7
They fired the house in many a place,
The fire flew up on hie;
Alas! then cried fair Alice,
I see we here shall die.
William opened a back window,
That was in his chamber hie,
And there with sheets he did let down
His wife and children three.
Here you have my treasure, he said,
My wife and children three:
For Christ’s sake do them no harm,
But wreck you all on me.
William shot so wondrous well,
Till his arrows were all ago,
And the fire so fast upon him fell,
That his bowstring brent in two.
The sparkles brent and fell upon
Good William of Cloudeslie;
Then was he a wofull man, and said,
This is a coward’s death to die.
Leever had I, said William then,
With my sword in the route to renne,
Then here among my enemies wode,
Thus eruelly to brene.
He took his sword and his buckler,
And among them all he ran;
Where the people were most in prece
He smote down many a man.
There might no man abide his strokes,
So fiercely on them he ran;
Then they threw windows and doors on him,
And so took that good yeoman.
