The Petworth ms. of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[PART II.]

Arriued bene þise cristen folk to londe In Surrye wiþ a grete solempne Route And hastely þis Sowden sent his sonde ffurst to his modere and al þe regne aboute Line 389 And seide his wiff was commen out of doute And preide hure forto riden ageyn þe quene The honure of his regne to sustene Line 392

Grete was þe prees and rich was tharray Of Surriens and romaynes met yfere The modere of þe Sowden riche and gay Resceyueþ her wiþ as glad a chere Line 396 As eny modere myȝt her douȝter dere And to þe next Cite þer beside A soft paas solempnely þei ryde Line 399

Naught trowe I þe triumphe of Iulius Of which þat lucan makeþ such a boost Was ryallere ne more curious [folio 91a] Than was þe assemple of þis blisful hoost Line 403 But þis scorpion þis wikke goost þe Sawdenesse for al her flateringe Cast vnder þis ful mortally to stynge Line 406

The Sowden commeþ hym self sone after þis So Rialli þat wonder is to telle He welcommeþ hure with alle ioye and blis And þus in merþe and Ioie I lete hem dwelle Line 410

[6-text p 143] Line 410 þe froyte of þis matere þat I telle Whan tyme come men þouȝt it for þe best That reuell stint and men gon to her rest Line 413

The tyme come þis olde Sawdenesse Ordeyned haþ þis feest of which I told And to þe fest cristen folk hem dresse In general boþ ȝenge and old Line 417 Here may men feest and rialte bihold And deyntes moo þan I can ȝo^u devise But al to dere þei bouȝt it er þei rise Line 420

O sodeyn woo þat euer art successoure [¶ Semper mundane leticie tristicia repentina succedit. Mundana ergo felicitas multis amaritudinibus est respersa Extrema gaudii. luctus occupat. Audi ergo salubre consilium in die bonorum ne immemor sis malorum.] To worldly blisse sp[r]ayned is wiþ bitternesse þe end of þe ioye of our worldely laboure Woo occupieþ þe fyne of our gladnesse Line 424 Herk þis counsaille for þi sikernesse Vppon þi glade day haue in þi mynde þe vnwar woo or harme þat commeþ behinde Line 427

For shortely forto tellen at oon word The Sowden and þe cristen euerechone Bene al to-hewe and stikked at þe bord But it were oonly dame custance allone Line 431 Þis olde Sawdenes þis cursed krone haþ wiþ her frendes done þis cursed dede ffor she her self wold al þe cuntre lede [folio 91b]

NE þer nas Surrien noon þat was conuerted þat of þe counsaille of þe Sawden wote þat he nas al to-hewe er he asterted And Custaunce han þei take anon fote hoot Line 438 And in a shippe al steerless god woote þei han hure sette and bidden her lerne saile Out of Surry ageynward to ytaile Line 441

[6-text p 144] Line 441

A certeyn tresour þat she þider ladde And soþe to seyn vitaile grete plente They han her ȝeuen and cloþes eke she hadde And fforþ she sailleþ in þe salt see Line 445 O my custaunce ful of benygnyte O Emperours ȝonge douȝtere dere He þat is lord of fortune be þi stere Line 448

She blesseþ and wiþ ful pitous voys Vnto þe Crois of crist þus seid she O cleer o. welful autere holy croys Rede of þe lambes blood ful of pite Line 452 That wessh þe world from þe olde iniquyte Me from þe feende and from his clawes kepe þat day þat I shal drenche in þe depe Line 455

Victorious tree protection of trewe That oonly worþi were for to bere The king of heuene wiþ his woundys newe The white lombe þat hirte was with a spere Line 459 fflemer of feendes out of hym and here On which þi lyues feiþfully extenden Me kepe and ȝeue myght my lyf tamenden Line 462

Yeeres and daies fleet þis Creature Thorgh-out þe see of Grece vnto þ^e strayte Of Marrok as it was hir aventure [folio 92a] O mony a sory mele nowe may she baite Line 466 After her deth ful oft may she wayte Er þat þe wilde wawes wil her dryve Vnto þe place þere she shal aryue Line 469

MEn myghten axen whi she was not sclayn Eke atte feeste who myght her body saue I Answere to þat demannde agayn Who saued Danyel in þe horrible caue Line 473

[6-text p 145] Line 473 Ther euery wiȝt saf he maister or knaue Was wiþ þe leon frette or a-stert No wight but god þat hem bare in his hert Line 476

