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 G.o.ds 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 G.o.d 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 be.'

167.

'And, Wyllyam, bring me your wife,' said the quene, 'Me longeth sore her to see: She shall be my chefe gentlewoman, And governe my nursery.'

168.

The yemen thanked them full curteously; And sayd, 'To Rome streyght wyll we wend, Of all the synnes that we have done To be a.s.soyled of his hand.'

169.

So forth be gone these good yemen, As fast as they might hye; And after came and dwelled with the kynge, And dyed good men all thre.

170.

Thus endeth the lives of these good yemen; G.o.d send them eternall blysse, And all that with hand-bowe shoteth, That of heven they may never mysse!

[Annotations: 4.4: 'Englyshe-wood,' Inglewood, reaching from Carlisle to Penrith, in c.u.mberland.

5.1: 'lith,' hearken.

9.2: 'pryme,' about 9 a.m. Cp. 72.2.

15.3: 'found,' provided for.

18.4: 'meed,' reward.

26.4: 'brest,' burst, was broken.

29.3: 'brenne,' burn.

32.4: 'wreke,' avenge.

35.1: 'Lever,' rather.

35.2: 'renne,' run.

35.3: 'wode,' fierce.

36.3: 'in prece,' in a press, crowded.

45.3: 'wight,' active.

48.4: 'teene,' sorrow.

50.3: 'borowe,' redeem, liberate.

56.4: 'thronge,' pressed, hastened.

61.2: 'lordane,' sluggard: 'wode,' mad.

68.4: 'stound,' time.

69.3: 'squyers': an earlier text gives 'swerers.'

72.2: 'pryme'; see 9.3, note.

87.1: Horns blown to call the citizens to support the civil authorities.

89.4: 'stoure,' fight, disturbance.

91.4: 'at a braide,' in a moment.

93.3: 'letteth,' hinders.

94.3: 'lynde,' tree: cp. 101.2. Here perhaps it means linden.

96.4: 'meyne,' troop, company.

104.2: 'no bote,' no boot, _i.e._ no advantage.

105.1: 'launde,' lawn, glade, clearing.

105.3: 'a hart of grece,' a fat hart (Fr. graisse).

108.2: 'lease,' falsehood. Cp. 115.2, 132.2, 134.3, _et pa.s.sim_.

113.1: 'presily,' promptly.

114.3: 'shent,' scolded, blamed.

125.4: 'belyfe,' immediately. The word is spelled in many ways.

128.3: 'pay,' satisfaction.

136.1: 'rewth,' pity.

137.2: 'forthynketh me,' seems serious to me, troubles me.

139.3: 'catchipolles,' sheriff's officers.

140.3: 'fosters of the fe,'--'a person who had for some service to the crown a perpetual right of hunting in a forest on paying to the crown a certain rent for the same.' --Halliwell.

144.1: prepared themselves instantly.

150.3: 'bearyng arowe,' ? a very long arrow, such as requires to be carried in the hand. Cf. _Sir Andrew Barton_, 53.3.

155.1: 'And,' if.

158.3: 'outmet,' measured out.

165.2: 'fe,' money.]