And kitte the throte / of Hermengyld atwo
And leyde the blody knyf / by dame Custance
And wente his wey / ther god yeue hym meschance
Line 602
¶ Soone after / cometh this Constable hoom agayn
And eek Alla / þat kyng was of that lond
And saugh his wyf / despitously yslayn
ffor which ful ofte he weep / and wroong his hond
Line 606
And in the bed / the blody knyf he fond
By Dame Custance / allas what myghte she seye
For verray wo / hir wit was al aweye
Line 609
¶ To kyng Alla / was toold al this meschance
And eek the tyme / and where / and in what wise
That in a ship / was founden dame Custance
As heer biforn / that ye han herd deuyse
Line 613
The kynges herte / of pitee gan agryse
Whan he saugh / so benigne a creature
ffalle in disese / and in mysauenture
Line 616
ffor as the lomb / toward his deeth is broght [folio 60b]
So stant this Innocent bifore the kyng
This false knyght þat hath this treson wroght
Berth hire on hond / þat she hath doon thys 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 louynge Hermengyld / right as hir lyf/
Of this baar witnesse / euerich in that hous
Saue he / þat Hermengyld / slow with his knyf/
Line 627
This gentil kyng / hath caught a greet motyf
Of this witnesse / and thoghte he wolde enquere
Depper in this / a trouthe for to lere
Line 630
