The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 57v
16 of 27 folios
¶ Me list nat of the chaf / or of the stree
Maken so long a tale / as of the corn
605
What sholde I tellen / of the roialtee
At mariages / or which cours goth biforn
Who bloweth in the trumpe / or in an horn
The fruyt of euery tale / is for to seye
They ete / & drynke / & daunce / & synge & pleye
610
They goon to bedde / as it was skile and rigħt
For thogh þt wyues / be ful hooly thynges
They moste take / in pacience at nygħt
Swiche manere necessaries / as been plesynges
To folk / þt han ywedded hem with rynges
615
And leye alite / hir hoolynesse aside
As for the tyme / it may no bet bitide
On hir he gat a man child anon
And to a bissħope / and his Constable eke
He took his wyf to kepe / whan he is gon
620
To Scotlondward / his foomen for to seke
Now faire Custance / that is so hūble and meke
So longe is goon with childe / til that stille
She halt hir chambre / abidyng cristes wille
The tyme is come / a man child she beer
625
Mauricius at the font stoon / they hym calle
This Constable / dooth forth come a Messageer
And wroot vn to his kyng that cleped was Alle
How that this blisful tidyng is bifalle
And othere tidynges / spedeful for to seye
630
He taketh the lettre / and forth he gooth his weye
¶ This Messager / to doon his Auantage
Vn to the kynges mooder rideth swithe
And salueth hir ful faire in his langage
Madame quod he / ye may be glad and blithe
635
And thanketh god / anhundred thousand sithe
My lady queene / hath child with outen doute
To ioye and blisse / to al this regne aboute
Lo heere the lettres / seled of this thyng
That I moot bere / with al the haste I may
640
If ye wol aught vn to youre sone the kyng /
I am youre seruant bothe nygħt and day
Donegild answerde / as now at this tyme nay
But heere al nygħt / I wol thou take thy reste
Tomorwe / wol I seye thee / what me leste