The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 114v
4 of 31 folios
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xxonges othere thynges specially
Thise Marchauntz han hym told / of dame Custaunce
So greet noblesse / in ernest ceriously
That this Sowdan / hath caught so greet plesaunce
To han hir figure / in his remembraunce
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And al his lust / and al his bisy cure
Was for to loue hir / whil his lyf may dure
¶ Parauenture / in thilke large book
Which þt men clepe the heuene / ywriten was
With sterres / whan þt he his birthe took /
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That he for loue / sholde han his deth allas
For in the sterres / clerer than is glas
Is writen god woot who so koude it rede
The deeth of euery man / with outen drede
¶ In sterres / many a wynter / ther biforn
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Was writen the deeth / of Ector/ Achilles
Of Pompei / Iulius / er they were born
The stryf of Thebes / and of Hercules
Of Sampson / Turnus / and of Socrates
The deeth / but mennes wittes been so dulle
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That no wight kan wel rede it atte fulle
¶ This Sowdan / for his piuee conseil sente
And shortly / of this matere for to pace
He hath to hem / declared his entente
And seyde hem certein / but he myghte haue gace
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To han Custaunce / with Inne a litel space
He nas but deed / and charged hem in hye
To shapen / for his lyf som remedye
¶ Diuerse men / diuerse thynges seyden
They argumenten / casten vp and doun
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Many a subtil reson / forth they leyden
They speken of Magyk / and Abusioun
But finally / as in conclusioun
They kan nat seen / in that noon Auauntage
Ne in noon oother wey / saue mariage