Hero-Myths & Legends of the British Race
If they are I will reward you handsomely." "Sir, this night William of
Cloudeslee has come into Carlisle, and is even now in his wife's
house. He is all alone, and you can take him easily. Now what will you
pay me, for I am sure this news is much to you?" "You say truth, good
woman. That bold outlaw is the worst of all who kill the king's deer
in his forest of Englewood, and if I could but catch him I should be
well content. Dame, you shall not go without a recompense for your
journey here and for your loyalty." The sheriff then bade his men give
the old woman a piece of scarlet cloth, dyed in grain, enough for a
gown, and the treacherous hag hid the gift under her cloak, hastened
away to Alice's house, and slipped unperceived into her place again,
hiding the scarlet cloth under the bed-coverings.
The Hue and Cry
Immediately he had heard of Cloudeslee's presence in Carlisle the
sheriff sent out the hue and cry, and with all speed raised the whole
town, for though none hated the outlaws men dared not refuse to obey
the king's officer. The justice, too, joined the sheriff in the
congenial task of capturing an outlaw whose condemnation was already
pronounced. With all the forces at their disposal, sheriff and justice
took their way towards the house where William and Alice unconscious
of the danger besetting them, still talked lovingly together.
Suddenly the outlaw's ears, sharpened by woodcraft and by constant
danger, heard a growing noise coming nearer and nearer. He knew the
sound of the footsteps of many people, and among the casual shuffling
of feet recognised the ominous tramp of soldiers.
"Wife, we are betrayed," cried William. "Hither comes the sheriff to
take me."
The Siege of the House
Alice ran quickly up to her bedchamber and opened a window looking to
the back, and saw, to her despair, that soldiers beset the house on
every side and filled all the neighbouring streets. Behind them
pressed a great throng of citizens, who seemed inclined to leave the
capture of the outlaw to the guard. At the same moment William from
the front called to his wife that the sheriff and justice were
besieging the house on that side.
"Alas! dear husband, what shall we do?" cried Alice. "Accursed be all
treason! But who can have betrayed you to your foes? Go into my
bedchamber, dear William, and defend yourself there, for it is the
strongest room in the house. The children and I will go with you, and
I will guard the door while you defend the windows."
The plan was speedily carried out, and while William took his stand by
the window Alice seized a pole-axe and stationed herself by the door.
"No man shall enter this door alive while I live," said she.
The Attack
From the window Cloudeslee could perceive his mortal enemies the
justice and the sheriff; and drawing his good longbow, he shot with
deadly aim fair at the breast of the justice. It was well for the
latter then that he wore a suit of good chain-mail under his robes;
the arrow hit his breast and split in three on the mail.
"Beshrew the man that clad you with that mail coat! You would have
been a dead man now if your coat had been no thicker than mine," said
William.
"Yield yourself, Cloudeslee, and lay down your bow and arrows," said
the justice. "You cannot escape, for we have you safe."
"Never shall my husband yield; it is evil counsel you give," exclaimed
the brave wife from her post at the door.
The House is Burnt
The sheriff, who grew more angered as the hours passed on and
Cloudeslee was not taken, now cried aloud: "Why do we waste time
trifling here? The man is an outlaw and his life is forfeit. Let us
burn him and his house, and if his wife and children will not leave
him they shall all burn together, for it is their own choice."
This cruel plan was soon carried out. Fire was set to the door and
wooden shutters, and the flames spread swiftly; the smoke rolled up in
thick clouds into the lofty bedchamber, where the little children,
crouching on the ground, began to weep for fear.
"Alas! must we all die?" cried fair Alice, grieving for her children.
William opened the window and looked out, but there was no chance of
escape; his foes filled every street and lane around the house.
"Surely they will spare my wife and babes," he thought; and, tearing
the sheets from the bed, he made a rope, with which he let down to the
ground his children, and last of all his weeping wife.
He called aloud to the sheriff: "Sir Sheriff, here have I trusted to
you my chief treasures. For God's sake do them no harm, but wreak all
your wrath on me!"
Gentle hands received Alice and her babes, and friendly citizens led
them from the press; but Alice went reluctantly, in utter grief,
knowing that her husband must be burnt with his house or taken by his
foes; but for her children she would have stayed with him. William
continued his wonderful archery, never missing his aim, till all his
arrows were spent, and the flames came so close that his bowstring was
burnt in two. Great blazing brands came falling upon him from the
burning roof, and the floor was hot beneath his feet. "An evil death
is this!" thought he. "Better it were that I should take sword and
buckler and leap down amid my foes and so die, striking good blows in
the throng of enemies, than stay here and let them see me burn."
Thereupon he leaped lightly down, and fought so fiercely that he
nearly escaped through the throng, for the worthy citizens of Carlisle
were not anxious to capture him; but the soldiers, urged by the
sheriff and justice, threw doors and windows upon him, hampered his
blows, and seized and bound him, and cast him into a deep dungeon.
The Sheriff Gives Sentence
"Now, William of Cloudeslee," quoth the sheriff, "you shall be hanged
with speed, as soon as I can have a new gallows made. So noted an
outlaw merits no common gibbet; a new one is most fitting.
