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Dame Hermyngheld； which was the wif
Of Elda； lich hire oghne lif 750
Constance loveth； and fell so；
Spekende alday betwen hem two；
Thurgh grace of goddes pourveance
This maiden tawhte the creance
Unto this wif so parfitly；
Upon a dai that faste by
In presence of hire housebonde；
Wher thei go walkende on the Stronde；
A blind man； which cam there lad；
Unto this wif criende he bad； 760
With bothe hise hondes up and preide
To hire； and in this wise he seide：
〃O Hermyngeld； which Cristes feith；
Enformed as Constance seith；
Received hast； yif me my sihte。〃
Upon his word hire herte afflihte
Thenkende what was best to done；
Bot natheles sche herde his bone
And seide； 〃In trust of Cristes lawe；
Which don was on the crois and slawe； 770
Thou bysne man； behold and se。〃
With that to god upon his kne
Thonkende he tok his sihte anon；
Wherof thei merveile everychon；
Bot Elda wondreth most of alle：
This open thing which is befalle
Concludeth him be such a weie；
That he the feith mot nede obeie。
Now lest what fell upon this thing。
This Elda forth unto the king 780
A morwe tok his weie and rod；
And Hermyngeld at home abod
Forth with Constance wel at ese。
Elda； which thoghte his king to plese；
As he that thanne unwedded was；
Of Constance al the pleine cas
Als goodliche as he cowthe tolde。
The king was glad and seide he wolde
Come thider upon such a wise
That he him mihte of hire avise； 790
The time apointed forth withal。
This Elda triste in special
Upon a knyht； whom fro childhode
He hadde updrawe into manhode：
To him he tolde al that he thoghte；
Wherof that after him forthoghte；
And natheles at thilke tide
Unto his wif he bad him ride
To make redi alle thing
Ayein the cominge of the king； 800
And seith that he himself tofore
Thenkth forto come； and bad therfore
That he him kepe； and told him whanne。
This knyht rod forth his weie thanne；
And soth was that of time passed
He hadde in al his wit compassed
How he Constance myhte winne；
Bot he sih tho no sped therinne；
Wherof his lust began tabate；
And that was love is thanne hate； 810
Of hire honour he hadde Envie；
So that upon his tricherie
A lesinge in his herte he caste。
Til he cam home he hieth faste；
And doth his ladi tunderstonde
The Message of hire housebonde：
And therupon the longe dai
Thei setten thinges in arrai；
That al was as it scholde be
Of every thing in his degree； 820
And whan it cam into the nyht；
This wif hire hath to bedde dyht；
Wher that this Maiden with hire lay。
This false knyht upon delay
Hath taried til thei were aslepe；
As he that wolde his time kepe
His dedly werkes to fulfille；
And to the bed he stalketh stille；
Wher that he wiste was the wif；
And in his hond a rasour knif 830
He bar； with which hire throte he cutte；
And prively the knif he putte
Under that other beddes side；
Wher that Constance lai beside。
Elda cam hom the same nyht；
And stille with a prive lyht；
As he that wolde noght awake
His wif； he hath his weie take
Into the chambre； and ther liggende
He fond his dede wif bledende； 840
Wher that Constance faste by
Was falle aslepe； and sodeinly
He cride alowd； and sche awok；
And forth withal sche caste a lok
And sih this ladi blede there；
Wherof swoundende ded for fere
Sche was； and stille as eny Ston
She lay； and Elda therupon
Into the Castell clepeth oute；
And up sterte every man aboute； 850
Into the chambre and forth thei wente。
Bot he； which alle untrouthe mente；
This false knyht； among hem alle
Upon this thing which is befalle
Seith that Constance hath don this dede；
And to the bed with that he yede
After the falshed of his speche；
And made him there forto seche；
And fond the knif； wher he it leide；
And thanne he cride and thanne he seide； 860
〃Lo； seth the knif al blody hiere！
What nedeth more in this matiere
To axe？〃 And thus hire innocence
He sclaundreth there in audience
With false wordes whiche he feigneth。
Bot yit for al that evere he pleigneth；
Elda no full credence tok：
And happeth that ther lay a bok；
