The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 201r
11 of 29 folios
Now sythe sche was not at the feste slawee
Who kepte hyre frō the drenchȳge in þe see
Who kepte Ionas in the fyschis mawee
Thil he was spoutid out at niniuee
390
Wel may men knowe it was no wiȝt but he
That kepte þe peple Ebrayk from here drenchȳge
With dreye feet thorw out þe se passynge
Who bad the foure spirytis of tempest
That power han tanoyen lond & se
395
Bothe north & south & also west & est
Anoyeth neyþer se lond ne tree
Sothly the comaūdour was hee
That frō the tempest ay this woman kepte
As wel whan she wok as whā she slepte
400
Where myȝte this woman mete or drynk haue
Thre ȝer & more how lastyth hire vitayle
Ho fedde þe egipcien marye in þe caue
Or in desert no wiȝt but cryst sauns fayle
Fyue thousent folk it was a gret meruayle
405
With louys fyue & fyschis too to feede
God sente hese foysoun at here moste neede
Sche dryuyth forth in to oure occian
Thor out oure wilde see til at þe laste
Vndyr an hold þt nemenyn I ne can
410
For in northūbyrlond the wawis hire caste
And in þe se hire schip stekede so faste
That þens ne wolde it not of al a tide
The wyl of here was þat sche schulde a byde
The constabele of þe Castel doū is fare
415
To sen þis wrak & al þe schip he souȝte
And fond þis wery woman ful of care
He fond also þe tresore þt sche brouȝte
In hyre langage mercy sche be souȝte
The lyf out of hire body to twynne
420
Hire to delyuere of woo þt sche was inne