GOd list to shewe his wonderful myracle In hir? þat shee shulde seen his myȝty werkes Crist which þat is to euery harme triacle By certayne meenes oft / as knowen clerkes Line 480 Doþ þing for certeyn ende þat ful derk es To mannys witt? þat for our ignoraunce Ne kon not knowe his prudent puruyaunce Line 483

Now siþ she was not at þe feest ysclawe Who kepte her from þe drenching in þe see Who kepte Ionas in þe fisshes mawe Til he was spowted vp at Nynyve Line 487 Wel may men knowe it was no wiȝt but he What kept puple Ebrayk from drenchinge Wiþ drie feet þorgh out þe see passinge Line 490

Who bad þe foure spiretes of tempest That power han boþ annoyen londe and see Boþ norþe and souþe and also west and Eest Annoyeþ neiþer See londe ne tree Line 494 Soþly þe Comannder of þat was he That from þe tempest ay þis womman kept As wel whan she woke as whan she sclepte [folio 92b]

Where myȝt þis womman mete or drynk haue Thre ȝere or more how lasteþ hir vitaille Who fedde þe Egipcien mary in þe Caue Or in desert noon but Crist saunz faille Line 501 V. Ml. folk it was as grete mervaille Wiþ loues .v. and fisshes two to fede God sent his foysen at her grete nede Line 504

[6-text p 146] Line 504

She dryueþ forþ into our Occiān Thorgh-out oure wilde See to atte last Vnder an hold þat nempne I ne can ffor in Nourth humberlond þ^e wawe hire cast Line 508 And in þe sonde her shipp stiked so fast þat þennes wold it not of al a tyde The wille of Crist was þat she shuld abide Line 511

The Constable of þe Castel doun is fare To seen þis werk and al þe ship he souȝt And fonde þis wery womman ful of care He fonde also þe tresoure þat she brouȝt Line 515 In her langage mercy she bysouȝt The lif out of her body forto twynne Hire to delyuere of woo þat she was Inne Line 518

A Maner latyn corrupte was her speche But algates þer-by was she vnderstonde The Constable whan he list no lengere seche This wooful womman brouȝt he to þe londe Line 522 She kneleþ doune and þonkeþ goddys sonde But what she was she wolde no man seye ffor foule ne faire þouȝe þat she shuld deye Line 525

She seide she was so mased in the See þat she forgate hure mynde by hure trouþe The Constable of hire haþ so grete pite [folio 93a] And eke his wiff þat þei wepen for rouþe Line 529 She was so diligent wiþ-outen slouþe To serue and plese euerech in þat place That al her louen þat loken on her face / Line 532

The Constable and dame Ermengeld his wiff Were paynymes and þat contray euerywhere But Hermengilt loued hure riȝt as hir liff And Constance haþ so longe soiourned þere Line 536

[6-text p 147] Line 536 In Orisons wiþ mony a bitter tere Til Ihesu haþe conuerted þorgh his grace Dame hermengild Constablesse of þat place Line 539

In all þat londe durst none cristen route Alle Cristen folk ben fledd fro þat cuntre Thorgh paynymes þat conquered þer aboute þe plages of þe north by lond and see Line 543 To wales fledde þe Cristiante Of olde Bretoynes dwellin in þe Ile Ther was hure refute for þe mene while Line 546

But ȝit nas neuere cristen Bretoyne so exiled That þer nas somme in her priuetee Honoured Crist and heþen folk begyled And nyȝe þe Castel such þer dwelled thre Line 550 That oon of hem was blynde and myȝt not see But it were wiþ þilk yen of his mynde With which men seen after þat þei bene blynd Line 553

Briȝt was þe sonne as in þat somers day ffor whiche þe constable and his wif also And Custance han ytake þe riȝt way Toward þe see a forlonge way or two Line 557 To pleien and to romen to and froo / And in her walk þis blynde man þei mette Croked and olde wiþ fast eyen yshett [folio 93b]

In þe name of crist cried þis blynd Bretoun Dame hermegild ȝeue me siȝt agayn This lady wexe a-fraied of þe soune Lest þat her husbond shortely forto seyne Line 564 Wold hure for Ihesu cristes loue haue slayn Til Custance made hure bold and bad hire wirche The wille of crist as douȝter of his chirche Line 567

[6-text p 148] Line 567

The constable wexe abasshed of þat sight And seide what amounteþ al þis fare Custance answerd Sire it is cristes myȝt Þat helpeþ folk out of þe fendes snare Line 571 And so ferforþ she can our lay declare þat she þe constable er it was eve Conuerteþ and on crist made hym byleue Line 574

This Constable nas no þing lord of þis place Of which I speke þer he Custaunce fonde But kepte it strongly mony a wynter space Vnder Alla king of all Norþhumberlonde Line 578 þat was full wise and worþi of his honde Ageyne þe scottes as men may wel here But turne I wil ageyn to my matere Line 581

