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And tok this lettre to the king。
And whan he sih this wonder thing； 990
He makth the Messager no chiere；
Bot natheles in wys manere
He wrote ayein； and yaf hem charge
That thei ne soffre noght at large
His wif to go； bot kepe hire stille；
Til thei have herd mor of his wille。
This Messager was yifteles；
Bot with this lettre natheles；
Or be him lief or be him loth；
In alle haste ayein he goth 1000
Be Knaresburgh； and as he wente；
Unto the Moder his entente
Of that he fond toward the king
He tolde； and sche upon this thing
Seith that he scholde abide al nyht
And made him feste and chiere ariht；
Feignende as thogh sche cowthe him thonk。
Bot he with strong wyn which he dronk
Forth with the travail of the day
Was drunke； aslepe and while he lay； 1010
Sche hath hise lettres overseie
And formed in an other weie。
Ther was a newe lettre write；
Which seith： 〃I do you forto wite；
That thurgh the conseil of you tuo
I stonde in point to ben undo；
As he which is a king deposed。
For every man it hath supposed；
How that my wif Constance is faie；
And if that I； thei sein； delaie 1020
To put hire out of compaignie；
The worschipe of my Regalie
Is lore； and over this thei telle；
Hire child schal noght among hem duelle；
To cleymen eny heritage。
So can I se non avantage；
Bot al is lost； if sche abide：
Forthi to loke on every side
Toward the meschief as it is；
I charge you and bidde this； 1030
That ye the same Schip vitaile；
In which that sche tok arivaile；
Therinne and putteth bothe tuo；
Hireself forthwith hire child also；
And so forth broght unto the depe
Betaketh hire the See to kepe。
Of foure daies time I sette；
That ye this thing no longer lette；
So that your lif be noght forsfet。〃
And thus this lettre contrefet 1040
The Messager； which was unwar；
Upon the kingeshalve bar；
And where he scholde it hath betake。
Bot whan that thei have hiede take；
And rad that writen is withinne；
So gret a sorwe thei beginne；
As thei here oghne Moder sihen
Brent in a fyr before here yhen：
Ther was wepinge and ther was wo；
Bot finaly the thing is do。 1050
Upon the See thei have hire broght；
Bot sche the cause wiste noght；
And thus upon the flod thei wone；
This ladi with hire yonge Sone：
And thanne hire handes to the hevene
Sche strawhte； and with a milde stevene
Knelende upon hire bare kne
Sche seide； 〃O hihe mageste；
Which sest the point of every trowthe；
Tak of thi wofull womman rowthe 1060
And of this child that I schal kepe。〃
And with that word sche gan to wepe；
Swounende as ded； and ther sche lay；
Bot he which alle thinges may
Conforteth hire； and ate laste
Sche loketh and hire yhen caste
Upon hire child and seide this：
〃Of me no maner charge it is
What sorwe I soffre； bot of thee
Me thenkth it is a gret pite； 1070
For if I sterve thou schalt deie：
So mot I nedes be that weie
For Moderhed and for tendresse
With al myn hole besinesse
Ordeigne me for thilke office；
As sche which schal be thi Norrice。〃
Thus was sche strengthed forto stonde；
And tho sche tok hire child in honde
And yaf it sowke； and evere among
Sche wepte； and otherwhile song 1080
To rocke with hire child aslepe：
And thus hire oghne child to kepe
Sche hath under the goddes cure。
And so fell upon aventure；
Whan thilke yer hath mad his ende；
Hire Schip； so as it moste wende
Thurgh strengthe of wynd which god hath yive；
Estward was into Spaigne drive
Riht faste under a Castell wall；
Wher that an hethen Amirall 1090
Was lord； and he a Stieward hadde；
Oon Thelos； which al was badde；
A fals knyht and a renegat。
He goth to loke in what astat
The Schip was come； and there he fond
Forth with a child upon hire hond
This lady； wher sche was al one。
He tok good hiede of the persone；
And sih sche was a worthi wiht；
And thoghte he wolde upon the nyht 1100
Demene hire at his oghne wille；
And let hire be therinne stille；
That mo men sih sche noght that dai。
At goddes wille and thus sche lai；
Unknowe what hire schal betide；
And fell so that be nyhtes tide
This knyht withoute felaschipe
