
Vnto thy maister show,
If now to triall thou bee put,
How thou canst bide a blow.' |
| 14 |
Yong William till an oake gan hie,
Which was in compasse round
Well six and fifty inches nie,
And feld it to the ground. |
| 15 |
'So mot he fare,' quoth William tho,
'That for her loue hath laid
Which I haue loued, and nere did know
Him suter till that maide. |
| 16 |
'And now, deare father, stout and strong,
William of Cloudesley,
How happie were thy troubled sonne
If here I mot thee see. |
| 17 |
'And thy too brethren, Adam Bell
And Clim of the Clough;
Against a thousand men, and more,
We foure would be enough. |
| 18 |
'Growne it is full foure a clocke,
And night will come beliue;
Come on, thou lurden, Cislei's loue,
This night must I thee shriue. |
| 19 |
'Prepare thee strong, thou fow[l] black caufe 1
What ere thou be, I weene
I'le giue thy coxcomb saick a gird
In Mansfield as neuer was scene.' |
| 20 |
William a yong faune had slaine,
In Sherwood, merry forrest;
A fairer faune for man's meat
In Sherwood was neuer drest. |
| 21 |
Hee hied then till a northerne lasse,
Not halfe a mile him fro;
He said, Dop dore, thou good old nurse,
That in to thee I goe. |
| 22 |
'I faint with being in the wood;
Lo heere I haue a kid,
Which I haue slo for thee and I;
Come dresse it then, I bid. |
| 23 |
'Fetch bread and other iolly fare,
Whereof thou hast some store;
A blither gest this hundred yeare
Came neuer here before.' |
| 24 |
The good old nant gan hie a pace
To let yong William in;
'A happie nurse,' quoth William then,
'As can be lightly seene. |
| 25 |
'Wend till that house hard by,' quoth he,
'That 'a made of lime and stone,
Where is a lasse, faire Cisse,' hee said;
1 1 loue her as my owne. |
| 26 |
'If thou can fetch her vnto me,
That we may merry be,
I make a vow, in the forrest,
Of deare thou shalt haue fee.' |
| 27 |
'Rest then, faire sir,' the woman said;
'I sweare by good Saint lohn,
I will bring to you that same maide
Full quickly and anon.' |
| 28 |
'Meane time,' quoth William, 'I'le be cooke
And see the faune i-drest;
A stouter cooke did neuer come
Within the faire forrest.' |
| 29 |
Thick blith old lasse had wit enow
For to declare his minde;
So fast she hi'd, and nere did stay,
But left William behind. |
| 30 |
Where William, like a nimble cooke,
Is dressing of the fare,
And for this damsell doth he looke;
4 1 would that she were here!' |
| 31 |
'Good speed, blithe Cisse,' quoth that old lasse;
'God dild yee,' quoth Cisley againe;
'How done you, nant lone?' she said,
'Tell me it, I am faine.' |
| 32 |
The good old lone said weele she was,
'And common in an arrand till you;
For you must to my cottage gone,
Full quick, I tell you true; |
| 33 |
'Where we full merry meane to be,
All with my elder lad:'
When Cissley heard of it, truely,
She was exceeding glad. |
| 34 |
'God's curse light on me,' quoth Cissley tho,
'If with you I doe not hie;
I neuer ioyed more forsooth
Then in your company.' |
| 35 |
Happy the good-wife thought her selfe
That of her purpose she had sped,
And home with Cisley she doth come,
So lightly did they tread. |
| 36 |
And comming in, here William soone
Had made ready his fare;
The good old wife did wonder much
So soone as she came there. |
| 37 |
Cisley to William now is come,
God send her mickle glee!
Yet was she in a maze, God wot,
When she saw it was hee. |
| 38 |
'Had I beene ware, good sir,' she said,
'Of that it had beene you,
I would haue staid at home in sooth,
I tell you very true.' |
| 39 |
'Faire Cisley,' then said William kind,
'Misdeeme thou not of mee;
I sent not for thee to the end
To do thee iniury. |
| 40 |
'Sit downe, that we may talke a while,
And eate all of the best
And fattest kidde that euer was slaine
In merry Sirwood forrest.' |
| 41 |
His louing words wan Cisley then
To keepe with him a while;
But in the meane time Cislei's loue
Of her was tho beguile. |
| 42 |
A stout and sturdie man he was
Of quality and kind,
And knowne through all the north country
To beare a noble minde. |
| 43 |
But what,' quoth William, do I care?
If that he meane to weare,
First let him winne; els neuer shall
He haue the maide, I sweare.' |
| 44 |
Full softly is her louer come,
And knocked at the dore;
But tho he mist of Cislei's roome,
Whereat he stampt and swore. |
| 45 |
'A mischief on his heart,' quoth he,
'That hath enlured the maide
To be with him in company!'
