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For certes thogh I scholde feigne；
And telle that was nevere thoght；
For al this world I myhte noght 510
To soffre an othre fully winne；
Ther as I am yit to beginne。
For be thei goode； or be thei badde；
I wolde non my ladi hadde；
And that me makth fulofte aspie
And usen wordes of Envie；
Al forto make hem bere a blame。
And that is bot of thilke same；
The whiche unto my ladi drawe；
For evere on hem I rounge and gknawe 520
And hindre hem al that evere I mai；
And that is； sothly forto say；
Bot only to my lady selve：
I telle it noght to ten ne tuelve；
Therof I wol me wel avise；
To speke or jangle in eny wise
That toucheth to my ladi name；
The which in ernest and in game
I wolde save into my deth；
For me were levere lacke breth 530
Than speken of hire name amis。
Now have ye herd touchende of this；
Mi fader； in confessioun：
And therfor of Detraccioun
In love； of that I have mispoke；
Tel how ye wole it schal be wroke。
I am al redy forto bere
Mi peine； and also to forbere
What thing that ye wol noght allowe；
For who is bounden； he mot bowe。 540
So wol I bowe unto youre heste；
For I dar make this beheste；
That I to yow have nothing hid；
Bot told riht as it is betid；
And otherwise of no mispeche；
Mi conscience forto seche；
I can noght of Envie finde；
That I mispoke have oght behinde
Wherof love owhte be mispaid。
Now have ye herd and I have said； 550
What wol ye； fader； that I do？
Mi Sone； do nomore so；
Bot evere kep thi tunge stille；
Thou miht the more have of thi wille。
For as thou saist thiselven here；
Thi ladi is of such manere；
So wys； so war in alle thinge；
It nedeth of no bakbitinge
That thou thi ladi mis enforme：
For whan sche knoweth al the forme； 560
How that thiself art envious；
Thou schalt noght be so gracious
As thou peraunter scholdest elles。
Ther wol noman drinke of tho welles
Whiche as he wot is puyson inne；
And ofte swich as men beginne
Towardes othre； swich thei finde；
That set hem ofte fer behinde；
Whan that thei wene be before。
Mi goode Sone； and thou therfore 570
Bewar and lef thi wicke speche；
Wherof hath fallen ofte wreche
To many a man befor this time。
For who so wole his handes lime；
Thei mosten be the more unclene；
For many a mote schal be sene；
That wolde noght cleve elles there；
And that schold every wys man fere：
For who so wol an other blame；
He secheth ofte his oghne schame； 580
Which elles myhte be riht stille。
Forthi if that it be thi wille
To stonde upon amendement；
A tale of gret entendement
I thenke telle for thi sake；
Wherof thou miht ensample take。
A worthi kniht in Cristes lawe
Of grete Rome； as is the sawe；
The Sceptre hadde forto rihte；
Tiberie Constantin he hihte； 590
Whos wif was cleped Ytalie：
Bot thei togedre of progenie
No children hadde bot a Maide；
And sche the god so wel apaide；
That al the wide worldes fame
Spak worschipe of hire goode name。
Constance； as the Cronique seith；
Sche hihte； and was so ful of feith；
That the greteste of Barbarie；
Of hem whiche usen marchandie； 600
Sche hath converted； as thei come
To hire upon a time in Rome；
To schewen such thing as thei broghte；
Whiche worthili of hem sche boghte；
And over that in such a wise
Sche hath hem with hire wordes wise
Of Cristes feith so full enformed；
That thei therto ben all conformed；
So that baptesme thei receiven
And alle here false goddes weyven。 610
Whan thei ben of the feith certein；
Thei gon to Barbarie ayein；
And ther the Souldan for hem sente
And axeth hem to what entente
Thei have here ferste feith forsake。
And thei； whiche hadden undertake
The rihte feith to kepe and holde；
The matiere of here tale tolde
With al the hole circumstance。
And whan the Souldan of Constance 620
Upon the point that thei ansuerde
The beaute and the grace herde；
As he which thanne was to wedde；
In alle haste his cause spedde
To sende for the mariage。
And furthermor with good corage
He seith； be so he mai hire have；
That Crist； which cam this world to save；
He woll believe： and this recorded；
