The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 122r
19 of 31 folios
610
¶ They goon to bedde as it was skile and right
For though þt wyues / been ful holy thynges
They moste take / in pacience at nyght
Swiche manere necessaries / as been plesynges
To folk that han ywedded hem with rynges
615
And leye alite / hir holynesse asyde
As for the tyme / it may noon oother bityde
¶ On hire / he gat a knaue child anon
And to a bisshope / and his Constable eke
He took his wyf to kepe / whan he is gon
620
To Scotlondward / his foomen for to seke
Now faire Custaunce / þt is so hūble & meke
So longe is goon with childe / til þt stille
She halt hir chambre / abidyng cristes wille
¶ The tyme is come / a knaue child she beer
625
Mauricius at the font stoon / they hym calle
This Constable / dooth forth come a Messager
And wroot vn to his kyng þt clepyd was Alle
How þt / this blisful tidynge is bifalle
And othere tidynges / speedful for to seye
630
He tath the lettre / and forth he goth his weye
¶ This Messager / to doon his auauntage
Vn to the kynges moder / rideth swithe
And salueth ful faire / in his langage
Madame quod he / ye may be glad and blithe
635
And thanketh god / an hundred thousand sithe
My lady queene / hath child with outen doute
To ioye and blisse / of al this regne aboute
¶ Lo here the lettres / seled of this thyng
That I moot bere / with al the haste I may
640
If ye wol aught vn to youre sone the kyng
I am youre seruaunt bothe nyght and day
Donegild answerde / as now at this tyme nay
But here al nyght I wol thow take thy reste
To morwe / wol I seye thee what me leste