Upon the which； whan he it sih；
This knyht hath swore and seid on hih； 870
That alle men it mihte wite；
〃Now be this bok； which hier is write；
Constance is gultif； wel I wot。〃
With that the hond of hevene him smot
In tokne of that he was forswore；
That he hath bothe hise yhen lore；
Out of his hed the same stounde
Thei sterte； and so thei weren founde。
A vois was herd； whan that they felle；
Which seide； 〃O dampned man to helle； 880
Lo； thus hath god the sclaundre wroke
That thou ayein Constance hast spoke：
Beknow the sothe er that thou dye。〃
And he told out his felonie；
And starf forth with his tale anon。
Into the ground； wher alle gon；
This dede lady was begrave：
Elda； which thoghte his honour save；
Al that he mai restreigneth sorwe。
For the seconde day a morwe 890
The king cam； as thei were acorded；
And whan it was to him recorded
What god hath wroght upon this chaunce；
He tok it into remembrance
And thoghte more than he seide。
For al his hole herte he leide
Upon Constance； and seide he scholde
For love of hire； if that sche wolde；
Baptesme take and Cristes feith
Believe； and over that he seith 900
He wol hire wedde； and upon this
Asseured ech til other is。
And forto make schorte tales；
Ther cam a Bisschop out of Wales
Fro Bangor； and Lucie he hihte；
Which thurgh the grace of god almihte
The king with many an other mo
Hath cristned； and betwen hem tuo
He hath fulfild the mariage。
Bot for no lust ne for no rage 910
Sche tolde hem nevere what sche was；
And natheles upon the cas
The king was glad； how so it stod；
For wel he wiste and understod
Sche was a noble creature。
The hihe makere of nature
Hire hath visited in a throwe；
That it was openliche knowe
Sche was with childe be the king；
Wherof above al other thing 920
He thonketh god and was riht glad。
And fell that time he was bestad
Upon a werre and moste ride；
And whil he scholde there abide；
He lefte at hom to kepe his wif
Suche as he knew of holi lif；
Elda forth with the Bisschop eke；
And he with pouer goth to seke
Ayein the Scottes forto fonde
The werre which he tok on honde。 930
The time set of kinde is come；
This lady hath hire chambre nome；
And of a Sone bore full；
Wherof that sche was joiefull；
Sche was delivered sauf and sone。
The bisshop； as it was to done；
Yaf him baptesme and Moris calleth；
And therupon； as it befalleth；
With lettres writen of record
Thei sende unto here liege lord； 940
That kepers weren of the qweene：
And he that scholde go betwene；
The Messager； to Knaresburgh；
Which toun he scholde passe thurgh；
Ridende cam the ferste day。
The kinges Moder there lay；
Whos rihte name was Domilde；
Which after al the cause spilde：
For he； which thonk deserve wolde；
Unto this ladi goth and tolde 950
Of his Message al how it ferde。
And sche with feigned joie it herde
And yaf him yiftes largely；
Bot in the nyht al prively
Sche tok the lettres whiche he hadde；
Fro point to point and overradde；
As sche that was thurghout untrewe；
And let do wryten othre newe
In stede of hem； and thus thei spieke：
〃Oure liege lord； we thee beseke 960
That thou with ous ne be noght wroth；
Though we such thing as is thee loth
Upon oure trowthe certefie。
Thi wif； which is of faierie；
Of such a child delivered is
Fro kinde which stant al amis：
Bot for it scholde noght be seie；
We have it kept out of the weie
For drede of pure worldes schame；
A povere child and in the name 970
Of thilke which is so misbore
We toke； and therto we be swore；
That non bot only thou and we
Schal knowen of this privete：
Moris it hatte； and thus men wene
That it was boren of the qweene
And of thin oghne bodi gete。
Bot this thing mai noght be foryete；
That thou ne sende ous word anon
What is thi wille therupon。〃 980
This lettre； as thou hast herd devise；
Was contrefet in such a wise
That noman scholde it aperceive：
And sche； which thoghte to deceive；
It leith wher sche that other tok。
This Messager； whan he awok；
And wiste nothing how it was；
Aros and rod the grete pas
And tok this lettre to the king。
And whan he sih this wonder thing； 9