The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 81r
19 of 31 folios
410
For in Northumburland þe wawe hir cast
And in þe sond hir schipp stiked so fast
That þennes wold it nought of aƚƚ a tyde
The wille of crist was þat sche scholde abyde
¶ The Constable of þe casteƚƚ doun is fare
415
To seen þis wrak and aƚƚ þe schippe he sought
And fond þis wery wōman ful of care
He fond also þe tresour þat sche brought
In hire langage mercy sche bisougħt
The lyf out of hir body for to twynne
420
Hire to deliuer of wo þat sche was Inne
¶ A maner latyn corupt was hire speche
But algates þer by was sche vnderstonde
The constable whan him list no lengere seche
This woful wōman brought he to þe londe
425
Sche kneeleth doun and þankeþ goddes sonde
But what sche was sche wolde no man seye
For foul ne fair þough þat sche scholde deye
¶ Sche seyde sche was so mased in þe see /
That sche foryat hire mynde by hire trouþe
430
The constable of hire haþ so gret pite
And eek his wyf þat þei weepen for rouþe
Sche was so diligent wiþouten slouþe
To serue and plese euerich in þat place
That aƚƚ hire louen þat loken on hire face
435
¶ The constable and dame hermengheld his wif
Were payens and þat contray euery where
But hermyngeld loued hir right as hire lijf
And Custance haþ so longe soiorned þere
In orisons wiþ many a bitter teere
440
Til Ihū haþ conuerted þurgħ his gace
Dame hermyngeld constablesse of þilke place
¶ In aƚƚ þat land durste no cristene route
Aƚƚ cristene folk ben fled from þat contre
Thurgh payens þat conquereden heer aboute
445
The plages of þe north by land & see