The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 86r
9 of 31 folios
770
Sche blisseþ hire and in to schip sche wente
Vitailled was þe schip it is no drede
Habundauntly for hire ful longe space
And oþer necessaries þat scholden nede
Sche hadde ynough heried be goddes gace
775
For wynd and weder almighty god purchace
And brynge hir home I can no better sey
But in þe see sche dryueþ forþ hir wey
Alla þe king comþ hom sone after þis /
Vnto his casteƚƚ of þe which I tolde
780
And axeþ wher his wyf and his child is
The Constable gan aboute his herte colde
And pleynly al þe maner he him tolde
As ye han herd I can telle it no bettre
And scheweth þe king his seal and his lettre
785
And seyde lord as ye comaunded me
Vp peyne of deth so haue I don certein
This messager tormented was til he
Moste biknowen and tellen plat and plein
From night to night in what place he hadde leyn
790
And þus by witt and subtil enqueryng
Ymagined was by whom þis harm gan spring
¶ The hond was knowe þat þe lr~e wrot
And aƚƚ þe venym of þe cursed dede
But in what wise certeinly I not
795
The effect is þis þat alla out of drede
His mooder slougħ þat many men pleynly reede
For þat sche traitour was to hire ligeance /
Thus endeþ olde Donegild wiþ meschance
The sorwe þat þis Alla night and day
800
Makeþ for his wyf and for his child
Ther is no tonge þat it telle may
But now wol I vnto Custance go
That fleeteþ in þe see in peyne and wo
.V. yeer and more as likede cristes sonde
805
Ar þat hire schip approched vnto londe