Pardon, my lord and father dear,

This fair young knight and me: Trust me, but for the carlish knight, I never had fled from thee.

Oft have you called your Emmeline
Your darling and your joy;

O let not then your harsh resolves

Your Emmeline destroy.

The baron he stroked his dark-brown cheek,

And turned his head aside

To wipe away the starting tear
He proudly strove to hide.

In deep revolving thought he stood,

And mused a little space:

Then raised fair Emmeline from the ground,

With many a fond embrace.

Here, take her, Childe of Elle, he said,

And gave her lily hand;

Here, take my dear and only child,

And with her half my land:

Thy father once mine honour wronged

In days of youthful pride;

Do thou the injury repair

In fondness for thy bride.

And as thou love her, and hold her dear,

Heaven prosper thee and thine :

And now my blessing wend wi' thee,

My lovely Emmeline.

PART THE FIRST.

ERRY it was in the green forest
Among the leavès green,

Wherein men hunt east and west
With bows and arrows keen;

To raise the deer out of their den;
Such sights hath oft been seen;

As by three yeomen of the north countrèy,
By them it is I mean.

The one of them hight† Adam Bell,
The other Clym of the Clough,

The third was William of Cloudesly,
An archer good enough.

* Clem (Clement) of the cliff.

+ Called.