The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 63r
5 of 21 folios
He shulde putte / and croude hire fro the londe
And charge hire / she neuere eft come there
705
O my Custaunce / wel may thy goost haue feere
And slepynge in thy dreem / ben in penaunce
Whan Donegild cast / al this ordinaunce
¶ This Messanger on morwe / whan he woke
Vn to the Castel / al the next way
710
And to the Constable / he the ƚre tooke
And whan that he / this pytous ƚre say
Ful ofte he seide allas / and weilawey
Lord Crist quod he / how may this world endure
So ful of synne / is many a creature
715
¶ O mygħty god / if that it be thy wylle
Sithe þu art rigħtful Iuge / how may it be
That þow wolt suffren / Innocentez to spille
And wykked folk regnen / in prosperitee
O goode Custaunce / allas so woo is me
720
That I mot be thy turmentour / or deye
On shames deetħ / there is noon other weye
¶ Wepen bothe ȝonge & olde / in al that place
Whan that the kynge / this cursed ƚre sente
And Custaunce / witħ a deedly pale face
725
The fierthe day / toward hire shipe she went
But nathelees / she taketħ in good entent
The wyl of Crist / and kneled on the stronde
She seide lord / ay welcome be thy sonde
¶ He that me kepte / fro the fals blame
730
Whyl I was on the lond / amonges ȝow
He can me kepe / fro harme & eke fro shame
In salt see / al thougħ I se nougħt how
As stronge as euere he was / he is ȝet now
In hī troost I / and in his moder deere
735
That is to me my Seyl / and eke my steere
¶ Hire litel child / lay wepyng in hire arme
And knelynge pytously / to hī she seyde
Pees litel sone / I wol do the noon harme
Witħ þt hire couerchief / ouer hire hede she brayde
740
And ouer his litel eyen / she it leyde
And in hire arm / she lulletħ it ful fast
And in to heuene / hire eyen vp she cast
¶ Moder quod she / and mayde brigħt Marie
Sotħ is / that thurgħ wommannes eggement
745
Mankynde was lorñ / and dampned ay to deye
For whiche thy child
/ was on
Corrected from: <nothing> þõþõ croys I rent
Corrections is done in a yellowing ink.ODR