The Lansdowne ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[6-text p 134]

[THE TALE.]

In Surre some while dweled a company. Of chap men riche and þer-to sadde and trewe That wide where senten hire spicery Cloþes of golde and satine riche of hewe Line 137 Here chaffer was so þrefty and so newe That euery wiht haþe deynte to chaffare Wiþe hem and eke to sellen hem here ware Line 140

¶ Nowe felle þat þe maistres of þat sorte Hane schapen hem to Rome for to wende Were it fo chapmanhode or for disporte None oþer Messagier wolde þei þeder sende Line 144 Bot cam hem selft to rome þis es þe ende And in swyche place as þouht hem auantage ffor here intent þei take here herbergage Line 147

¶ Soiorne haue þese marchantes in þat toune A certaine time as fell to here plesaunce Bot so be-fel þat þe excellent renoune Of þe Emperoure douhter dame Custance Line 151 Reported was wiþ euery circumstance Vn to þis surrien Marchantez in suche wise ffro day to day as .I. schal ȝowe deuise Line 154

¶ This was þe comune voyce of euery man Owre Emperour of Rome Gode him see [folio 67a] A douhter he haþe þat sen þe werlde beganne To rekken as wele hire goodnes as beaute Line 158 Was neuer suche anoþer as is sche .I. praie to gode in honoure hire susteigne And wald sche were of al Europe þe quene. [Europa est tercia pars mundi.]

[6-text p 135]

In hir is hihe beaute wiþ oute pride Ȝowþe wiþ oute greuehode or foly To al hire werkes vertue is hir gyde Humblesse haþe slayne in ȝowe al tyranny Line 165 . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] Hire herte is verrai chambre of holynesse Hir hande Ministre of fredam for almesse Line 168

¶ And al þis voice was soþe as god is trewe Bot nowe to purpos lat vs turne aȝeine This marchantez han don frauht here schippes newe And whan þei han þis blisseful Maiden seine Line 172 Home to surre be þei wente aȝeine And done here nedes as þei han done ȝore And leuen in wele .I. can say ȝow no more Line 175

¶ Nowe fel it þat þese marchantz stoden in grace Of him þat was Souldan of Surrye ffor whan þat þei cam from any strange place He wolde of his benigne curtesie Line 179 Make hem good chiere and besilye aspye Thinges of sundre remes for to lere The wonderes þat þei myht se or here Line 182

¶ Amonges oþer þinges specialy Thos Marchantz hane him tolde of dame Custance So grete noblesse in erneste curiousely Þat þis souldan haþ kauht so grete plesance Line 186 To hane hir figure in his remembrance And al his lust and al his besy cure Was for to loue hir while his lif maie dure Line 189

¶ Parauenture in þe large booke Whiche þat cleped þe heuen y-writen was Wiþ sterres whan þat he his birþe toke That he for loue schol haue his deþe alas Line 193

[6-text p 136] Line 193 ffor in þe sterres clerer þan is þe glas Is wreten god wote who so couþe it rede Þe deþe of euery man wiþ outen drede Line 196

¶ In sterres mony a winter þar be-forne [

¶ Ceptra pharonei furtum discordia thebe¶ Flammam phetontis deu-calionis aque¶ In stellis priami; species audacia turni¶ Sensus vlixeus herculeus que vigor.

] Was wreten þe deþe of Ector and achilles Off Pompe Iulius or thei were borne [folio 67b] The strif of Thebes and of Hercules Line 200 Of Sampson turnus and of Socrates The deþ bot mennus wittes bene so dulle That no whiht can wel rede it att þe fulle Line 203

¶ This Sowldan for his priue conseile sente And schortly of þis matier for to passe He haþe to hem declared his entent And seide hem certeine bot if he myht haue grace Line 207 To haue Custance wiþ inne a litel space He nas bot dede and charged hem in hihe To schapen for his lif som remedie Line 210

¶ Diuers men diuers þinges saiden The Argumentz custen vp and doune Many a sotyl reson forþe þei leyden Thei speken of Magik and abusion Line 214 Bot finalli as in conclusion Thei can nouȝt seen in þat none auantage Ne in none oþer waie saue Mariage Line 217

