The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 51v
4 of 27 folios
¶ This Sowdan / for his piuee conseil sente
And shortly / of this matiere for to pace
He hath to hem / declared his entente
And seyde hem certein / but he mygħte haue gace
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To han Custance / with Inne a litel space
He nas but deed / and charged hem in hye
To shapen for his lyf / som remedye
¶ Diuerse men / diuerse thynges seyden
They argumenten / casten vp and doun
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Many a subtil resoū / forth they leyden
They speken of / Magyk and Abusioū
But finally / as in conclusioū
They kan nat seen / in that noon auantage
Ne in noon oother wey saue mariage
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Thanne sawe they ther Inne swich difficultee
By wey of reson / for to speke al playn
By cause / that ther was swich diuersitee
Bitwene hir bothe lawes / that they sayn
They trowe / þt no cristene prince wolde fayn
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Wedden his child / vnder oure lawes sweete
That vs were taugħt by Mahoun oure prophete
¶ And he answerde / rather than I lese
Custance ./ I wol be cristned doutelees
I moot been hires / I may noon oother chese
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I prey yow / hoold youre Argumentz in pees
Saueth my lyf / and beth noght recchelees
To geten hir / that hath my lyf in cure
For in this wo / I may nat longe endure
¶ What nedeth / gretter dilatacioū
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I seye / by tretys / and Embassadrie
And by / the Popes mediacioū
And al the chirche / and al the chiualrie
That in destruccioū of Mawmettrie
And in encrees / of cristes lawe deere
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They been acorded / so as ye shal heere
How that the sowdan / and his Baronage
And alle hise liges / sholde ycristned be
And he shal han / Custance / in mariage
And certein gold / I noot what quantitee
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And heer to founden / sufficient suretee
This same accord / was sworn on eyther syde
Now faire Custance / almygħty god thee gyde