The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 45v
4 of 16 folios
This Messager to doon his auantage
Vn to the kynges moder rydeth swythe
And salueth hir fair in his langage
Madame quod he ye may be glad and blithe
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And thanketh god an hundred thousand sythe
My lady queene hath child wyth owten doute
To ioy and blis to al this regne aboute .
Lo here the lettres selid of this thing
That I mote bere wyth al the hast I may
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If ye wol aught vnto your sone the kyng
I am your seruant bothe nyght and day
Domegild answerd as now at this tyme nay
But here al nyght I wol thow take thi rest
To morwe wol I sey the what me lest
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This messager dranke saddely ale and wyne
And stolne were his lettres piuely
Out of his box whil he sleep as a swyne
And contrefeted was ful sotilly
A nother lettre wroght ful synfully
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Vnto the kyng direct of this matere
Fro his Constable as ye shal aftyr here
The lettre spake the queene delyuered was
Of so horrible a fendelich creature
That in the Castel noon so hardy was
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That any whil dorste there endure
The Moder was an Elf by auenture
I comen by charmes or by sorcerye
And euerych hatieth hir compaignye
Wo was this kyng whan he this lettre had seyn
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But to no wyght he tolde his sorwes soore
But of his owne hond he wrot ageyn
Welcome the sonde of crist for evyr moore
To me that am now lerned in his loore
Lord welcome be thi lust and thi plesaunce
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Mi lust I putte al in thin ordinaunce