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

[PART III.]

¶ Alla þe kinge comeþ home sone after þis Vnto his Castel of þe whiche .I. tolde And axeþ where his wif and his childe is The Constable gan aboute his hert colde Line 879

[6-text p 158] Line 879 And pleinly al þe maner he him tolde As ȝe hane herde .I. kan tel it no better And scheweþ þe kinge his seal and his letter Line 882

¶ And seide lorde as ȝe commaunded me Vp peine of deþ so haue .I. done certeine This Messagier tumended was til he Most be-knowen and tellen plat and pleine Line 886 ffrom nyht to nyht where þat he had leine And þus be witte and soubtile enquereinge Imagened was be wham þis harme gan springe Line 889

¶ The hande was knowe þat þe lettre wrote And al þe venym of þis cursed dede Bot in what wise certeinli .I. note þe effecte is þis þat oute of drede Line 893 His moder he slowhe þat mai men pleinli rede ffor þat sche traitour was to hire legance Thus endeþ olde Domylda wiþ meschaunce Line 896

¶ The sorwe þat þis Alla nyht and daye Makeþ for his wif and his childe also Ther is no tunge þat it telle maie Bot now wil .I. vnto Custance go Line 900 Þat fleteþ in þe se in peine and wo Þre ȝere and more as liked crist sonde Or þat hir schip approched vnto þe londe Line 903

¶ Vnder an heyþen castel att þe last Of whiche þe name in my text not .I. finde Custance and eke hir childe þe see vpkast Al myhti þat saueþ al mankinde Line 907 Haue on Constance and hire childe sum mynde [folio 76a] That fallen is in heyþe honde eft sone. In pointe to spille as .I. scall tel ȝowe sone Line 910

[6-text p 159] Line 910

¶ Done fro þe Castel commeþ þere mony a whihte To gauren on þis schep and on Constance Bot schortly fro þe castel on a nyht The lord steweard god ȝiue him meschance Line 914 A þef þat had reneyde oure creance Com vn schip alon and seide he schold Hir lemman be where sche wolde or nolde Line 917

¶ Woo was þis wreched womman woo be gone Hir Childe cride and sche cried pitously Bot blisse-ful Marye helped hir a none ffor wiþþe hir strogelinge wele and myhtily Line 921 The þef fel ouere þe borde al sodanly. And in þe se he drenched for vengance And þus haþ crist vnvenemed keped Custance Line 924

¶ O foule lust of luxurie lo þine ende Not onely þat þou faintest mannes mynde Bot verraili þou wilt his body schende The ende of þi werk or of þi lust-is blinde Line 928 Is compleigneinge howe many oone men maie finde Þat not for werke sum time bot for þe entente To done þis sinne bene eyþer sleyne or schente Line 931

¶ Howe maie þis wayko womman haue þe strenkeþ Hir to dofende aȝeine þis renegate O golyas vnmesurable of lengeþe Howe myht dauid make þe so mate Line 935 So ȝonge and of Armour so desolate Howe dorst he loke vpon þi dredeful face Wele maie men seen it is bot goddes grace Line 938

¶ Who ȝaf Iudith. Corage or hardinesse To slene him Olefernus in his tent And to deliuer oute of wrechednesse Þe peple of god .I. seide for þis entente Line 942

[6-text p 160] Line 942 Þat riht as god spiret and vigor sente To heme and saued hem out of meschance So sent he myht and vigor to Constance Line 945

¶ ffor goþe hir schipe þoruhe oute þe narow mouþe Of Iubalter and þens driueinge aye Sum tim west and sum tim norþe and souþe And som time est ful mony a wery daie. Line 949 Til cristes moder blissed be sche aye [folio 76b] Haþ schapen þoruhe hire endeles goodenes To make an hende of al her heuenes Line 952

¶ Now latte vs stent of Constance bot a þrowe An speke we of þe Romaine Emperour That oute of Surry haþe be letters knowe The slawhte of Cristen folk and dishonour Line 956 Done to his douhter be a fals traitour .I. mene þe Curssed wikked Sawdanesse Þat att þe fest le slen boþe more and lesse Line 959

¶ ffor whiche þis Emperour haþ sent anone His Senatour wiþ roial ordinance And oþer lordes god wote manyone On Surriens to taken hir vengeance Line 963 Thei brennen slene and bringen hem to meschance ffol mony a day bot schortly þis is þe ende Homwarde to Rome þei schapen hem to wende Line 966

¶ This Senator repaireþ wiþ vittorie To Romewarde seileinge ful Roialy And mette þe schippe driueynge as seiþe þe storie In whiche Constance sitte ful pitously. Line 970 No þinge ne knewe he what sche was ne whi Sche was in Suche aray ne sche wil seye Of hir estate þouhe sche schold deie Line 973

