Canterbury Tales (Middle English) — The Man of Law's Tale - Part Two
402. E.
or; _rest_ ne.
E.
curius.
The sowdan comth him-self sone after this So royally, that wonder is to telle, (310) And welcometh hir with alle Ioye and blis.
And thus in merthe and Ioye I lete hem dwelle.
410 The fruyt of this matere is that I telle.
Whan tyme cam, men thoughte it for the beste That revel stinte, and men goon to hir reste.
411. E.
Cm.
Cp.
matiere; Hn.
Pt.
matere.
413. E.
The; _rest_ That.
The tyme cam, this olde sowdanesse Ordeyned hath this feste of which I tolde, 415 And to the feste cristen folk hem dresse In general, ye!
bothe yonge and olde.
Here may men feste and royaltee biholde, (320) And deyntees mo than I can yow devyse, But al to dere they boughte it er they ryse.
420 418. E.
bihold.
O sodeyn wo!
that ever art successour To worldly blisse, spreynd with bitternesse;
Thende of the Ioye of our worldly labour;
Wo occupieth the fyn of our gladnesse.
Herke this conseil for thy sikernesse, 425 Up-on thy glade day have in thy minde The unwar wo or harm that comth bihinde.
423. _So_ Cm.
; _rest_ The ende.
For shortly for to tellen at o word, (330) The sowdan and the cristen everichone Ben al to-hewe and stiked at the bord, 430 But it were only dame Custance allone.
This olde sowdanesse, cursed crone, Hath with hir frendes doon this cursed dede, For she hir-self wolde al the contree lede.
428. E.
soothly; _rest_ shortly.
432. Pt.
Hl.
this cursed; _rest omit_ this.
Ne ther was Surrien noon that was converted 435 That of the conseil of the sowdan woot, That he nas al to-hewe er he asterted.
And Custance han they take anon, foot-hoot, (340) And in a shippe al sterelees, god woot, [143: T.
4860-4889. ] They han hir set, and bidde hir lerne sayle 440 Out of Surrye agaynward to Itayle.
435. E.
_omits_ ther.
440. Hn.
Cm.
bidde; Cp.
Pt.
bidden; Ln.
beden;
E.
biddeth; Hl.
bad.
A certein tresor that she thider ladde, And, sooth to sayn, vitaille gret plentee They han hir yeven, and clothes eek she hadde, And forth she sayleth in the salte see.
445 O my Custance, ful of benignitee, O emperoures yonge doghter dere, He that is lord of fortune be thy stere!
(350) 442. E.
with hir_e_; _rest_ thider.
She blesseth hir, and with ful pitous voys Un-to the croys of Crist thus seyde she, 450 ‘O clere, o welful auter, holy croys, Reed of the lambes blood full of pitee, That wesh the world fro the olde iniquitee, Me fro the feend, and fro his clawes kepe, That day that I shal drenchen in the depe.
455 451. E.
woful; _rest_ welful, wilful, weleful.
453. E.
wesshe; Cm.
wesch; Pt.
wessh.
Victorious tree, proteccioun of trewe, That only worthy were for to bere The king of heven with his woundes newe, (360) The whyte lamb, that hurt was with the spere, Flemer of feendes out of him and here 460 On which thy limes feithfully extenden, Me keep, and yif me might my lyf tamenden.
’ 462. Cm.
Ln.
kep; Hn.
Pt.
Hl.
kepe; Cp.
keepe; E. helpe.
Yeres and dayes fleet this creature Thurghout the see of Grece un-to the strayte Of Marrok, as it was hir aventure; 465 On many a sory meel now may she bayte;
After her deeth ful often may she wayte, Er that the wilde wawes wole hir dryve (370) Un-to the place, ther she shal arryve.
463. E.
fleteth; but Hn.
Cp.
Pt.
fleet.
469. _Read_ placë; Hl.
_alone inserts_ as _after_ ther.
[144: T.
4890-4924. ] Men mighten asken why she was not slayn?
470 Eek at the feste who mighte hir body save?
And I answere to that demaunde agayn, Who saved Daniel in the horrible cave, Ther every wight save he, maister and knave, Was with the leoun frete er he asterte?
475 No wight but god, that he bar in his herte.
473. Hl.
thorrible.
God liste to shewe his wonderful miracle In hir, for we sholde seen his mighty werkes; (380) Crist, which that is to every harm triacle, By certein menes ofte, as knowen clerkes, 480 Doth thing for certein ende that ful derk is To mannes wit, that for our ignorance Ne conne not knowe his prudent purveyance.