Hath take a bot and cam to Schipe；
And thoghte of hire his lust to take；
And swor； if sche him daunger make； 1110
That certeinly sche scholde deie。
Sche sih ther was non other weie；
And seide he scholde hire wel conforte；
That he ferst loke out ate porte；
That noman were nyh the stede；
Which myhte knowe what thei dede；
And thanne he mai do what he wolde。
He was riht glad that sche so tolde；
And to the porte anon he ferde：
Sche preide god； and he hire herde； 1120
And sodeinliche he was out throwe
And dreynt； and tho began to blowe
A wynd menable fro the lond；
And thus the myhti goddes hond
Hire hath conveied and defended。
And whan thre yer be full despended；
Hire Schip was drive upon a dai；
Wher that a gret Navye lay
Of Schipes； al the world at ones：
And as god wolde for the nones； 1130
Hire Schip goth in among hem alle；
And stinte noght； er it be falle
And hath the vessell undergete；
Which Maister was of al the Flete；
Bot there it resteth and abod。
This grete Schip on Anker rod；
The Lord cam forth； and whan he sih
That other ligge abord so nyh；
He wondreth what it myhte be；
And bad men to gon in and se。 1140
This ladi tho was crope aside；
As sche that wolde hireselven hide；
For sche ne wiste what thei were：
Thei soghte aboute and founde hir there
And broghten up hire child and hire；
And therupon this lord to spire
Began； fro whenne that sche cam；
And what sche was。 Quod sche； 〃I am
A womman wofully bestad。
I hadde a lord； and thus he bad； 1150
That I forth with my litel Sone
Upon the wawes scholden wone；
Bot why the cause was； I not：
Bot he which alle thinges wot
Yit hath； I thonke him； of his miht
Mi child and me so kept upriht；
That we be save bothe tuo。〃
This lord hire axeth overmo
How sche believeth； and sche seith；
〃I lieve and triste in Cristes feith； 1160
Which deide upon the Rode tree。〃
〃What is thi name？〃 tho quod he。
〃Mi name is Couste；〃 sche him seide：
Bot forthermor for noght he preide
Of hire astat to knowe plein；
Sche wolde him nothing elles sein
Bot of hir name； which sche feigneth；
Alle othre thinges sche restreigneth；
That a word more sche ne tolde。
This lord thanne axeth if sche wolde 1170
With him abide in compaignie；
And seide he cam fro Barbarie
To Romeward； and hom he wente。
Tho sche supposeth what it mente；
And seith sche wolde with him wende
And duelle unto hire lyves ende；
Be so it be to his plesance。
And thus upon here aqueintance
He tolde hire pleinly as it stod；
Of Rome how that the gentil blod 1180
In Barbarie was betraied；
And therupon he hath assaied
Be werre； and taken such vengance；
That non of al thilke alliance；
Be whom the tresoun was compassed；
Is from the swerd alyve passed；
Bot of Constance hou it was；
That cowthe he knowe be no cas；
Wher sche becam； so as he seide。
Hire Ere unto his word sche leide； 1190
Bot forther made sche no chiere。
And natheles in this matiere
It happeth thilke time so：
This Lord； with whom sche scholde go；
Of Rome was the Senatour；
And of hir fader themperour
His brother doughter hath to wyve；
Which hath hir fader ek alyve；
And was Salustes cleped tho；
This wif Heleine hihte also； 1200
To whom Constance was Cousine。
Thus to the sike a medicine
Hath god ordeined of his grace；
That forthwith in the same place
This Senatour his trowthe plihte；
For evere； whil he live mihte；
To kepe in worschipe and in welthe；
Be so that god wol yive hire helthe；
This ladi； which fortune him sende。
And thus be Schipe forth sailende 1210
Hire and hir child to Rome he broghte；
And to his wif tho he besoghte
To take hire into compaignie：
And sche； which cowthe of courtesie
Al that a good wif scholde konne；
Was inly glad that sche hath wonne
The felaschip of so good on。
Til tuelve yeres were agon；
This Emperoures dowhter Custe
Forth with the dowhter of Saluste 1220
Was kept； bot noman redily
Knew what sche was； and noght forthi
Thei thoghten wel sche hadde be
In hire astat of hih degre；
And every lif hire loveth wel。
Now herke how thilke unstable whel；
Which evere torneth； wente aboute。
The ki