( 21 )
And broke his parks and slain his deer,
Of all they choos’d the best;
So perilous out-laws they were,
Walked not east or west.
When the king this letter had read,
In heart he sighed full sore;
Take up the table, then said he,
For I can eat no more.
The king then call’d his best archers,
The butts with him to go;
I’ll see these fellows shot, said he,
Who hath wrought all this woe.
The king’s bow-men busk’d them blythe,
The queen’s archers also;
And so did these wight yeomen,
With whom they thought to go.
There twice or thrice they shot about,
For to essay their hand;
There was no shot these yeomen shot,
That any prick might stand.
Then spake William of Cloudeslie,
By him that by me dy’d,
I hold him ne'er a good archer,
That shoots at butts so wide
Whereat then, boldly said the king,
I pray thee tell to me;
At such a bu(illegible text), Sir, then he said,
As us’d in our country.
William went into the field,
His two brethren with him:
