The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 83r
15 of 31 folios
¶ O queenes lyuynge in prosperite
555
Duchesses and ȝe ladies euerichone
Haue som routhe on hir aduersite
An emperoures dought er stant allone
Sche haþ no wight to whom to make hir moone
O blood real þat stondest in þis drede /
560
Fer been þi freendes at þy grete neede
¶ This alla king haþ such compassiou~
As gentil herte is fulfild of pite
That from his eyhen ran þe water doū
Now hastilich do fecche a book qd he
565
And if þis knight wol swere how þat sche
This wōman slougħ ȝit wol we vs auyse /
Whom þat we wolde þat schal be oure Iustice
¶ A britoū book y writen with euangiles
Was fette and on þis book he swor anon
570
Sche giltif was in þe mene whiles
An hand him smot vpon þe nekke bon
That doun he feƚƚ at ones as a stoon
And boþe his eyen brust out of his face /
In sigħt of euery body in þat place
575
¶ A vois was herd in general audience
And seyde þou hast disclandred gilteles
The doughter of holy chirche in heigh persence
Thus hast þou doon and ȝet I moot holde my pees
Of þis merueyle agast was aƚƚ þe prees
580
As mzed folk þei stooden euerychone
For drede of wreche saue Custance allone
Gret was þe drede and eek þe repentance
Of hem þat hadden wrong suspecioū
Vpon þis seely Innocent Custance
585
And for þis miracle in conclusioū
And by Custance mediaciou~
The king and many anoþer in þat place
Conuerted was þanked be goddes gace
¶ This false knight was slain for his vntrouthe