The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 127v
30 of 31 folios
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¶ xxxs Emperour / hath graunted gentilly
xo come to dyner / as he hym bisoghte
And wel rede I / he looked bisily
Vp on this child / and on his doghter thoghte
Alla gooth to his In / and as hym oghte
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Arrayed for this feste / in euery wise
As ferforth / as his konnyng may suffise
¶ The morwe cam ./ and Alla gan hym dresse
And eek his wyf / this Emperour to meete
And forth they ryde / in Ioye and in gladnesse
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And whan she say / hir fader in the Streete
She lighte doun / and falleth hym to feete
Fader quod she/ youre yonge child Custaunce
Is now ful clene / out of youre remembraunce
¶ I am youre doghter Custance / quod she
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That whilom ye han sent / vn to Surrye
It am I fader / that in the salte See
Was put allone / and dampned for to dye
Now goode fader / mercy I yow crye
Seend me namoore / vn to noon hethenesse
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But thonke my lord heere / of his kyndenesse
¶ Who kan the pitous Ioye / tellen al
Bitwix hem thre / syn they be thus ymette
But of my tale / make an ende I shal
The day goth faste / I wol no lenger lette
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This glade folk to dyner they hem sette
In ioye and blisse / at mete I lete hem dwelle
A thousand fold / wel moore than I kan telle
¶ This child Maurice / was sithen Emperour
Maad by the Pope / and lyued cristenly
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To cristes chirche / he dide greet honour
But I lete / al this storie passen by
Of Custaunce / is my tale specially
In the olde Romayn gestes / may men fynde
Maurices lyf / I bere it noght in mynde