The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 196v
2 of 29 folios
And al þis voys was soth as god is trewe
But now to purpos lat vs turne a geyn
These marchantys han don frauȝt hese schepis newe
And whā þey han þis blysful maydȳ seyn
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Hom to surry ben þey went ful feyn
Andon here nedys as þey \han/ don ȝore /
And lyuen in wele I can sey ȝow no more
Now fil it þt these marchantys stode in grace
Of hȳ þt was þe soudō of surrye
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For whan þey come frō ony strange place
He wolde of hese benygne curteysye
Make hē good cher & besyly espye
Tydyngis of sundery regnys for to lere
The wonderis þt he mygħte sen or here
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Amongis oþere thyngis specially
These marchaūtis hā hȳ told of dame Custaūce
So gret noblesse in ernest certeynly
That this soudā hath cauȝt so gret plesaūce
To han hyre fygure in hese remēbraunce
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And al hese lust & al hese besy cure
Was for to loue here whil his lyf may dure
Perauenture in thilke large boke
Which þt clepid is the heuene I wretyn was
With sterrys whan þt he hese berthe tok
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That he for loue schulde hā hese deth allas
For in the sterris clerere than is glas
Is wrete god wot ho // xxxx // so coude it rede
The deth of euery man / with outyn any drede
In sterrys manye a wȳtyr there be forn
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Was wretȳ þe deth of ector achilles
Of pompeye Ielyus er þey were born
The stryf of thebes & of hercules
Of sampson Thurnus & of socrates
The deth but menys wittys ben sodulle
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That no with can wel rede it at þe fulle