Thei ben on either side acorded； 630
And therupon to make an ende
The Souldan hise hostages sende
To Rome； of Princes Sones tuelve：
Wherof the fader in himselve
Was glad； and with the Pope avised
Tuo Cardinals he hath assissed
With othre lordes many mo；
That with his doghter scholden go；
To se the Souldan be converted。
Bot that which nevere was wel herted； 640
Envie； tho began travaile
In destourbance of this spousaile
So prively that non was war。
The Moder which this Souldan bar
Was thanne alyve； and thoghte this
Unto hirself： 〃If it so is
Mi Sone him wedde in this manere；
Than have I lost my joies hiere；
For myn astat schal so be lassed。〃
Thenkende thus sche hath compassed 650
Be sleihte how that sche may beguile
Hire Sone； and fell withinne a while；
Betwen hem two whan that thei were；
Sche feigneth wordes in his Ere；
And in this wise gan to seie：
〃Mi Sone； I am be double weie
With al myn herte glad and blithe；
For that miself have ofte sithe
Desired thou wolt； as men seith；
Receive and take a newe feith； 660
Which schal be forthringe of thi lif：
And ek so worschipful a wif；
The doughter of an Emperour；
To wedde it schal be gret honour。
Forthi； mi Sone； I you beseche
That I such grace mihte areche；
Whan that my doughter come schal；
That I mai thanne in special；
So as me thenkth it is honeste；
Be thilke which the ferste feste 670
Schal make unto hire welcominge。〃
The Souldan granteth hire axinge；
And sche therof was glad ynowh：
For under that anon sche drowh
With false wordes that sche spak
Covine of deth behinde his bak。
And therupon hire ordinance
She made so； that whan Constance
Was come forth with the Romeins；
Of clerkes and of Citezeins； 680
A riche feste sche hem made：
And most whan that thei weren glade；
With fals covine which sche hadde
Hire clos Envie tho sche spradde；
And alle tho that hadden be
Or in apert or in prive
Of conseil to the mariage；
Sche slowh hem in a sodein rage
Endlong the bord as thei be set；
So that it myhte noght be let； 690
Hire oghne Sone was noght quit；
Bot deide upon the same plit。
Bot what the hihe god wol spare
It mai for no peril misfare：
This worthi Maiden which was there
Stod thanne； as who seith； ded for feere；
To se the feste how that it stod；
Which al was torned into blod：
The Dissh forthwith the Coppe and al
Bebled thei weren overal； 700
Sche sih hem deie on every side；
No wonder thogh sche wepte and cride
Makende many a wofull mone。
Whan al was slain bot sche al one；
This olde fend； this Sarazine；
Let take anon this Constantine
With al the good sche thider broghte；
And hath ordeined； as sche thoghte；
A nakid Schip withoute stiere；
In which the good and hire in fiere； 710
Vitailed full for yeres fyve；
Wher that the wynd it wolde dryve；
Sche putte upon the wawes wilde。
Bot he which alle thing mai schilde；
Thre yer； til that sche cam to londe；
Hire Schip to stiere hath take in honde；
And in Northumberlond aryveth；
And happeth thanne that sche dryveth
Under a Castel with the flod；
Which upon Humber banke stod 720
And was the kynges oghne also；
The which Allee was cleped tho；
A Saxon and a worthi knyht；
Bot he believed noght ariht。
Of this Castell was Chastellein
Elda the kinges Chamberlein；
A knyhtly man after his lawe；
And whan he sih upon the wawe
The Schip drivende al one so；
He bad anon men scholden go 730
To se what it betokne mai。
This was upon a Somer dai；
The Schip was loked and sche founde；
Elda withinne a litel stounde
It wiste； and with his wif anon
Toward this yonge ladi gon；
Wher that thei founden gret richesse；
Bot sche hire wolde noght confesse；
Whan thei hire axen what sche was。
And natheles upon the cas 740
Out of the Schip with gret worschipe
Thei toke hire into felaschipe；
As thei that weren of hir glade：
Bot sche no maner joie made；
Bot sorweth sore of that sche fond
No cristendom in thilke lond；
Bot elles sche hath al hire wille；
And thus with hem sche duelleth stille。
Dame Hermyngheld； which was the wif
Of Elda； lich hire oghne lif 750
Constance loveth； and fell so；
Spekende alday betwen