The Constabele wex a-baschid of that syȝt
And seyde what amounty[t]h al þis fare
Custaunce answere syre it is cristis myȝt
That helpith folk out of þe fendis snare
Line 571
And so fer forth sche gan oure lay declare
That sche þe Constabele er þan it was eue
Conuertid & on cryst made hym bileue
Line 574
This Constabele was no þyng lord of þis place
Of whiche I speke þere he constaunce fond
But kepte it strongely manye a wynteris space
Vndir alla kyng of al northhumbir londe
Line 578
That was ful wys & worthi of hese honde
A-geyn þe skottis as men may wel here
But turne I wele a-gen to myn matyere
Line 581
Satan þat euere wayth vs to be-gyle
Saugh of Custaunce al þe perfeccioun
And caste a-non how he myȝte quite hire while
And made a ȝong kn[y]ght þat dwellede in þat toun
Line 585
Loue hire so hote of foul affeccioun
That verayly hym thouȝte he schulde spille
But he of hire myȝte onys haue hese wille
Line 588
He wowyth hire but it a-uaylyth nouȝt [folio 202b]
Sche wolde don no synne be no weye
And for dispit he compassith in his thouȝt
To makyn hyre on schamful deth to deye
Line 592
He waythith whan þe Constable is a-weye
And priui vp-on a nyȝt he crepte
In-to Hermengildis chaumbere whil sche slepte
Line 595
Wery for-wakede in hire orysouns
Slepith custaunce and hemegild also
This knyȝt þour satanys temptacions
Al softeli is to þe bed I-go
Line 599
