The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 85v
10 of 31 folios
In him trust I and in his mooder deere
735
That is to me my sail and eek my steere
Hir litel child lay weepyng in hire arm
And knelyng pitously to him sche seide
Pees litel sone I wol do þe non harm
Wiþ þat hir couerchef of hir heed sche breyde
740
And ouer his litel eyȝen sche it leyde /
And in hir arm sche lulleth it ful faste /
And in to heuen hir yhen vp sche caste
¶ Moder qd sche and mayde bright marie
Soth is þat þurgħ wōmannes eggement
745
Mankynde was lorn and dampned ay to deye
For which þi child was on a croys y rent
Thy blisful eighen saugħ al his torment
Than is þer no comparisou bitwene
Thy wo and any wo man may sustene
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¶ Thou saugh þi sone y slayn biforn þin eyen
And ȝit now lyueþ my litel child parfay
Now lady brigħt to whom alle woful cryen
Thow glorie of wōmanhod þou faire may
Thou hauen of refut brighte sterre of day
755
Rewe on my child þat of þi gentilesse
Rewest on euery rewful in distresse
¶ O litel child allas what is þi gilt
That neuer wroughtest synne as ȝit perde
Why wil þin harde fader haue þe spilt
760
O mercy deere Conestable qd sche
As lat my litel child dwelle heer with þe
And if þou darst nought sauen him for blame
So kisse him ones in his fadres name
¶ Ther with sche lokeþ bakward to þe lond
765
And sayde farewel housbonde routheles
And vp sche rist and walketh doun þe stronde
Toward þe schip hir folweþ aƚƚ þe prees
And euer sche preieþ hir child to holde his pees
And takeþ hire leeue and with an holy entent Sche blisseþ