The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 85r
27 of 29 folios
Or þat here woful herte mighte cesse
Gret was þe pite for to here hem pleyne
970
Thurgh whiche playntz gan here wo encresse
I pray ȝou aƚƚ my labour to relesse
I may not telle al here sorwe vnto morwe
I am so wery for to speke of þe sorwe
But fynally whan þat þe soþ is wist
975
That alla gilteles was of hir woo
I trowe an hundred tymes þey ben kist
And such a blys is þer bitwix hem tuo
That saue þe ioye þat lasteþ eueremo
Ther is noon lyk þat eny creature
980
Haþ seyn or schal whil þat þe world may dure
Tho prayde sche hir housbond meekely
In þe relees of hir pytous pyne
The he wolde preye hir fader specially
That of his maieste he wold enclyne
985
To vouche sauf som tyme with him to dyne
Sche preyeþ him eek he schulde by no weye
Vnto hir fader no word of hir seye
Som men wold seye þat hir child Maurice
Doþ his message vnto þe Emperour
990
But as I gesse alla was nat so nyce
To him þat is so souerayn of honour
As he þat is of cristes folk þe flour
Sent eny child but it is best to deeme
He went himsilf and so it may wel seme /
995
This Emperour haþ gaunted gentilly
To come to dyner as he hym bysought
As wel rede I he loked besily
Vpon þe child and on his douȝt er þought
Alla goþ to his In and as him ought
1000
Arrayed for þis fest in euery wyse /
As ferforth as his connyng may suffise
The morwe cam and alla gan him dresse
And eek his wyf þe Emperour for to meete
And for þey ryde in ioye and in gladnesse
1005
And whan sche saugh hir fader in þe streete