¶ Than sauhe þere suche difficulte Be way of Reson for to speke as pleine Be cause þat þere was suche diuersite Be twene here boþe lawes as þei seine Line 221 Thai trowe þat no cristen prince wold feine Wedden his childe vnder her lawes so swete That hem was tauht bue Mahoun þe prophete Line 224

[6-text p 137] Line 224

¶ And he Ansewarde raþer þan .I. lese Constance .I. wil be cristened douteles .I. mot bene hirs .I. maie none oþer chese .I. pray ȝow holde ȝoure argumentes in pes Line 228 Saueþ my lif and beþ nouht recheles To gete hir þat haþ my lif in cure ffor in þis woo .I. maie nouht longe endure Line 231

¶ What nedeþ gretter dilataciōn .I. sey be tretise and embassadrie And be þe popes Medeacione And al þe cherche and al þe chiualrie Line 235 That in destruccion of Maumetrie And in encrese of cristes lawe dere Thei bene accorded so as ȝe schal here Line 238

¶ How þat þe Souldan and his Baronage And alle his leges scholde cristened be And he scal haue Constance in Mariage [folio 68a] And certeigne gold .I. not what quantite Line 242 And herto founden sufficiant surtie This same accorde was swor in eyþer side Nowe faire Constance almyhti god þe gide Line 245

¶ Nowe wolde sum man waiten as .I. gesse Þat .I. schol telle al þe purueance That þe Emperour of his noblesse Haþ schapen for his douhter Dam Custance. Line 249 Wele maie men knowen þat so grete ordinance. Maie no man tellen in a litel clause As was arraied for so hihe a cause Line 252

¶ Cardinals and Bischops bene schapen wiþ hir to wende Lordes and lades and knyhtes of renoune And oþer folke .I.-nowe þis is þe ende And notified is þoruhe oute þe toune Line 256

[6-text p 138] Line 256 That euery whight wiþe grete deuocione Schold praie criste þat þis Mariage Resceyue in gree and spede þis viage Line 259

¶ The daie is comen of hire departeinge .I. say þat woful daie fatal is come That þat þere maie be no longer tariynge Bot forþwarde þei hem dresse alle and somme Line 263 Constance þat wiþ sorwe is al ouer-come fful pale a-rist and drisseþ hire to wend ffor wele sche seeþe þere is none oþere ende Line 266

¶ Allas what wonder is it þouhe sche wepete That schall be sent to so strange nacione ffro frendes þat so tendurly hir keppete And to be boundon vnder subiectione Line 270 Of one sehe knoweþ nouht his condicion Husbondes bene al good and hane bu ȝore þat knewen wives .I. dar sei ȝow no more Line 273

ffader sche seide . þi wreched childe Constance þi ȝonge douhter fostred vp so soft And ȝe my moder my souereigne plesance Ouer al þinge oute take criste on loft Line 277 Constance ȝowre childe hir recommandeþ oft Vn to ȝoure grace for .I. schal to Surrye Ne schal .I. neuer seen ȝow more wiþ eye Line 280

¶ Alas vn to þe Barbarie Nacion .I. most anone seþ it is ȝoure wille Bot crist þat starf for oure redempcione [folio 68b] So ȝeue me grace his hestes to fulfille Line 284 .I. wriched womman no force þou .I. spille Wemmen arne born to þraldom and penance And to bue vnder mannes gouernance Line 287

[6-text p 139] Line 287

¶ .I. trowe att troie whan purrus brake þe wal Or. ylion þat brende Thebes þat Citee Noute Rome for þe harme þorwhe Hanybal That Romaynes haþ venquissed times þre. Line 291 Nas herde swiche tender wepeinge for pite As in þe chambre for hire departeinge Bot forþe sche mote whereso sche wepe or singe Line 294

¶ O ferst moueynge cruel firmament Wiþ þi diurnale sweigh þat croudest aie And hurlist al fro est to Occident Þat naturelly wold hold a-noþer waye Line 298 Thi croudeinge sett þe heuen in suche arraie Att þe be-ginnynge of þis fers viage That cruel Mars haþe slayne þis mariage [Vnde Tholomeus. libro primo capitulo 8. Primi motus Celi duo sunt quorum vnus est qui mouet totum semper ab oriente in occidentem; vno modo super orbes &c. Alter vero motus est qui mouet orbem stellarum currencium contra motum primum videlicet. ab occidente in orientem super alios duos polos &c. Omnes enim sunt concordati quod elecciones sint debiles nisi in diuitibus Habent enim isti licet debilitentur eorum elecciones radicem .i. natiuitates eorum que confortant omnem planetam debilem in itinere Huc. Philoso|phus. [ a quotation in the middle of the text.]] Line 301