Sathan þat euere vs waiteþ to begile Seghe of Custance al hure perfeccioun And cast anone howe he myȝt quyte her while And made a yonge knyght þat dwelt in þe toun Line 585 Loue hire so hoot of foule affeccioun Þat verrely hym þouȝt he shulde spille But he of hire ones myȝt haue his wille Line 588

He woweþ hure but it availleþ nouȝt She wolde do no synne by no weye And for despite he compased in his þouȝt [folio 94a] To make hure a shameful deeþ to dye Line 592 He waiteþ whan þe constable was away And priuely vpon a nyȝt he crept In hermengildes Chambre while she slept Line 595

Wery for-waked in her Orisons Slepeþ Custance and hermengild also / This knyght þourgh Sathanas temptacions Al softly is to þe bed y-goo Line 599

[6-text p 149] Line 599 And kitte þe þrote of hermengild atwoo And laide þe blody knyf by dame Custaunce And went his waye þer god ȝeue hym meschaunce Line 602

Sone after Commeþ þis Constable home agayn And Eke Alla þat kinge was of þat londe And segh his wiff dispitously slayn ffor whiche ful oft he wepte and wronge his honde Line 606 And in þe bedde þe blody knyf he fonde By dame Custaunce allas what myȝt she say ffor verry woo her witte was al away Line 609

So kinge Alla was tolde al þis meschaunce And eke þe tyme and where and in what wise þat in a shipp was founden þis Custaunce As here byforn ȝe han herde devise Line 613 The kingges hert of pite gan agrise Whan he seye so benigne a creature ffalle in dissese and in mysauenture Line 616

For as þe lombe toward þ^e deth is brouȝt So þis Innocent stant to-fore þe king Þis fals knyȝt þat haþ þis treson wrouȝt Bereþ hure on honde þat she haþ do þis þing Line 620 But naþelees þer was grete mournyng Amonge þe puple and seie þai can not gesse Tha[t] she had done so grete a wickednesse [folio 94b]

For þei han seyn her euere so vertuous And louyng hermengile riȝt as her liff Of þis bare witnesse euerich in þat hous Saue he þat hermengild slowe with his knyff Line 627 This gentile kinge haþ kauȝt a gret motiff Of þis witnesse and þouȝt he wold enquere Depper in þis caas trouþe forto lere Line 630

[6-text p 150] Line 630

Allas Custance þow nast no champyon Ne fighte Canstowe nat so wele away But he þat for oure redempcion And bonde Sathan and lyeþ hym þer he lay Line 634 So be þi strong Champion þis daye ffor but Criste on þe miracle kith Wiþ-owten gilt þou shalt be slayn as swiþe Line 637

She sette her doune on knees and þer she seide Immortal god þat sauedest Susanne ffro fals blame and þou merciful maide Marye I mene douȝter to seint Anne Line 641 Byforn whoos childe aungels sing Osanne If I be giltlees of þis felonye My socoure be for ellis shal I dye Line 644

Haue ȝe not sene somtyme a pale face Among a prees of him þat haþ be ladde Toward þe deþe where as he gete no grace And swich a coloure in his face haþ hadde Line 648 Men myȝt knowe his face þat was bistadde Amonge alle þe faces of þat route So stant Custance and lokeþ hire aboute Line 651

O quenes lyuynge in prosperite Duchesses and ȝe ladies euerechone Haue some rouþe on her aduersite [folio 95a] An Emperours douȝtere stant allone Line 655 She haþ no wiȝt to whom to make her mone O blood real þat stondest in þis drede ffer bene þi frendes at þi grete nede Line 658

This Alla king haþ swich compassioun As Geltile hert is fulfilled of pite þat from his eyen ranne þe water doun Now hasteli do fecche a boke quod he Line 662

[6-text p 151] Line 662 And if þis knyght wil swere howe þat she þis womman sclowe ȝit wil we vs avise Whom þat we wold shuld be our Iustise Line 665

A breton booke writen with euaungelies Was fette and þer-on he swore anone She giltif was in þe mene whiles An honde him smote vpon þe nekke bone Line 669 þat doune he felle at ones as a stone And boþe his eyen brast out of his face In siȝt of euery body in þat place Line 672

A voys was herde in general audience And seide þou hast disslaundered giltelees þe douȝter of holy church in high presence Thus hastowe done and ȝit I mot hold my pees Line 676 Of þis mervaile agast was all þe prees As mazed folk þei stoden euerechone ffor drede of wreche sauf Custance alone Line 679

