The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 204r
16 of 29 folios
But who was woful ȝif I scal not lye
Of this weddyng but donegild & no mo
The kyngis modir ful of tyrānye
Hire thouȝt hire cursede herte brast a to
600
Sche wolde not hire sone hadde don so
Hire thouȝte a dispit þt he schulde take
So straūge a creature vn to hise make
Me lyste not of þe chaf nor of þe stre
Makyn so long a tale as of þe corn
605
What sholde I telle of the royalte
At mariage or wich cours goth be forn
Who blowith in a trompe or in an horn
The freut of eueri tale is for to seye
They ete & drȳke & daūce & synge & pleye
610
Thei gon to bedde as it was skele & ryȝt
For þow þt wiuys ben ful holye thyngis
They muste takyn in pacience at nyȝt
Swiche manere necessarijs as ben plesȳgis
To folk þat han wedit hē with ryngis
615
And leyn a lityl here holynesse a syde
As for þe tyme it may non oþer be tyde
On hire he gat a knave child a non
And to a bischop & his constabele ek
He tok hise wyf to kepe whā he is gon
620
To skotlondeward hise fomen for to seke
Now fayre custaūce þt is so vmble & meke
So longe is gon with childe til þt stille
Sche halt hire chaūbere a bydȳge cistis wille
The tyme is come a knaue child sche beere
625
Mauricy ë at þe funt ston þey hȳ calle
This Constabele doth forth a massāger
And wrot on to his kyng þt clepid was \clepe/ alle
How þt this blisful tydyng is byfalle
And oþere tydȳgis spedful for to seye
630
He taath þe lettere & forth he goth hise weye