[6-text p 161] Line 973

¶ He bringeþ hir to Rome And to his wif He ȝaf hire and hire ȝonge sone also And wiþ þe Senatur sche led hir lif Thus can owre lady bringen oute of wo Line 977 Woful Constance and mony anoþere mo And longe time dwelled sche in þis place In holy werkes euer as was hire grace Line 980

¶ The Senatour wif hire [[MS corrected]] Aunte was Bot for alþat sche knewe hire neuere more .I. wil no longer tarien in þis cas Bot to kinge Alla whiche .I. spake of ȝore Line 984 That for his wif wepeþ and sikeþ sore .I. wil retorne and lete .I. wil Constance Vnder þe Senatour gouernance Line 987

Kinge Alla whiche þat had his moder sleyne Vppon a daie fel in suche repentance Þat . if .I. schortly tellen schall and pleyne To Rome he comeþ to receyuen his penance Line 991 And put him in þe popes ordinan[c]e [folio 77a] In hihe and lowe and ihesu crist be-souht ffor-ȝeue his wikked werke þat he wrouht Line 994

¶ The fame anone þorwhe Rome toune is borne Howe alla kinge scha com in pilgrenage Be herberioures þat went him be forne ffor whiche þe Senatour as was þe vsage Line 998 Rode him aȝeine and mony of his lignage Als wele to schewe his magnificence As to done any kenge a reuerence Line 1001

¶ Grete chiere doþe þis noble Senatour To kinge Alla and he to him also Eueriche of hem doþ to oþere grete honour And so be-fel þat on a daie or two Line 1005

[6-text p 162] Line 1005 This Senatur is to kinge Alla go To feste and schortly if .I. schal nouht lye Costance sone in his companye Line 1008

¶ Som men wald seine att þe request of Custance This Senatour haþe ledde þis childe to fest .I. maie not tel euery Circumstance Be as be may þere he was at lest Line 1012 Bot soþ þis is þat att his moder hest Be-forne Alla dureinge þe mete space The childe stode lokeinge in þe kinges face Line 1015

¶ This Alla kinge haþ of þis childe grete wonder And to þe Senator he seide a none Whos is þat faire childe þat stondeþ ȝonder .I. note quod he be god and be seinte Iohn Line 1019 A moder he haþe bot fader haþe he none Þat .I. of wote and schortly schortly in a stounde He tolde Alla howe þat þis childe was founde Line 1022

¶ Bot god woote quod þis Senatour also So vertuouse a leuere in my lyf Sawhe .I. neuer as sche . ne herd of moo Of werldly wemmen . Maiden or wif Line 1026 .I. dar wele saie sche had leuer a knyf Thoruhe hir breste þan bene a womman wik There is no man couþe bringe hire to þat prik Line 1029

¶ Nowe was þis childe as like vn to custance As possible as is a creature to be This Alla haþe þe face in remembrance Of Dame Custance and þere-on mused he Line 1033 If þat þe childes moder weer ouht sche [folio 77b] That is wif and priuely he siht And sped him fro þe table þat he myht Line 1036

[6-text p 163] Line 1036

¶ Par faye þouht he þe fantome is in myn hede .I. hauht demen of skilful Iuggement Þat in þe salt se my wif is dede And afterward he maade his Argument Line 1040 What wote .I. if þat crist hire haþ hider sent .Mi. wyf be see as wele as he hire sent To my contre from þens þat sche was went Line 1043

¶ And after none home wiþ þe Senatour Goþe Alla for to seen þis wonder chaunce This Senatour doþ alla a grete honoure And hastely sent after Custance Line 1047 Trusteþ wele hire liste nouht to daunce Whan þat sche wiste where for was þat sonde Vnneþe vp vpon hire feete sche myht stonde Line 1050

¶ Whan Alla sauhe his wif faire he hire grete And wepped þat it was reuþe for to see ffor att þe first loke he on hire sette He knewe wele verraile þat it was sche Line 1054 And for sorwe as dombe stant as a tre So was hir hert schette in hire distresse When sche remembred his vnkindenesse Line 1057

¶ Twys sche swownede in his owen siht He wepe and him excuseþ pitusly God quod he and his Halowes briht So wisly of my soule as haue mercy Line 1061 That of ȝoure harme as gelteles am .I. As. is Moris my sone so like ȝowre face Elles þe fende me feche out of þis place Line 1064

¶ Longe was þe sobynge and þe bitter peine Or þat hir woful hertes myht cesse Grete was was þe pite for to here hem pleine Thoruhe whiche pleintes gan her woo encres Line 1068

