The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 85r
11 of 31 folios
That he ne schulde suffre in no wise /
Custance in with his Regne for tabide
700
Thre dayes and a quarter of a tyde
¶ But in þe same schip as he hire fond
Hire and hire ȝonge sone and aƚƚ hir gere
He schulde putte and croude fro þe lond
And charge hire þat sche neuer eft come þere
705
O my Custance wel may þi goost haue feere /
And sleping in þi drem ben in penaunce /
Whan Donegild caste al þis ordinance
¶ This messager on morwe whan he wook
Vnto þe castel halt þe nexte way
710
And to þe Constable he þe lr~e took
And whan þat he þis pitous lr~e say
Fulofte he seyde allas and weylaway
¶ Lord crist qd he how may þis lettre endur
So ful of synne is many a creature
715
¶ O mighty god if þat it be þi wille
Sith þou art rightful Iuge how may it be
That þou wolt suffren Innocentz to spille
And wikke folk regnen in prosperite
¶ O goode Custance allas so wo is me
720
That I moot be þi tormentour or deye
On schames deþ þer is non oþer weye
¶ Wepen boþe ȝonge and olde in al þat place
Whan þat þe king þis cursede lr~e sente
And Custance with a dedly pale face
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The ferþe day toward hir schip sche wente
But naþeles sche takeþ in good entente
The wiƚƚ of crist and knelyng in þe stronde
Sche seyde lord ay welcome be þi sonde
He þat me kepte fro þe false blame
730
Whil I was on þe lond amonges yow /
He kan me kepe from harm and eek fro schame
In salte see al þough I se not how
As strong as euer he was he is right now /