The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 82r
17 of 31 folios
Agayn þe Scottes as men may wel heere
But torne I wil again to my mateere
¶ Sathan þat euer vs wayteth to begile
485
Saugh of Custance al hire parfeccioū
And cast anon how he might quite hir while
And made a yong knigħt þat dwelte in þe toun
Loue hire so hoot of fowl affeccioū
That verraily him þougħt he schulde spille
490
But he of hire might ones haue his wille
¶ He woweth hire but it auaileþ nougħt
Sche wolde do no synne by no weye
And for dispit he compassed in his þougħt
To make hir on schameful deþ to deye
495
He wayteþ whan þe Constable was aweye
And priuyly vpon a night he crept
In hermyngildes chambre whil sche slept
¶ Wery for waked in his orisons
Slepeth Custance and hermēghild also
500
This knight þurgħ Sathanas temptacioūs
Al softely is to þe bedde I go
And kutte þe þrote of hermengild a tuo
And leyde þe blody knyf by dame Custance
And wente his wey þer god yeue him meschance
505
¶ Sone after comth þis constable hom a gayn
And eek Alla þat king was of þat lond
And saugh his wyf dispitousliche slain
For which ful ofte he wepte and wrong his hond
And in þe bed þe bloody knyf he fond
510
By dame Custance allas what might sche seye
Fo verray woo hir witte was aƚƚ aweye
¶ To king Alla was told al þis meschance
And eek þe tyme and wher and in what wise
That in a schip was founde þis Custance
515
As heer biforn ȝe han herd eer deuise
The kinges herte of pite gan agrise
Whan he seih so benigne a creature