The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 60v
22 of 27 folios
¶ Forth gooth hir shipe / thurgħ out the narwe mouth
Of Iubaltar and Septe dryuynge alway
850
Som tyme West and som tyme Nortħ and Soutħ
And som tyme est ful many a wery day
Til cristes mooder / blessed be she ay
Hath shapen / thurgħ hir endelees goodnesse
To make an ende / of al hir heuynesse
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Now lat vs stynte / of Custance but a throwe
And speke we / of the Romayn Emperour
That out of Surrye / hath by lettres knowe
The slaughtre of cristen folk and dishonour
Doon to his doghter / by a fals traytour
860
I mene / the cursed wikked Sowdanesse
That at the feeste / leet sleen bothe moore & lesse
For which this Emperour / hath sent anon
His Senatour / with roial ordinance
And othere lordes / god woot many oon
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On Surryens / to taken heigħ vengeance
They brennen / sleen / and brynge hem to meschance
Ful many a day / but shortly / this is thende
Homward to Rome / they shapen hem to wende
¶ This Senatour / repaireth with victorie
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To Romeward saillynge ful Roially
And mette the shipe dryuynge / as seith the storie
In which Custance / sit ful pitously
No thyng knew he / what she was / ne why ;
She was in swich array / ne she nyl seye
875
Of hir estaat / thogħ she sholde deye
He bryngeth hir to Rome / and to his wyf /
He yaf hir / and hir yonge sone also
And with the Senatour / she ladde hir lyf
Thus kan oure lady / bryngen out of wo
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Woful Custance / and many another mo
And longe tyme / dwelled she in that place
In hooly werkes euere / as was hir grace
The Senatours wyf / hir Aunte was
But for al that she knew hir neuer the moore
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I wol no lenger / tarien in this cas
But to kyng Alla / which I spak of yoore
That wepeth for his wyf / and siketh soore
I wol retourne / and lete I wol Custance
Vnder / the Senatours gouernance