To-morrow at prime you shall die. There is no hope of rescue, for the
gates of the town shall be shut. Your dear friends, Adam Bell and Clym
of the Cleugh, would be helpless to save you, though they brought a
thousand more like themselves, or even all the devils in Hell."
Early next morning the justice arose, went to the soldiers who guarded
the gates, and forbade them to open till the execution was over; then
he went to the market-place and superintended the erection of a
specially lofty gallows, beside the pillory.
News is Brought to the Greenwood
Among the crowd who watched the gallows being raised was a little lad,
the town swineherd, who asked a bystander the meaning of the new
gibbet.
"It is put up to hang a good yeoman, William of Cloudeslee, more's the
pity! He has done no wrong but kill the King's deer, and that merits
not hanging. It is a foul shame that such injustice can be wrought in
the king's name."
The little lad had often met William of Cloudeslee in the forest, and
had carried him messages from his wife; William had given the boy many
a dinner of venison, and now he determined to help his friend if he
could. The gates were shut and no man could pass out, but the boy
stole along the wall till he found a crevice, by which he clambered
down outside. Then he hastened to the forest of Englewood, and met
Adam Bell and Clym of the Cleugh.
"Come quickly, good yeomen; ye tarry here too long. While you are at
ease in the greenwood your friend, William of Cloudeslee, is taken,
condemned to death, and ready to be hanged. He needs your help this
very hour."
Adam Bell groaned. "Ah! if he had but taken our advice he would have
been here in safety with us now. In the greenwood there is no sorrow
or care, but when William went to the town he was running into
trouble." Then, bending his bow, he shot with unerring aim a hart,
which he gave to the lad as recompense for his labour and goodwill.
The Outlaws Go to Carlisle
"Come," said Clym to Adam Bell, "let us tarry no longer, but take our
bows and arrows and see what we can do. By God's grace we will rescue
our brother, though we may abide it full dearly ourselves. We will go
to Carlisle without delay."
The morning was fair as the two yeomen strode from the deep green
shades of Englewood Forest along the hard white road leading to
Carlisle Town. They were in time as yet, but when they drew near the
wall they were amazed to see that no entrance or exit was possible;
the gates were shut fast.
Stepping back into the green thickets beside the road, the two outlaws
consulted together. Adam Bell was for a valiant attempt to storm the
gate, but Clym suddenly bethought him of a wiser plan.
Clym's Stratagem
Said he: "Let us pretend to be messengers from the king, with urgent
letters to the justice. Surely that should win us admission. But alas!
I forgot. How can we bear out our pretence, for I am no learned clerk.
I cannot write."
Quoth Adam Bell: "I can write a good clerkly hand. Wait one instant
and I will speedily have a letter written; then we can say we have the
king's seal. The plan will do well enough, for I hold the gate-keeper
no learned clerk, and this will deceive him."
Indeed, the letter which he quickly wrote and folded and sealed was
very well and clearly written, and addressed to the Justice of
Carlisle. Then the two bold outlaws hastened up the road and thundered
on the town gates.
They Enter the Town
So long and loud they knocked that the warder came in great wrath,
demanding who dared to make such clamour.
Adam Bell replied: "We are two messengers come straight from our lord
the king." Clym of the Cleugh added: "We have a letter for the justice
which we must deliver into his own hands. Let us in speedily to
perform our errand, for we must return to the king in haste."
"No," the warder replied, "that I cannot do. No man may enter these
gates till a false thief and outlaw be safely hanged. He is William of
Cloudeslee, who has long deserved death."
Now Clym saw that matters were becoming desperate, and time was
passing too quickly, so he adopted a more violent tone. "Ah, rascal,
scoundrel, madman!" quoth he. "If we be delayed here any longer thou
shalt be hanged for a false thief! To keep the king's messengers
waiting thus! Canst thou not see the king's seal? Canst thou not read
the address of the royal letter? Ah, blockhead, thou shalt dearly
abide this delay when my lord knows thereof."
Thus speaking, he flourished the forged letter, with its false seal,
in the porter's face; and the man, seeing the seal and the writing,
believed what was told him. Reverently he took off his hood and bent
the knee to the king's messengers, for whom he opened wide the gates,
and they entered, walking warily.
They Keep the Gates
"At last we are within Carlisle walls, and glad thereof are we," said
Adam Bell, "but when and how we shall go out again Christ only knows,
who harrowed Hell and brought out its prisoners."
"Now if we had the keys ourselves we should have a good chance of
life," said Clym, "for then we could go in and out at our own will."
"Let us call the warder," said Adam. When he came running at their
call both the yeomen sprang upon him, flung him to the ground, bound
him hand and foot, and cast him into a dark cell, taking his bunch of
keys from his girdle. Adam laughed and shook the heavy keys. "Now I am
gate-ward of merry Carlisle. See, here are my keys. I think I shall be
the worst warder they have had for three hundred years. Let us bend
our bows and hold our arrows ready, and walk into the town to deliver
our brother."
The Fight in the Market-place
When they came to the market-place they found a dense crowd of