[6-text p 149]
And kitte the throte / of Hermengild atwo
And leyde the blody knyf / by dame Custaunce
And wente his wey / ther god yeue hym meschaunce
Line 602
[So]one after / cometh this Constable hom agayn [folio 120b]
And eek Alla / that kyng was of that lond
And saw his wyf / despitously yslayn
ffor which ful ofte / he weepe and wrong his hond
Line 606
And in the bed / the blody knyf he fond
By dame Custaunce / allas what myghte she seye
ffor verray wo / hir wit was al aweye
Line 609
¶ To kyng Alla / was told al this meschaunce
And eek the tyme / and where / and in what wise
That in a shipe / was founde this Custaunce
As her biforn / þat ye han herd deuyse
Line 613
The kynges herte / of pitee gan agryse
Whan he saw / so benygne a creature
ffalle in disese / and in mysauenture
Line 616
¶ ffor as the lomb / toward his deeth is broght
So stant this Innocent bifore the kyng
This false knyght þat hath this treson wroght
Bereth hire on hond / þat she hath doon this thyng
Line 620
But nathelees / ther was greet moornyng
Among the peple / and seyn they kan nat gesse
That she had doon / so greet a wikkednesse
Line 623
¶ ffor they han seyn hire / euere so vertuous
And louyng Hermengild / right as hir lyf
Of this baar witnesse / euerich in that hous
Saue he þat Hermengild / slow with his knyf
Line 627
This gentil kyng hath caught a gret motyf
Of this witnesse / and thoghte he wolde enquere
Depper in this / a trouthe for to lere
Line 630
