[6-text p 155]
He drank / and wel his girdel vnder pighte
He slepeth / and he fnorteth in his gyse
Al nyght til the sonne gan aryse
Line 791
¶ Eft were his lettres / stolen euerichon
And countrefeted lettres / in this wyse
The kyng comaundeth / his Constable anon
Vp peyne of hangyng and on heigh Iuyse
Line 795
That he ne sholde suffren / in no wyse
Custance / in with his regne for tabyde
Thre dayes / and a quarter of o tyde
Line 798
¶ But in the same Shipe / as he hir fond
Hire and hir yonge sone / and al hir geere
He sholde putte / and crowde hir fro the lond
And charge hire / þat she neuere eft coome there
Line 802
O my Custaunce / wel may thy goost haue fere
And slepyng in thy dreem / been in penaunce
Whan Donegild / caste al this ordinaunce
Line 805
¶ This Messager / on morwe whan he wook
Vn to the Castel / halt the nexte wey
And to the Constable / he the lettre took
And whan þat he / this pitous lettre sey
Line 809
fful ofte / he seyde allas and weilawey
Lord crist quod he / how may this world endure
So ful of synne / is many a creature.
Line 812
[O] myghty god / if that it be thy wille [folio 123b]
Sith thow art rightful Iuge / how may it be
That thow wolt suffren / Innocentz to spille
And wikked folk / regnen in prosperitee
Line 816
O goode Custaunce / allas so wo is me
That I moot be thy tormentour / or deye
On shames deeth / ther nys noon oother weye
Line 819
