The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 58v
20 of 21 folios
The moder of the Soudan / riche and gay
Receyuetħ hire / with al so glad a chere
As any moder mygħt / hire dougħter deere
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And to the next Citee / there beside
A softe paas / solempnely they ride
¶ Nougħt trowe I / the triumphe of Iulius
Of whicħ that lucan / maketħ swicħ a boost
Was reallere / or more curious
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Than was the assemble / of this blisful oost
But this scorpion / this wykked gost
The Soudanesse / for al hire flaterynge
Cast vnder this / ful mortally to stynge
¶ The Soudan cometħ hī selue / sone after þis
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So really / that wonder is to telle
He welcometħ hire / witħalle ioye & blisse
And thus in myrthe & ioye / I lat hem dwelle
The fruyt of this mater / is that I telle
Whan tyme come / men thouȝt it for the best
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That reuel stynt / and men gon to here rest
¶ The tyme come / this olde Soudanesse
Ordeyned had this fest / of whiche I tolde
And to the feest / cristenfolk hem dresse
In general / ȝe bothe ȝonge and olde
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Here moun men feest / and realte beholde
And deyntees moo / than I can ȝow deuyse
But al to dere / they bougħt it er they ryse
¶ O sodeyn woo / that euere art successour
To worldly blisse / spreynde witħ bitternesse
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The ende of the ioye / of oure worldly labour
Woo / occupietħ the fyn / of oure gladnesse
Herkene this counseil / for thy sekirnesse
Vp on thy glad day / haue in thy mynde
The vnwar woo / or harm / þt cometħ behynde
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¶ For shortly to tellen / at a word
The Soudan / & the cistene euerichone
Ben al to hewe / and stiked at the bord
But it were oonly / Dame Custaunce allone
This olde Soudanesse / cursed crone
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Hatħ witħ hire frendes / doon this cursed dede
For she hire selue wolde / al the contree lede
¶ Ne was Surryen noon / that was conuerted
That of the counseil / of the Soudan woot
That he nas al to hewe / er he a sterted
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And Custaunce han they take / a none foot hoot
And in a shippe / al steereles god woot