He asks the earl for leave to marry her, and the earl refuses, threatening to beat his daughter. Will says that if he beats her, he will have to fight all his men; John says that if he had to refuse, he might have done so courteously.
Will asks the earl for permission to marry his daughter, but the earl refuses and threatens violence against her. Will says that if the earl physically harms her, he will be forced to engage in a fight with all of his men; John suggests that if he had to refuse, he would have done so respectfully.