The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 52v
6 of 27 folios
190
¶ I trowe at Troye / whan Pirrus brak / the wal
Or Ilion / brende Thebes the Citee
Nat Rome / for the harm thurgħ Hanybal
That Romayns / hath venquyssħed tymes thre
Nas herd / swich tendre wepyng for pitee
195
As in the chambre was for hir departynge
But forth she moot wher so she wepe or synge
¶ O. firste moeuyng / crueel firmament
With thy diurnal sweigħ / that crowdest ay
And hurlest al / from Est til Occident
200
That naturelly / wolde holde another way
Thy crowdyng set the heuene in swich array
At the bigynnyng of this fiers viage
That crueel Mars / hath slayn this mariage
Infortunat Ascendent tortuous
205
Of which / the lord is helplees falle allas
Out of his Angle / in to the derkeste hous
O. Mars / o Atazir / as in this cas
O. fieble Moone / vnhappy been thy paas
Thou knyttest thee / ther thou art nat receyued
210
Ther thou were weel / fro thennes artow weyued
Inprudent Emperour of Rome allas
Was ther no philosophre / in al thy toun
Is no tyme bet than oother / in swich cas
Of viage / is ther noon eleccioū
215
Namely / to folk / of heigh condicioū
Noght whan a roote / is of a burthe yknowe
Allas / we been / to lewed or to slowe
¶ To shipe is come / this woful faire mayde
Solempnely / with euery circumstance
220
Now Ihū crist be with yow alle she sayde
Ther nys namoore / but fare wel / faire Custance
She peyneth hir / to make good contenance
And forth / I lete hir saille / in this manere
And turne I wole / agayn to my matere
225
The mooder / of the Sowdan / welle of vices
Espied hath / hir sones pleyn entente
How he wol lete / hise olde sacrifices
And rigħt anon / she for hir conseil sente
And they been come / to knowe what she mente
230
And whan assembled was / this folk / in feere
She sette hir doun / and seyde as ye shal heere