[6-text p 158]
And pleynly / al the manere he hym tolde
As ye han herd / I kan telle it no bettre
And sheweth the kyng his seel and his lettre
Line 882
[A]nd seyde lord / as ye comaunded me [folio 124b]
Vp peyne of deeth / so haue I do certein
This Messager / tormented was / til he
Moste biknowe / and tellen plat and pleyn
Line 886
ffro nyght to nyght in what place he had leyn
And thus by wit and subtil enquerynge
Ymagined was / by whom this harm gan sprynge
Line 889
¶ The hond was knowe / þat the lettre wroot
And al the venym / of this cursed dede
But in what wise / certeynly I noot
Theffect is this / þat Alla out of drede
Line 893
His moder slow / that may men pleynly rede
ffor that she traytour was / to hir ligeaunce
Thus endeth olde Donegild with meschaunce
Line 896
¶ The sorwe þat this Alla / nyght and day
Maketh for his wyf / and for his child also
Ther is no tonge / that it telle may
But now wol I / vn to Custaunce go
Line 900
That fleteth in the See / in peyne and wo
ffyue yeer and moore / as liked Cristes sonde
Er þat hir shipe / approched vn to londe
Line 903
¶ Vnder an hethen Castel / atte laste
Of which the name / in my text noght I fynde
Custaunce and eek hir child / the see vp caste
Almyghty god / that saueth al mankynde
Line 907
Haue on Custaunce / and on hir child som mynde
That fallen is / in hethen hand eft soone
In point to spille / as I shal telle yow soone
Line 910
