The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 121v
18 of 31 folios
575
¶ x xxys was herd / in general audience
xnd seyde / thow hast disclaundred giltlees
The doghter of holy chirche / in heigh persence
Thus hastow doon / and yet I holde my pees
Of this meruaille / agast was al the prees
580
As mazed folk / they stoden euerychone
For drede of wreche / saue Custance allone
¶ Greet was the drede / and eek the repentaunce
Of hem / þt hadden wrong suspecioū
Vp on / this sely Innocent Custaunce
585
And for this miracle / in conclusioū
And by Custaunces mediacioū
The kyng and many another in that place
Conuerted was / thanked be Cristes grace
¶ This false knyght was slayn for his vntrouthe
590
By Iuggement of Alla hastily
And yet Custaunce / hadde of his deeth greet routhe
And after this / Ihūs of his mercy
Made Alla / wedden ful solempnely
This holy mayden / þt is so bright and shene
595
And thus hath Crist maad Custance a queene
¶ But who was woful / if I shal nat lye
Of this weddyng but Donegild and namo
The kynges moder ful of tirannye
Hir thoughte / hir cursed herte brast atwo
600
She wolde noght hir sone had doon so
Hir thoughte a despit þt he sholde take
So straunge a creature / vn to his make
¶ 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 realtee
At mariages or which cours gooth biforn
Who bloweth in trompe / or in an horn
The fruyt of euery tale / is for to seye
They ete and drynke / and daunce & synge & pleye