The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 84r
25 of 29 folios
That if I schortly telle schal and playn
To Rome he comeþ to receyue his penaūce
And putte him in þe popes ordynaūce
895
In heigh and lowe and ihū crist bysougħt
Forȝef his wikked werkes þat he wrought
The fame anon þurgh Rome toun is born
How alla kyng schal come in pilgrymage
By herberiourz þat wenten him biforn
900
For which þe Senatour as was vsage
Rood him aȝein and many of his lynage
As wel to schewen his magnificence
As to doon eny kyng a reuerence
Gret cheere doþ þis noble Senatour
905
To kyng Alla and he to him also
Euerich of hem doþ oþer gret honour
And so bifel þat on a day or two
This Senatour is to kyng alla go
To fest and schortly if I schal not lye
910
Constances sone / went in his companye
Som men wold seyn at request of Custaunce
This Senatour haþ lad þis child to feste
I may not telle euery circumstaūce
Be as be may þer was he atte leste
915
But soth it is right at his modres heste
Byforn hem aƚƚ duryng þe metes space
The child stood lokyng in þe kynges face
This alla kyng haþ of þe child gret wonder
And to þe Senatour he seyd anoon
920
Whos is þat faire child þat stondeþ ȝonder
I not qd he by god and by seynt Ion
A moder he haþ but fader haþ he non
That I of woot and schortly in a stounde /
He told alla how þat þis child was founde /
925
But god woot qd þis Senatour also
So vertuous a lyuer in my lyf
Ne saugh I neuer such as sche nomo
Of worldly wōman mayden or of wyf
I dar wel say sche hadde leuer a knyf