The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 202r
13 of 29 folios
Bryȝt was þe sune as in þt someris day
For which þe Constabel & hese wyf also
And custaūce hath I take þe ryȝte way
Toward þe se a furlong wey or to
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To pleyen & to romyn too & fro
And in hire walk þis blynde man þey mette
Crokid & old with eyen faste schette
In name of cryst cryede þis blynde Erytoun
Dame hermengelt ȝif me myn syȝt a geyn
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This lady wex a freyed of þe soun
Lest þt hire husbonde schortly for seyn
Wolde hire for ihū cist han slayn
Til Custaūce made hire bold & bad hire for to werche
The wil of cist as doughtyr of hise cherche
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The Constabele wex a baschid of that syȝt
And seyde what amountyh al þis fare
Custaunce answere syre it is cristis myȝt
That helpith folk out of þe fendis snare
And so fer forth sche gan oure lay declare
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That sche þe Constabele er þan it was eue
Conuertid & on cryst made hȳ bileue
This Constabele was no þyng lord of þis place
Of whiche I speke þere he constaūce fond
But kepte it strongely manye a wynteris space
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Vndir alla kyng of al northūbir londe
That was ful wys & worthi of hese honde
A geyn þe skottis as men may wel here
But turne I wele a gen to mȳ matyere
Satan þt euere wayth vs to be gyle
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Saugh of Custaūce al þe parfeccioū
And caste a non how he myȝte quite hire while
And made a ȝong knght þt dwellede in þt toun
Loue hire so hote of foul affeccioū
That verayly hȳ thouȝte he schulde spille
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But he of hire myȝte onys haue hese wille