He car'd not what he sayd. |
| 46 |
He was so with anger mooued
He sware a well great oth,
'Deere should he pay, if I him knew,
Forsooth and by my troth!' |
| 47 |
Gone he is to finde her out,
Not knowing where she is;
Still wandring in the weary wood,
His true-loue he doth misse. |
| 48 |
William purchast hath the game,
Which he doth meane to hold:
'Come rescew her, and if you can,
And dare to be so bold!' |
| 49 |
At length when he had wandred long
About the forrest wide,
A candle-light a furlong off
Full quickly he espied. |
| 50 |
Then to the house he hied him fast,
Where quickly he gan here
The voice of his owne deere true-loue,
A making bonny cheere. |
| 51 |
Then gan he say to Cisley tho,
Cisley, come a way!
I haue beene wandring thee to finde
Since shutting in of day. |
| 52 |
'Who calls f aire Cisse?' quoth William then;
'What carle dares bee so bold
Once to aduenture to her to speake
Whom I haue now in hold?' |
| 53 |
'List thee, faire sir,' quoth Cislei's loue,
'Let quickly her from you part;
For all your lordly words, I sweare
I'le haue her, or make you smart.' |
| 54 |
Yong William to his bright browne sword
Gan quickly then to take:
'Because thou so dost challenge me,
I'le make thy kingdome quake. |
| 55 |
'Betake thee to thy weapon strong;
Faire time I giue to thee;
And for my loue as well as thine
A combat fight will I.' |
| 56 |
'Neuer let sonne,' quoth Cislei's loue,
'Shine more vpon my head,
If I doe flie, by heauen aboue,
Wert thou a giant bred.' |
| 57 |
To bilbo-blade gat William tho,
And buckler stiffe and strong;
A stout battaile then they fought,
Well nie two houres long. |
| 58 |
Where many a grieuous wound was giue
To each on either part;
Till both the champions then were droue
Almost quite out of heart. |
| 59 |
Pitteous mone faire Cisley made,
That all the forrest rong;
The grieuous shrikes made such a noise,
She had so shrill a tongue. |
| 60 |
At last came in the keepers three,
With bowes and arrowes keene,
Where they let flie among these two,
An hundred as I weene. |
| 61 |
William, stout and strong in heart,
When he had them espied,
Set on corrage for his part;
Among the thickst he hied. |
| 62 |
The chief e ranger of the woods
At first did William smite;
Where, at on blow, he smot his head
Fro off his shoulders quite. |
| 63 |
And being in so furious tcenc,
About him then he laid;
He slew immediatly the wight
Was sutor to the maide. |
| 64 |
Great moane was then made;
The like was neuer heard;
Which made the people all around
To crie, they were so feard. |
| 65 |
'Arme! arme!' the country cried,
'For God's loue quickly hie!'
Neuer was such a slaughter seene
In all the north country. |
| 66 |
Will[iam] still, though wounded sore,
Continued in his fight
Till he had slaine them all foure,
That very winter-night. |
| 67 |
All the country then was raisd,
The traytor for to take
That for the loue of Cisley faire
Had all this slaughter make. |
| 68 |
To the woods hied William tho
'T was best of all his play
Where in a caue with Cisley faire
He liued many a day. |
| 69 |
Proclamation then was sent
The country all around,
The lord of Mansfield should he be
That first the traytor found. |
| 70 |
Till the court these tydings came,
Where all men did bewaile
The yong and lusty William,
Which so had made them quaile. |
| 71 |
Hied vp then William Cloudesley,
And lustie Adam Bell,
And famous Clim of the Clough,
Which three then did excell. |
| 72 |
To the king they hied them fast,
Full quickly and anon;
'Mercy I pray,' quoth old William,
'For William my sonne.' |
| 63 |
'No mercy, traitors,' quoth the king,
'Hangd shall yee be all foure;
Vnder my nose this plot haue you laid
To bringe to passe before.' |
| 64 |
'In sooth,' bespake then Adam Bell,
'Ill signe Your Grace hath seene
Of any such comotion
Since with you we haue beene. |
| 65 |
'If then we can no mercy haue,
But leese both life and goods,
Of your good grace we take our leaue
And hie vs to the woods.' |
| 76 |
'Arme, arme,' then quoth the king,
'My merry men euerychone,
Full fast againe these rebbells now
Vnto the woods are gone. |
| 77 |
'A, wo is vs! what shall we doo,
Or which way shall we worke,
To hunt them forth out of the woods,
So traytrouslie there that lurke?' |
| 78 |
'List you,' quoth a counsellor graue,
A wise man he seemd;
The[n] craued the king his pardon free
