You might thus make officers shent,
Good sirs, of whence be ye?"
"Sir, we be outlaws of the for-est,
Certain without any lease,
And hither we be come to our King,
To get us a charter of peace."--

And when they came before the King,
As it was the law of the land,
They kneel-ed down without lett-ing,
And each held up his hand.
They said: "Lord, we beseech thee here,
That ye will grant us grace:
For we have slain your fat fallow deer
In many a sundry place."--

"What be your names?" then said our King,
"Anon that you tell me."
They said: "Adam Bell, Clym of the Clough,
And William of Cloudeslie."--
"Be ye those thieves," then said our King,
"That men have told of to me?
Here to God I make avowe
Ye shall be hanged all three!

"Ye shall be dead without merc-y,
As I am King of this land."
He commanded his officers every one
Fast on them to lay hand.
There they took these good yeomen;