"Alas, treason!" cried Alice, "Ever woe may thou be!-- Go into my chamber, my husband," she said, "Sweet William of Cloudeslie." He took his sword and his buckl-er, His bow and his children three, And went into his strongest chamber, Where he thought surest to be.

Fair Al-ice followed him as a lover true, With a poleaxe in her hand: "He shall be dead that here cometh in This door, while I may stand." Cloudeslie bent a well-good bow, That was of trusty tree, He smote the Justice on the breast, That his arrow burst in three.

"God's curse on his heart!" said William, "This day thy coat did on, If it had been no better than mine, It had gone near thy bone!" "Yield thee, Cloudeslie," said the Justice, "And thy bow and thy arrows thee fro!" "God's curse on his heart," said fair Al-ice, "That my husband counselleth so!"

"Set fire on the house," said the Sheriff, "Sith it will no better be, And burn we therein William," he said, "His wife and his children three!" They fired the house in many a place, The fire flew up on high; "Alas," then cried fair Al-ice, "I see we shall here die!"

William opened his back wind-ow, That was in his chamber on high, And with shet-es let his wif-e down, And his children three. "Have here my treasure," said Willi-am, "My wife and my children three; For Christ-es love do them no harm, But wreak you all on me."

William shot so wondrous well, Till his arrows were all gone, And the fire so fast upon him fell, That his bowstring burnt in two. The sparkles burnt, and fell upon, Good William of Cloudeslie! But then was he a woeful man, and said, "This is a coward's death to me.

"Liever I had," said Willi-am, "With my sword in the rout to run, Than here among mine enemies' wood, Thus cruelly to burn." He took his sword and his buckler then, And among them all he ran, Where the people were most in press, He smote down many a man.

There might no man abide his stroke, So fiercely on them he ran; Then they threw windows and doors on him, And so took that good yeom-an. There they bound him hand and foot, And in a deep dungeon him cast: "Now, Cloudeslie," said the high Just-ice, "Thou shalt be hanged in haste!"