And kitte þe throte of Hermegild a too
And leyde þe blodi knyf be dame Custaunce
And wente his wey þere god ȝyf hym myschaunce
Line 602
Sone aftyr comyth this Constabele hom ageyn
And ek .Alla. þat kyng was of þat lond /
And saw his wif dispitously I-slayn
ffor which ful ofte he wepte & wrong here hon[d]
Line 606
And in þe bed þe blody knyf he fond
By dame Constance Allas what myȝte sche seye
ffor werray woo hire wit was al a-weye
Line 609
To kyng alla was told þis tale Mischaunce
And ek þe tyme where & in what wyse
That in a schyp was founde þis custaunce
As here be-forn þat ȝe han herd deuyse
Line 613
The kyngis herte of pete gan to gryse
Whan he saw so benygne a creature
ffalle in desese & in mysauenture
Line 616
ffor as þe lomb toward þe deth is brouȝt
So stant this innocent by-fore þe kynge
This false knyȝt that hath this tresoun wrought
Beryth hire on honde þat sche hath don þis thynge [[altered]]
Line 620
But natheles þere was gret mornyng
A-mong the puple & seyn þey can not gesse
That sche hadde don so gret a wekedenesse
Line 623
ffor they han seyn hire so vertuous [folio 203a]
And louynge hermengild ryȝt as hire lyf
Of þis bar witnesse eueryche in that hous
Saue he þat hermengelt slow with his knyf
Line 627
This gentil kyng hath cauȝt a gret motyf
Of this witnesse & thoght he wolde enquire
Deppere in this trouthe for to lere
Line 630