¶ Infortunate ascendent tortuous Of whiche þe lorde is falle alas Out of his angle in to þe derkest house O mars o.ataȝir as in þis caas Line 305 O feble mone vn-happy bene þi pas Thou knettest þe þar þou ert nouht receyuede The þou weere wele fro þens nowe ert þou weyued Line 308

¶ Imprudent emperour of Rome allas Was þere no philosopher in al þi toune Is no time bet þan oþer in suche cas Of viage is þere none eleccion Line 312 Namely to folke of hihe condicion Nat whan a rote is of a burþe y-knowe Alas ȝe bene to lewed or to slowe Line 315

¶ The schippe is brouht þis woful faire maide Solempnely wiþe euery circumstance. Nowe ihesu criste be wiþ ȝowe al sche saide [folio 69a] There is no more bot fare wele faire Constance Line 319

[6-text p 140] Line 319 Sche peyneþ hire to make gode continance And forþe þei lete hir saile in þis manere And turne .I. wil aȝeine to my matier Line 322

¶ The moder of þe Souldan wel of vices Espied haþe hir sones pleine entent How he wil lete his olde sacrifises And riht a-none sche for hire conseille sent Line 326 And þei comen to knowen what sche ment And whan assembled was þes folk in fere Sche sett hire doune and seide as ȝe schalle here. Line 329

¶ Lordes quod sche ȝe knowen euerychone Howe þat my sonne in pointe is fo to lete The holy lawes of owre Akkaron Ȝeuen be goddes Messagiere Makomete Line 333 Bott on avowe to grete god .I. hete The lif schal raþer oute of my bodi sterte Or Macometis lawe oute of myne herte Line 336

¶ What schuld vs tiden of þis newe lawe Bot þraldom to oure bodies and penance And afterward in hel to be drawe ffor we reneyed Mahon oure creance Line 340 Bot lordes wil ȝe maken assurance As .I. schal seine assentinge to my lore And .I. schal make us sauf for euer more Line 343

¶ Thei sworen and assenten euery man To leue wiþ hire and deye and by hire stande And eueryche in þe best wise he can To strengþen hir schal al his frendes fonde Line 347 And sche haþe þis emprise take on honde Whiche ȝe schal here þat .I. schal deuise And to hem al sche spak in þis wise Line 350

[6-text p 141] Line 350

¶ We schol first feyne vs cristendom to take Colde water schal nouht greue vs bot a lite And .I. schal suche a fest and a reuel make Þat as .I. trowe .I. schal þe sowdan quite Line 354 ffor þouhe his wif be crestened neuer so white Sche schal haue nede to whasse awaie þe rede Thouhe sche a fonte ful of water wiþ hire lede Line 357

¶ O sauldanesse rote of iniquite Virago þu semiram þe seconde. O serpent vnder femenyte [folio 69b] Like to þe serpente depe in helle bownde Line 361 O feyned womman alle þat may confounde Vertue and innocence þoruhe þi Malice Is bred in þe as nest of euery vice. Line 364

¶ O Sathan envious sen þilk daie That þou were chased from owre heritage Wele knowes þou to wemmen þe olde waie Þou madest Eua to bringe in seruage Line 368 Þou wilt for-done cristen Mariage Þine instrument so welawaie þe while Makeste þou of whan þu wilte begile Line 371

¶ This Souldanesse wham .I. þus blame and wery. Lete priuely hire consielle gon here waye What schold .I. in þis tale longer tary Sche rideþ to þe souldan on a daye Line 375 And seide þat sche wold reney hir laye And cristendome of prestes hondes fonge Repentynge sche heþen was so longe Line 378

¶ Besekeinge him to done hir þat honoure Þat miht haue þe cresten folke to feste To plese hem .I. wil do my laboure The souldan seiþe .I. wil done at ȝoure heste Line 382

[6-text p 142] Line 382 And knelynge þonkeþ hire of þat requeste So glad he was he nyst what to seie Sche kist hire sonne and home sche goþe hir waie Line 385