Now, sith she was not at the feste y-slawe, Who kepte hir fro the drenching in the see?
485 Who kepte Ionas in the fisshes mawe Til he was spouted up at Ninivee?
Wel may men knowe it was no wight but he (390) That kepte peple Ebraik fro hir drenchinge, With drye feet thurgh-out the see passinge.
490 489. Pt.
Ln.
_om.
_ hir.
Who bad the foure spirits of tempest, That power han tanoyen land and see, ‘Bothe north and south, and also west and est, Anoyeth neither see, ne land, ne tree?
’ Sothly, the comaundour of that was he, 495 That fro the tempest ay this womman kepte As wel whan [that] she wook as whan she slepte.
497. _I insert_ that; Hl.
awok.
Wher mighte this womman mete and drinke have?
(400) Three yeer and more how lasteth hir vitaille?
Who fedde the Egipcien Marie in the cave, 500 Or in desert?
no wight but Crist, sans faille.
Fyve thousand folk it was as gret mervaille With loves fyve and fisshes two to fede.
God sente his foison at hir grete nede.
[145: T.
4925-4959. ] She dryveth forth in-to our occean 505 Thurgh-out our wilde see, til, atte laste, Under an hold that nempnen I ne can, Fer in Northumberlond the wawe hir caste, (410) And in the sond hir ship stiked so faste, That thennes wolde it noght of al a tyde, 510 The wille of Crist was that she shulde abyde.
The constable of the castel doun is fare To seen this wrak, and al the ship he soghte, And fond this wery womman ful of care;
He fond also the tresor that she broghte.
515 In hir langage mercy she bisoghte The lyf out of hir body for to twinne, Hir to delivere of wo that she was inne.
(420) A maner Latin corrupt was hir speche, But algates ther-by was she understonde; 520 The constable, whan him list no lenger seche, This woful womman broghte he to the londe;
She kneleth doun, and thanketh goddes sonde.
But what she was, she wolde no man seye, For foul ne fair, thogh that she shulde deye.
525 She seyde, she was so mased in the see That she forgat hir minde, by hir trouthe;
The constable hath of hir so greet pitee, (430) And eek his wyf, that they wepen for routhe, She was so diligent, with-outen slouthe, 530 To serve and plesen everich in that place, That alle hir loven that loken on hir face.
531. MSS.
plese.
532. E.
Cm.
in; _rest_ on.
This constable and dame Hermengild his wyf Were payens, and that contree every-where;
But Hermengild lovede hir right as hir lyf, 535 And Custance hath so longe soiourned there, In orisons, with many a bitter tere, Til Iesu hath converted thurgh his grace (440) Dame Hermengild, constablesse of that place.
536. soiourned] Hl.
herberwed.
[146: T.
4960-4994. ] In al that lond no cristen durste route, 540 Alle cristen folk ben fled fro that contree Thurgh payens, that conquereden al aboute The plages of the North, by land and see;
To Walis fled the cristianitee Of olde Britons, dwellinge in this yle; 545 Ther was hir refut for the mene whyle.
But yet nere cristen Britons so exyled That ther nere somme that in hir privetee (450) Honoured Crist, and hethen folk bigyled;
And ny the castel swiche ther dwelten three.
550 That oon of hem was blind, and mighte nat see But it were with thilke yën of his minde, With whiche men seen, after that they ben blinde.
553. E.
whan; _rest_ after.
Bright was the sonne as in that someres day, For which the constable and his wyf also 555 And Custance han y-take the righte way Toward the see, a furlong wey or two, To pleyen and to romen to and fro; (460) And in hir walk this blinde man they mette Croked and old, with yën faste y-shette.
560 561. E.
olde; Hl.
old; _rest_ blynde, blynd.
‘In name of Crist,’ cryde this blinde Britoun, ‘Dame Hermengild, yif me my sighte agayn.
’ This lady wex affrayed of the soun, Lest that hir housbond, shortly for to sayn, Wolde hir for Iesu Cristes love han slayn, 565 Til Custance made hir bold, and bad hir werche The wil of Crist, as doghter of his chirche.
The constable wex abasshed of that sight, (470) And seyde, ‘what amounteth al this fare?
’ Custance answerde, ‘sire, it is Cristes might, 570 That helpeth folk out of the feendes snare.
’ And so ferforth she gan our lay declare, That she the constable, er that it were eve, Converted, and on Crist made him bileve.
