The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 57v
18 of 21 folios
O . Mars . o Athasir / as in this cas
O feble Mone / vnhappy ben thy paas
Thow knyttest the / there þu art nougħt receyued
210
There þu were wel / fro thens art þu weyued
¶ Imprudent Em
perour
/ of Rome
/ Allas
¶ Omnes concordati sunt quod elecciones
sint debiles nisi in diuitibus
habent enim isti licet debilitentur eorum
elecciones radicem .i. natiuitates
eorum que confortat omnem planetam
debilem in itinere & cetera
Was þere no philosophre / in al thy toune
Is no tyme bet than other / in swicħ a caas
Of viage / is þere noon eleccione
215
Namely to folk / of heigħ condicione
Nougħt whan a root / is of birthe I knowe
Allas we ben to lewed / or to slowe
¶ To shippe is brougħt / this wooful fair mayde
Solempnely / with euery circumstaunce
220
Now iħu crist / be witħ ȝow alle she sayde
There nys namore / but fare wel fair Custaunce
She peyneth hire / to make good countenaunce
And fortħ I lete hire seyle / in this manere
And turne I wyl a geyn / to my matere
225
¶ The moder of the Soudan / welle of vices
A spied hatħ / hire sones pleyn entent
How he wolde lete / his olde sacrifys
And rigħt a noon / she for hire counseil sent
And they ben come / to knowe what she ment
230
And wham assembled was / this folk in fere
She sette hire doun / and seyde as ȝe shuln here
¶ Lordes she seide / ȝe knowen euerychone
How that my sone / in poynt is for to lete
The holy lawes / of oure Alkarone
235
Ȝouen by goddes messanger / Macamete
But oon a vow / to grete god I hete
The lif shal rather / out of my body stert
Er Corrected from: MacametesMacameteMacameteslawe / out of myn hert
¶ What shulde vs tiden / of this newe lawe
240
But thraldome to oure bodies / and penaunce
And afterward in helle / to ben drawe
For we reneyed Mahoun / oure creaunce
But lordes wol ȝe maken / asseuraunce
As I shal seyn / assentyng to my loore
245
And I shal make vs saf / for euere more
¶ They sworñ & assentyn / euery man
To lyue wt hire & deye / & by hire stonde
And euericħ / in the best wise / he can
To strengthe hire / shal alle hise frendes fonde
250
And she hatħ this emprise / I take on honde
Whicħ ȝe shal heren / that I shal deuyse