The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 76v
28 of 31 folios
Thise marchantz han him told of dame Custance
So gret noblesse in ernest ceriously
That þis Sowdan haþ caught so gret plesance
To han hire figure in his remembrance
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And aƚƚ his lust and aƚƚ his besy cure
Was for to loue hire whil his lijf may dure
Parauenture in þilke large book
Which þat þei cleped þe heuen write was
Wiþ sterres whan þat he his birþe took
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That he for loue schulde han his deþ allas
For in þe sterres clerer þan is þe glas
Is writen god wot who so cowde it rede /
The deþ of euery man wiþouten drede
¶ In sterres many a wynter þer biforn
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Was write þe deth of Ector Achilles
Of Pompe Iulius or þei were born
The stryf of Thebes and of hercules /
Of Sampson Turnus and of Socrates
The deth / but mennes wittes ben so dulle
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That no wight can wel rede it atte fulle
This Sowdoū for his priuey counseil sente
And schortly of þis mater for to pace
He haþ to hem declared his entente
And seide hem certein but if he migħt haue grace
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To haue Custance wiþinne a litel space
He nas but ded and charged hem in hye
To schapen for his lyf som remedye
¶ Diuerse men diuerse þinges seiden
The argumentes casten vp and doun
115
Many a sotil resoū forþ þey leyden
They speken of Magique and abusioū
But fynally as in conclusioū
They can not seen in þat non auantage
Ne in non oþer weye saf mariage
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¶ Than saugh þey þer in such difficulte
By way of resoū for to speke al playn