Vnto them to haue deemd. |
| 79 |
'God's forbod!' quoth the king,
'I neuer it will do 1
For they shall hang, each mother's sonne;
Faire sir, I tell you true.' |
| 80 |
Fifty thousand men were charged
After them for to take;
Some of them, set in sundry townes,
In companies did waite. |
| 81 |
To the woods gan some to goe,
In hope to find them out;
And them perforce they thought to take,
If they might find them out. |
| 82 |
To the woods still as they came
Dispatched still they were;
Which made full many a trembling heart,
And many a man in feare. |
| 83 |
Still the outlawes, Adam Bell
And Clim of the Clough,
Made iolly cheere with venison,
Strong drinke and wine enough. |
| 84 |
'Christ me blesse!' then said our king,
'Such men were neuer knowne;
They are the stoutest-hearted men
That manhoode euer showne. |
| 85 |
'Come, my secretary good,
And cause to be declared
A general! pardone to them all,
Which neuer shall be discared. |
| 86 |
'Lining plenty shall they haue,
Of gold and eke of fee,
If they will, as they did before,
Come Hue in court with me.' |
| 87 |
Sodenly went forth the newes,
Declared by trumpets sound,
Whereof these three were well aduis'd,
In caue as they were in ground. |
| 88 |
'But list you, sirs,' quoth William yong,
'I dare not trust the king;
It is some fetch is in his head,
Whereby to bring vs in. |
| 89 |
'Nay, stay we here: or first let me
A messenger be sent
Vnto the court, where I may know
His Maiestie's intent.' |
| 90 |
This pleased Adam Bell:
'So may we Hue in peace,
We are at his most high command,
And neuer will we cease. |
| 91 |
'But if that still we shall be vrged,
And called by traitrous name,
And threated hanging for euery thing,
His Highnesse is to blame. |
| 91 |
'Neare had His Grace subiects more true,
And sturdier then wee,
Which are at His Highnesse will;
God send him well to bee!' |
| 93 |
So to the court is yong William gone,
To parley with the king,
Where all men to the king's presence
Did striue him for to bring. |
| 94 |
When he before the king was come,
He kneeled down full low;
He shewed quickly to the king
What duty they did owe; |
| 95 |
In such delightfull order blith,
The king was quickly wonne
To comfort them in their request,
As he before had done. |
| 96 |
'Fetch bread and drinke,' then said His Grace,
'And meat all of the best;
And stay all night here at the court,
And soundly take thy rest.' |
| 97 |
'Gramercies to Your Grace,' said William,
'For pardon graunted I see:'
'For signe thereof, here take my scale,
And for more certainty.' |
| 98 |
'God's curse vpon me,' sayd William,
'For my part if I meane
Euer againe to stirre vp strife 1'
It neuer shall bee scene.' |
| 99 |
The nobles all to William came,
He was so stout and trimme,
And all the ladies, for very ioy,
Did come to welcome him. |
| 100 |
'Faire Cisley now I haue to wife,
In field I haue her wonne;'
'Bring her here, for God's loue,' said they all,
'Full welcome shall she be [soone].' |
| 101 |
Forth againe went William backe,
To wood that he did hie,
And to his father there he shewd
The king his pardone free. |
| 102 |
'Health to His Grace,' quoth Adam Bell,
'I beg it on my knee!'
The like said Clim of the Clough,
And William of Cloudesley. |
| 103 |
To the court they all prepare,
Euen as fast as they can hie,
Where graciously they were receiud,
With mirth and merry glee. |
| 104 |
Cisley faire is wend alone
Vpon a gelding faire;
A proprer damsell neuer came
In any courtly ayre. |
| 105 |
'Welcome, Cisley,' said the queene,
'A lady I thee make,
To wait vpon my owne person,
In all my chiefest state.' |
| 106 |
So quickly was this matter done,
Which was so hardly doubted,
That all contentions after that
From court were quickly rowted. |
| 107 |
Fauourable was the king;
So pood they did him finde,
The[y] neuer after sought againe
To vex his royall minde. |
| 108 |
Long time they liued in court,
So neare vnto the king
That neuer after was attempt
Offred for any thing. |
| 109 |
God aboue giue all men grace
In quiet for to Hue,
And not rebelliously abroad
Their princes for to grieue. |
| 110 |
Let not the hope of pardon mooue
A subiect to attempt
His soueraigne's anger, or his loue
From him for to exempt. |
| 111 |
But that all men may ready be
With all their maine and might
To serue the Lord, and loue the King,
In honor, day and night! |
