The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 74r
5 of 29 folios
Saueþ my lyf and beþ nat recheles /
Goþ geteþ hire þat haþ my lyf in cure /
For in þis wo I may no lenger dure /
What needeþ gretter dilataciou~
135
I say by tretys and embassatrye
And by þe popes mediaciou
And al þe chirche and al þe chyualrye /
That in destruccioū of mawmetrye
And in encresse of cristes lawe deere /
140
They ben acordid as ȝe schal aft er heere /
How þat þe Soudan and his baronage
And aƚƚ his lieges schuld I crystned be /
And he schal haue Constance in mariage
And certeyn gold I not what qantite
145
And þerfore founden þey suffisant seurte
This same acord was sworn on euery syde /
Now fair Constance almighty god þe guyde /
Now wolde som men wayten as I gesse
That I schulde tellen al þe puruyaūce /
150
That themperour of his gret noblesse /
Haþ schapen for his doughter dame Constaūce /
Wel may men knowe þat so gret ordynaūce
May no man telle in so litel a clause /
As was arrayed for so high a cause /
155
Bisschops ben schapen with hir for to wende
Lordes ladyes and knightes of renoun
And oþer folk ynowe þis þis is þe ende
And notefied is þurgh out þe toun
That euery wigħt wiþ gret deuociou~
160
Schulde preye crist þat he þis mariage
Receyue in gree and spede þis viage
The day is come of hire departyng
I say þe woful day þat þan is come
That þer may be no lenger taryyng
165
But forþeward þey dresse hem aƚƚ & some /
Cōstance þat with sorwe is ouercome
Ful pale arist and dresseþ hir to wende /
For wel sche saugħ þer nas non oþer ende