[6-text p 164] Line 1068 I. pray ȝow al my labour to relese .I. maie nouht tel hir woo vn-to to morwe .I. am so wery to speke of hir sorwe Line 1071

¶ Bot fynally whan þat þe soþe is wist That Alla gilteles was of hir woo .I. trowe. an .C. times bene þei kist And suche a blisse is þere be-tuex hem two Line 1075 That saueþ þe ioy þat lasteþ euer mo [folio 78a] There is none like þat any creature Haþ seen or schal while þe werlde maye dure Line 1078

¶ Tho praide sche hir husbond mekly In releueinge of hir longe pitous pyne Þa he wolde praie hir fader s[p]ecialy That he of his hihe Magestee enclyne Line 1082 To vowchesaue som day wiþ him to dyne Sche praide him eke he scholde be no weie Vnto hire fader no worde of hir seie Line 1085

¶ Som men wold sey howe þat þe Childe morice Doþ þis Message vn-to þis Emperour Bot as .I. gesse Alla was nouht so nyce To him þat was of so souereigne honoure Line 1089 As he þat is of cristen folke þe floure Sent any Childe but it is bet to deme He went him selfe and so it maie wele seme Line 1092

¶ This Emperoure haþ graunted gentilly To come to denere as he him besouht And wele rede .I. he loked besyly. Vpon þis child. and on his douhter þouht Line 1096 Alla goþe to his Inne as him ouhte And array for þis feste in euery wise As ferforþe as his comynge maie suffise Line 1099

[6-text p 165] Line 1099

¶ The morwe cam and Alla gan him dresse And eke his wif þis emperour for to mete And forþe þei redde in Ioy. and in gladnesse And whan sche seyhe hire fader in þe strete Line 1103 Sche lihteþ adoune and falleþ him to fete ffader quod sche ȝoure ȝonge childe Constance Is nowe ful clene oute of ȝoure remembrance Line 1106

¶ .I. am ȝoure douhter Constance quod sche That whilome ȝe sente vnto Surrye It am .I. fader þat in salt see Was put alone and dampned for to dye Line 1110 Goode fader to ȝowe .I. crye Sende me no more [[re interlined in red]] in to heyþennesse Bot þonke my lorde here of his kindenesse Line 1113

¶ Who kan þe pytous Ioy tellen all Be-twixe hem þree seþþen þei bue þus ymett Bot of my tale make an ende .I. schall The day goþe fast .I. wil no longer lette Line 1117 This gladde folke to denere þei hem sette [folio 78b] In Ioy and blisse att þe mete .I. lete hem dwelle A. þousand folde wel mor þan .I. can telle Line 1120

¶ Þis Childe Moris was siþen Emperour Maade be þe pope an leued Cristienly To Cristes chirche he dide grete honoure Bot I. lat al his storie passen bie Line 1124 Of Constance is my tale sekerlie In olde Romeyne gestes men mai finde Moris lif .I. bere it nouht in mynde Line 1127

¶ This kinge Alla whan he his time seie Wiþ his Custance his holy wif so swete To Ingelonde bue þei comen þe riht weie Where as þei leue in Ioy and in quyete Line 1131

[6-text p 166] Line 1131 Bot litel while it lasteþ .I. ȝowe hete Ioy of þis werlde for time wil nouȝt abide ffro day to nyht it chaungeþ as þe tide Line 1134

¶ Who so leueþ euer in suche delite a daie þat ne meued eyþer conscience Or ire or talent or sumkin afraie Envie or pride or passion or offense Line 1138 .I. ne saie bot þis ende þis sentense þat litel while in Ioy or in plesance Lasteþ þe blisse of alla wiþ Constance Line 1141

¶ ffor deþ þat takeþ of hihe and louhe his rent Whan passed was a ȝere euen as .I. gesse Oute of þis werlde kinge Alla he hente ffore whome Constance haþe ful grete heuinesse Line 1145 Now latt vs preyne God his soule blisse And dam Constance fynally to seye To warde þe toune of Rome goþe hire weye Line 1148

¶ To Rome is comen is comen þis holy creature And fyndeþe here frendes hole and sounde Now is sche scaped al hir a-venture Whan sche hir fader haþ founde Line 1152 Doune on hir knees falleþ sche to grounde Wepeinge for tendurnesse in hert bliþe Sche herieþ god a .C. þousand siþe Line 1155

¶ In vertu and holy almosdede Thei leuen al. and neuer a sonder wende Til deþe depart hem þis lif þei lede An fare nowe wele my tale is att an ende Line 1159 Nowe ihesu criste þat of his myht maye sende [folio 79a] Ioy after woo gouerne vs in his grace And kepe vs al þat bene in þis place Line 1162