Grete was þe drede and eke þe repentaunce Of hem þat hadden wrong suspecioun Vppon þis cely Innocent Custaunce And for þis miracle in conclusioun Line 683 And by Custance Mediacioun Þe kinge and mony anoþer in þat place Conuerted were þonked be goddis grace [folio 95b]

This fals knyght was sclayn for his vntrouþe By Iuggement of Alla hastifly And ȝit Custance haþ of his deþ gret rouþe And after þis Ihesus of his mercye Line 690 Made Alla wedden ful solempnely This holy maiden þat is so briȝt and shene And þus haþ crist made Custance a quene Line 693

[6-text p 152] Line 693

But who was wooful if I shal not lye Of þis wedding but donegild and no moo / The kingges modere ful of Tyrannye Hire þouȝt her cursed hert brast a two Line 697 She wold not her sone had done so / Hire þouȝt a despite þat he shulde take So straunge a creature vnto his make Line 700

ME list not of þe Chaf ne of þe stre Make so longe a tale as of þe corne What shuld I tellen of þe Rialte Of mariage or which cours goþ byforne Line 704 Who bloweþ in trompe or in an horne þ^e ffrwte of euery tale is forto seye þe[i] and drinke . þei daunce singe or pley . Line 707

Thei gone to bedde as it was skil and riȝt ffor þouȝe þat wives bene ful holy þingges þei most take in pacience a nyght Such manere necessaries as ben plesingges Line 711 To folk þat han ywedded hem with ringges / And laye a litel her holynesse aside As for þe tyme it may none oþere betide Line 714

On hire he gate a knaue child anone And to a bisshope and his Constable eke He toke his wif to kepe whan he is gone [folio 96a] to scotlond ward his foomen for to seke Line 718 Nowe faire Custance þat is so humble and meke So longe is goon wiþ child til þat stille She halt her chambere abiding cristes wille Line 721

The tyme is come a knaue child she bere Mauricius atte fontstone þei hym calle þis Constable doþ forþ come a massagere And wrote to his kinge þat cleped was Alle Line 725

[6-text p 153] Line 725 Howe þat þis blisful tydyngges is byfalle And oþer tydingges spedeful forto seye He takeþ þe lettre and forþ he goþ his waye Line 728

This Massagere to done his auauntage Vnto þe kingges modere rideþ swiþe And salweþ hire ful faire in his langage Madame quod he . ȝe may be glad and bliþe Line 732 And þonkeþ god an hundred þousand siþe My lady quene haþ child wiþ-outen doute To Ioie and blisse of al þis regne aboute Line 735

Lo here þe lettres seled of þis þinge Þat I mot bere wiþ al þe hast I may If ȝe wil ouȝt vnto ȝoure sone þe kinge I am ȝoure seruaunte boþ nyȝt and day Line 739 Dongild answerd not not at þis tyme But here al nyȝt I wil þou take þi rest To morowe wil I saye what me lest Line 742

This Massagere dronk sadly ale and wyne And stollen were his lettres prively Out of his boxe whilst he slepte as a swyn And counterfeted was ful subtily Line 746 A noþere lettre wrouȝt ful synfully Vnto þe kinge directe of þis matere ffrom his Constable as ȝe shal after here [folio 96b]

The lettre spak þe Quene delyuered was Of so horrible a fendlich creature That in þe Castel noon so hardy was þat eny while dorst þer-Inne endure Line 753 The modere was an Elf by auenture Ycome by Charmes or by sorcerye And euery wight hateþ her companye Line 756

[6-text p 154] Line 756

WOo was þis kinge whan he þis lettre had seyne But to no wiȝt he tolde his sorowes sore But of his owne honde he wrote ageyne Welcome þe sonde of crist for euermoore Line 760 To me þat am nowe lered in his lore Lord welcome be þi lust and þi plesaunce My lust is putte al in þine ordynaunce Line 763

Wepeþ þis child al be it foule or feire And eke my wiff vnto myn home commynge Crist whan him list may sende me an heire More a-greable þan þis is to my likinge Line 767 This letter he celeþ prively wepinge Whiche to þe massagere was take sone And forþ he goþ þer nys no more to done Line 770

O Massagere fulfilled of dronkenesse [¶ Quid turpius ebrioso cui fetor in ore. tremor in corpore. qui promit stulta. prodit occulta Cui mens alienatur facies transfor|matur nullum enim latet secretum. vbi regnat Ebrietas.] Stronge is þi breeþ þi lymmes flateren ay And þou by-wreiest al sikernesse Thy mynde is lorn þou Iangelest as a Iaye Line 774 Thi face is turned in a newe aray Ther dronkenesse regneþ in ony route Ther nys no counsell hidde wiþ-oute doute Line 777

