The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 67v
4 of 27 folios
OF Pompe Iulius or thei were borne
The strif of Thebes and of hercules
Of Sampson turnus & of Socrates
The deþ bot mennus wittes bene so dulle
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That no whiht can wel rede it att þe fulle
¶ This Sowldan for his piue conseile sente
And schortly of þis matier for to passe
He haþe to hem declared his entent
And seide hem certeine bot if he myht haue grace
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To haue Custance wiþ inne a litel space
He nas bot dede and charged hem in hihe
To schapen for his lif som remedie
¶ Diuers men diuers þinges saiden
The Argumentz custen vp & doune
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Many a sotyl reson forþe þei leyden
Thei speken of Magik & abusion
Bot finalli as in conclusion
Thei can nouȝt seen in þat none auantage
Ne in none oþer waie saue mariage
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¶ Than sauhe þere suche difficulte
Be way of Reson for to speke as pleine
Be cause þat þere was suche diuersite
Be twene here boþe lawes as þei seine
Thai trowe þat \no/ cristen pince wold feine
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Wedden his childe vnder her lawes so swete
That hem was tauht bue Mahoū þe prophete
¶ And he ansewarde raþer þan .I. lese
Constance .I. wil becristened douteles
.I. mot bene hirs .I. maie none oþer chese
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.I. pay ȝow holde ȝoure argumentes in pes
Saueþ my lif & beþ nouht recheles
To gete hir þat haþ my lif in cure
For in þis woo .I. maie nouht longe endure
¶ What nedeþ gretter dilataciōne
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.I. sey be tretise & embassadrie
And be þe popes medeacione
And al þe cherche & al þe chiualrie
That in destruccion of maumetrie
And in encrese of cristes lawe dere
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Thei bene accorded so as ȝe schal here
¶ How þat þe Souldan & his Baronage
And aƚƚ his leges scholde cristened be