The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 81v
18 of 31 folios
To Wales fledde þe cistianite /
Of olde britoūs dwellyng in þis Isle
There was hire refut / for þe meene while
¶ But yit nas neuer cristene britoūs so exiled
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That þer nas sōme in here piuyte
Honourede crist and hethen folk bygiled
And neygh þe casteƚƚ swich þer dwelden þre
That oon of hem was blynd and might not se
But it were wiþ þilk eyen of his mynde
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With whiche men seen after þat þai ben blynde
¶ Bright was þe sonne as in þat Someres day
For which þe Constable and his wyf also
And Custance han y take þe righte way
Toward þe see a forlong weye or two
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To pleyen and to Romen to and fro
And in here walk þre blynde men þey mette
Crokede and olde with faste eyen y schette
¶ In the name of crist criede þis blynde bretou~
Dame hermyngild yeue me sight agayn
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This lady wax affrayed of þe soun
Lyst þat hir housbond schortly for to sein
Wolde hire for ihū cristes loue haue slain
Til Custance made hire bold and made hire werche
The wille of crist as dought er of his cherche
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¶ The Constable wax abaisshed of þat sight
And sayde what amounteþ al þis fare
Custance answerde sir it is cristes might
That helpeþ folk out of þe feendes snare
And so ferforth sche gan oure lay declare
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That sche þe Constable or þat it was eue
Conuerteþ and on cryst made him bileeue
¶ This Constable was noþing lord of þis place
Of which I speke þere he Custance fond
But kepte it strongly many a wynt er space
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Vnder . alla . kyng of all Northumberlond
Þat was ful wys and worþy of his hond