O Donegild I ne haue noon englissh digne Vnto þi malice and þi tyrannye [line repeated in MS, with tirannye, as the first line of] [folio 97a] And þerfore to þe fende I þe resigne Lat hym enditen of þi traterye Line 781 ffy mannyssh fy. o nay by god I lie ffy feendissh spirit . for I dar wel telle Thowe þou here walk þi spirit is in helle Line 784

This massagere commeþ fro þe feende agayn And at þe kingges moders court he liȝt And she was of this massagere ful fayn And plesed him in al þat euere she myȝt Line 788

[6-text p 155] Line 788 He drank wel his girdel vnder piȝt He sclepeþ and he ffronteþ in his gise Al nyght to þe sonne gan arise Line 791

Ofte were his lettres stolle euerechone And counterfeted lettres in þat wise Þe kinge commaundeþ his constable anone Vp peyn of hongyng on an high Iwyse Line 795 That he ne shulde suffre in no wise Custance wiþ-Inne his regne forto abide Thre daies and a quarter of a tyde Line 798

But in þe same ship as he hire fonde Hure and her yonge sone and al her gere He shulde putte and croude fro þ^e londe And charge hure þat she neuere eft come þere Line 802 O my Custance wel may þi goost haue fere And sleping in þi dreme bene in penaunce Whan donegil cast all hir ordinaunce Line 805

This Massagere on morowe whan he woke Vnto þe Castel halt þe next waye And to þe Constable he þe lettre toke And whan þat he þis pitous lettre saye Line 809 fful oft he seide allas and walawaye lord Crist quod he howe may þis lettre endure [folio 97b] So ful of synne is mony a creature Line 812

O myȝty god if þat it be þi wille Siþ þou art riȝtful Iuge how may it be þat þou wilt suffren Innocentz to spille And wicked folk regnen in prosperite Line 816 O good Custance allas so woo is me þat I mote be þi turmentour or deye On shames deth þer nys noon oþere waye Line 819

[6-text p 156] Line 819

Wepen boþ ȝonge and olde in al þat place Whan þat þe kinge þis cursed lettre sent And Custance wiþ a dedly pale face þe ferþe day toward her ship she went Line 823 But naþelees she takeþ in good entent þe wille of Crist and kneling in þe stronde She saide lorde o. welcome be þi sonde Line 826

He þat me kept from þe fals blame While I was in þe londe amonges ȝou He kan me kepe from harme and eke fro sham In salt See al-þouȝe I se not howe Line 830 As stronge as euer he was he is riȝt nowe In hym trust I and in his modere dere þat is to me my saille and eke my stere Line 833

Hire litel child lay weping in her Arme An kneling pitously to him she seide Pees litel sone I wil do þe noon harme Wiþ þat her keerchef of her hede she breide Line 837 And ouer his smale yen she it leyde And in her Arme she lulleþ it ful fast And in to heuene her yen vp she cast Line 840

Modere quod she and maide briȝt marie Soþe is þat þorowe wommennys eggement [folio 98a] Mankinde was lorn and dampned ay to dye ffor which þi child was on croys yrent Line 844 þi blisful eyen segh al his turment þan is þer no comparison bytwene þi woo and any woo man may sustene Line 847

Thowe seghe þi sone yslayn bifore þine eyen And ȝit now lyueþ my litel child parfay Now lady briȝt to whoom al woful crien Thowe glory of wommanhode þou faire may Line 851

[6-text p 157] Line 851 þow hauen of refute briȝt sterre of day Rewe on my child þat of þi gentilnesse Rewest on euery Rwefull in distresse Line 854

O litel child allas wat is þi gilt þat neuer wrouȝtest synne as ȝit parde Why wil þine harde fadere haue þe spilt O mercye dere constable quod she Line 858 As lat my litel child dwelle here with þe And ȝif þou darst not fauour hym for blame So kisse him onys in his faders name Line 861

Therwiþ she lokeþ bacward to þe lande And saide fare wel husbond rewthlees And vp she rest and walkeþ doun þ^e stronde Toward þe shippe hire foloweþ al þe prees Line 865 And euere she preieþ her child to hold his pees And takeþ her leue and with an holy entent She blesseþ hire and into ship she went Line 868

Availed was þe ship it is no drede Abundantly for hire a longe space And oþer necessaries þat shulde nede She had ynowe heryed be goddes grace Line 872 ffor wynde and weder almyȝty god purchase And bringe hure home I can no better seye [folio 98b] But in þe See she driveþ forþ her weye Line 875