The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 65v
10 of 21 folios
A moder he hatħ / but fader hatħ he noon
That I of woot / but shortly in a stounde
He told Alla / how that child was founde
925
¶ But god woot / qd this Senatour also
So vertuous a lyuere / in al my lyf
Ne saw I neuere / as she / ne herd of moo
Of worldly wōmen / mayden ne of wyf
I dar wel seyn / hire had leuere a knyf
930
Thurgħ out hire breest / than be a wōman wykke
There is noman / coude bryng hire to that prykke
¶ Now was this child / as lyke vn to Custaunce
As possible is / a creature for to be
This Alla hatħ the face / in remembraunce
935
Of Dame Custaunce / and ther oon mused he
If that the childes moder / were ougħt she
That is his wyf / and preuyly he sigħt
And sped hī fro the table / that he mygħt
¶ Parfey thougħt he / fantom is in myn heede
940
I ougħt deme / of skylful Iugement
That in the salt See / my wyf is dede
And afterward he mad / his argument
What woot I / if that Crist haue hidder sent
My wyf by See / as wel as he hire lent
945
To my contree / from thens that she went
¶ And after noon / hom witħ the Senatour
Gooth Alla / for to seen this wonder chaunce
This Senatour dotħ Alla / greet honour
And hastily he sent / after Custaunce
950
But trostetħ wel / hire list nat to daunce
Whan þt she wyst / wherfore / was that sond
Vn ethe vp oon hire feet / she mygħt stond
¶ Whan Alla saugħ his wyf / faire he hire grette
And wepte / þat it was / reuthe for to se
955
For at the first looke / he on hire sette
He knew wel weraily / that it was she
And she for sorwe / as dombe stant / as tree
So was hire hert shette / in hirhir distresse
Whan she remembred / his vnkyndenesse
960
¶ Twyes she swougħned / in his owen sigħt
He wepetħ / and hī excusetħ pitously
Now god qd he / and his halwes brigħt
So wysly oon my soule / as haue mercy
That of ȝoure harm / as giltlees am I
965
As is Maurice my Sone / like ȝoure face
Elles the fend / me fecche out of this place