This is mentioned, because, since it was first published, the History of the English Stage hath been copiously handled by Mr. Thomas Warton in his "History of English Poetry, 1774," &c., 3 vols. 4to (wherein is inserted whatever in these volumes fell in with his subject); and by Edmond Malone, Esq., who, in his "Historical Account of the English Stage" (Shaksp. vol. i. pt. ii. 1790), hath added greatly to our knowledge of the economy and usages of our ancient theatres.

END OF THE ESSAY.

I.

Adam Bell, Clym of the Clough, and
William of Cloudesly

were three noted outlaws, whose skill in archery rendered them formerly as famous in the North of England as Robin Hood and his fellows were in the midland counties. Their place of residence was in the forest of Englewood, not far from Carlisle (called corruptly in the ballad English-wood, whereas Engle- or Ingle-wood, signifies wood for firing). At what time they lived does not appear. The author of the common ballad on The Pedigree, Education, and Marriage of Robin Hood, makes them contemporary with Robin Hood's father, in order to give him the honour of beating them: viz.—

"The father of Robin a Forester was,

And he shot in a lusty long-bow

Two north-country miles and an inch at a shot,
As the Pindar of Wakefield does know :

"For he brought Adam Bell, and Clim of the Clough,
And William a Clowdéslee

To shoot with our Forester for forty mark;
And our Forester beat them all three.

Collect. of Old Ballads, 1727, vol. i. p. 67.

This seems to prove that they were commonly thought to have lived before the popular hero of Sherwood.

Our northern archers were not unknown to their southern countrymen, their excellence at the long-bow is often alluded to by our ancient poets. Shakspeare, in his comedy of Much Ado about Nothing, act i., makes Benedicke confirm his resolves of not yielding to love by this protestation, "If I do, hang me in a bottle like a cat, and shoot at me; and he that hits me, let him be clapt on the shoulder and called Adam:" meaning Adam Bell, as Theobald rightly observes, who refers to one or two other passages in our old poets wherein he is mentioned. The Oxford editor has also well conjectured that "Abraham Cupid," in Romeo and Juliet, act ii. sc. 1, should be "Adam Cupid." in allusion to our archer. Ben Jonson has mentioned Clym o' the Clough in his Alchemist, act i. sc. 2. And Sir William Davenant, in a mock poem of his, called The long Vacation in London, describes the attorneys and proctors as making matches to meet in Finsbury-fields.

1 Bottles formerly were of leather; though perhaps a wooden bottle might be here meant. It is still a diversion in Scotland to hang up a cat in a small cask, or firkin, half filled with soot; and then a parcel of clowns on horseback try to beat out the ends of it, in order to show their dexterity in escaping before the contents fall upon them.

"With loynes in canvas bow-case tyde :2
Where arrowes stick with mickle pride;
Like ghosts of Adam Bell and Clymme.
Sol sets for fear they'l shoot at him."

Works, p. 291, fol. 1673.

I have only to add further, concerning the principal hero of this ballad, that the BELLS were noted rogues in the North so late as the time of Queen Elizabeth. See in Rymer's Foedera, a letter from Lord William Howard to some of the officers of state, wherein he mentions them.

As for the following stanzas, which will be judged from the style, orthography, and numbers, to be very ancient, they are given (corrected in some places by a MS. in the Editor's old folio) from a blackletter quarto, Emprinted at London in Lothburye by Wyllyam Capland (no date). That old quarto edition seems to be exactly followed in "Pieces of Ancient Popular Poetry, &c., Lond. 1791," 8vo, the variations from which that occur in the following copy, are selected from many others in the folio MS. above mentioned; and when distinguished by the usual inverted 'comma,' have been assisted by conjecture.

In the same MS. this ballad is followed by another, entitled Young Cloudeslee, being a continuation of the present story, and reciting the adventures of William of Cloudesly's son: but greatly inferior to this both in merit and antiquity.

PART THE FIRST.

MERY it was in the grene forèst
Amonge the levès grene,
Wheras men hunt east and west,
Wyth bowes and arrowes kene,

To ryse the dere out of theyr denne,
Suche sightes hath ofte bene sene,

As by thre yemen of the north countrèy,
By them it is I meane.

The one of them hight Adam Bel,
The other Clym of the Clough,3

The thyrd was William of Cloudesly,
An archer good ynough.

2 i. e. Each with a canvas bow-case tied round his loins.

5

10

3 Clym of the Clough means Clem. [Clement] of the Cliff: for so Clough signifies in the North.

They were outlawed for venyson,
These yemen everychone;

They swore them brethren upon a day,
To Englyshe-wood for to gone.

15

20

Muche more then was hys care:

He sayde to hys brethren upon a day,
To Carleile he would fare,

"If that I come not to-morrowe, brother,

By pryme to you agayne,

Truste you then that I am 'taken,'

35

Or else that I am slayne."

He toke hys leave of hys brethren two,
And to Carleile he is gon;

There he knocked at hys owne windòwe,

66

Thys night," sl ee sayd, "is come to town

Wyllyam of Cloudeslè."

Thereof the justice was full fayne,

And so was the shirife also ;

"Thou shalt not trauaile hether, dame, for nought,

Thy meed thou shalt have ore thou go."

They gave to her a ryght good goune
Of scarlate, and of graine:

She toke the gyft and home she wente,
And couched her doune agayne.

They rysed the towne of

mery Carleile

In all the haste they can,

And came thronging to Wyllyames house,
As fast as they might gone.

There they besette that good yemàn,
Round about on every syde,

Wyllyam hearde great noyse of folkes,

That thither-ward fast hyed.