The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 73v
4 of 29 folios
Which þat is cleped þe heuen I write was
Wiþ sterres whan þat he his burþe took
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That he for loue schulde haue his deþ allas /
For in þe sterres clerere þen is glas /
Is wryten god woot who so cowþe it rede /
The deþ of euery man wiþouten drede /
IN sterres many a wynter þer byfore /
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Was write þe deþ of Ector and Achilles /
Of Pompe Iulius er þey were I bore
The stryf of Thebes and of Ercules /
Of Sampson Turnus and of Socrates /
The deþ but mennes wittes ben so dulle /
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That no wigħt can wel rede it at þe fulle /
This sowdan for his pryue counseil sent
And schortly of þis mater for to pace /
He haþ to hem declared his entent
And seyd hem certeyn but he might haue grace /
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To haue Constance wiþinne a litel space
He nas but deed and charged hem in hyȝe
To schapen for his lyf som remedye
Dyuerse men dyuers þinges seyde
The argumentes casten vp and doun
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Many a subtyl resoun forþ þey leyden
They spekyn of magike and of ambusiou~
But fynally as in conclusiou~
They can nought seen in þat non auauntage
Ne in non oþer wey saue in mariage /
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Than sawgħ þey þer in such difficulte
By wey of resoū to speke it al playn
By cause þat þer was such dyuerste /
Bitwen here boþe lawes as þey sayn
They trowe þat no cristen pince wold fayn
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Wedden his child vnder our lawe swete /
That vs was taugħt by mahoun oure prophete
And he answerde raþer þan I lese
Constance / I wol be cristen douteles /
I moot be heres I may non oþer cheese /
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I pray ȝou haldeþ ȝour arguments in pees /