The Man of Law's Tale
Folio 88r
5 of 31 folios
Be as be may þer was he atte leste
915
But soþ is þis þat at his moodres heste
Byforn Alla duryng þe metes space
The child stood loking in þe kinges face
This alla king haþ of þe child gret wonder
And to þe Senatour he sayde anou
920
Whos is þat faire child þat stondeþ yonder
I not qd he by god and by seint Ioħn
A mooder he haþ but fader haþ he non
That I of woot and schortly in a stounde
He tolde alla how þat þis child was founde
925
¶ But god wot qd þis Senatour also
So vertuous a lyuere in my lyf
Ne saugħ I neuer as sche ne herde of mo
Of worldly wōmen mayde ne of wijf
I dar wel sayn sche hadde leuer a knyf
930
Thurghout hire brest þan ben a wōman wikke
Ther is noman kowde bringe hire to þat prikke
Now was þis child as lik vnto Custance
As possible as is a creature to be
This Alla haþ þe face in remembrance
935
Of dame Custance and þer on mused he
If þat þe childes moder were aught sche /
That is his wyf and priuily he sighte
And spedde him fro þe table þat he migħte
¶ Par fay he þought þe fantome is in myn hed
940
I oughte denien of skilful Iuggemēt
That in þe salte see my wyf is deed
And aftirward he made his argument
What wot I if þat crist haþ hider sent
My wyf by see as wel as he hir sente
945
To my contre fro þennes þat sche wente
¶ And after non hom wiþ þe Senatour
Goþ alla for to seen þis wonder chaunce
This Senatour doþ alla gret honour
And hastily he sente after Custance