The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 85v
28 of 29 folios
Sche light a doun and falleþ him to feete
Fader qd sche ȝour ȝonge child Constance
Is now ful clene out of ȝour remembaunce
I am ȝour doughter Custaunce qd sche
1010
That whilom ȝe haue sent vnto Surrye
It am I fader þat in þe salte see
Was put alloon and dampned for to dye
Now goode fader mercy I ȝou crye
Send me no more vnto noon hethenesse
1015
But þanke my lord her of his kyndenesse
Who can þe pytous Ioye telle al
Bitwix hem þre siþ þey be þus I mette
But of my tale make an ende I schal
The day goþ fast I wol no lenger lette
1020
This glade folk to dyner þey ben sette
In ioye and blys at mete I let hem dwelle
A þousand fold wel more þan I can telle
This child Maurice was siþþen Emperour
I maad by þe pope and lyued cristenly
1025
To cristes chirche dede he gret honour
But I let al his story passen by
Of Custaunce is my tale specially
In olde Romayn gestes men may fynde
Maurices lyf I bere it nought in mynde
1030
This kyng alla whan he his tyme say
With his Constaunce his holy wyf so swete
To Engelond þey com þe righte way
Wher as þey lyue in ioye and in quyete
But litel whil it last I ȝou biheete ;
1035
Ioy of þis world // for tyme wol not abyde
Fro day to nigħt it chaungeth as þe tyde
Who lyued euer in such delyt a day
That him ne meued eyþer his conscience
Of Ire or talent / or som maner affray
1040
Enuy or pride or passioū or offence
I ne say but for þis ende þis sentence
But litel whil in ioye or in plesaunce
Lasteþ þe blis / of alla with Custaunce