574. Hl.
Cm.
Conuerted; _rest_ Conuerteth.
E.
maketh; Ln.
maad;
_rest_ made.
[147: T.
4995-5029. ] This constable was no-thing lord of this place 575 Of which I speke, ther he Custance fond, But kepte it strongly, many wintres space, Under Alla, king of al Northumberlond, (480) That was ful wys, and worthy of his hond Agayn the Scottes, as men may wel here, 580 But turne I wol agayn to my matere.
Sathan, that ever us waiteth to bigyle, Saugh of Custance al hir perfeccioun, And caste anon how he mighte quyte hir whyle, And made a yong knight, that dwelte in that toun 585 Love hir so hote, of foul affeccioun, That verraily him thoughte he shulde spille But he of hir mighte ones have his wille.
(490) He woweth hir, but it availleth noght, She wolde do no sinne, by no weye; 590 And, for despyt, he compassed in his thoght To maken hir on shamful deth to deye.
He wayteth whan the constable was aweye, And prively, up-on a night, he crepte In Hermengildes chambre whyl she slepte.
595 Wery, for-waked in her orisouns, Slepeth Custance, and Hermengild also.
This knight, thurgh Sathanas temptaciouns, (500) Al softely is to the bed y-go, And kitte the throte of Hermengild a-two, 600 And leyde the blody knyf by dame Custance, And wente his wey, ther god yeve him meschance!
598. E.
Hn.
Sathans; Hl.
Satanas; _but_ Sathanas _in_ Cp.
Pt.
Ln.
Sone after comth this constable hoom agayn, And eek Alla, that king was of that lond, And saugh his wyf despitously y-slayn, 605 For which ful ofte he weep and wrong his hond, And in the bed the blody knyf he fond By dame Custance; allas!
what mighte she seye?
(510) For verray wo hir wit was al aweye.
606. E.
Hn.
weep; Cm.
Cp.
Pt.
wepte; Hl.
wept.
E.
wroong.
[148: T.
5030-5064. ] To king Alla was told al this meschance, 610 And eek the tyme, and where, and in what wyse That in a ship was founden dame Custance, As heer-biforn that ye han herd devyse.
The kinges herte of pitee gan agryse, Whan he saugh so benigne a creature 615 Falle in disese and in misaventure.
For as the lomb toward his deeth is broght, So stant this innocent bifore the king; (520) This false knight that hath this tresoun wroght Berth hir on hond that she hath doon this thing.
620 But nathelees, ther was greet moorning Among the peple, and seyn, ‘they can not gesse That she hath doon so greet a wikkednesse.
620. _So in_ E. ; _rest_ Bereth.
621. _All_ moorning (mornyng);
Tyrwhitt _has_ murmuring; _see note_.
For they han seyn hir ever so vertuous, And loving Hermengild right as her lyf.
’ 625 Of this bar witnesse everich in that hous Save he that Hermengild slow with his knyf.
This gentil king hath caught a gret motyf (530) Of this witnesse, and thoghte he wolde enquere Depper in this, a trouthe for to lere.
630 626. E.
baar.
Allas!
Custance!
thou hast no champioun, Ne fighte canstow nought, so weylawey!
But he, that starf for our redempcioun And bond Sathan (and yit lyth ther he lay) So be thy stronge champioun this day!
635 For, but-if Crist open miracle kythe, Withouten gilt thou shalt be slayn as swythe.
She sette her doun on knees, and thus she sayde, (540) ‘Immortal god, that savedest Susanne Fro false blame, and thou, merciful mayde, 640 Mary I mene, doghter to Seint Anne, Bifore whos child aungeles singe Osanne, If I be giltlees of this felonye, My socour be, for elles I shal dye!
’ 638. E.
sit; Hn.
Cm.
Pt.
sette; Hl.
set.
644. E.
or; _rest_ for.
[149: T.
5065-5099. ] Have ye nat seyn som tyme a pale face, 645 Among a prees, of him that hath be lad Toward his deeth, wher-as him gat no grace, And swich a colour in his face hath had, (550) Men mighte knowe his face, that was bistad, Amonges alle the faces in that route: 650 So stant Custance, and loketh hir aboute.
647. gat] Cp.
get; Pt.
gete; Hl.
geyneth.
O quenes, livinge in prosperitee, Duchesses, and ye ladies everichone, Haveth som routhe on hir adversitee;
An emperoures doghter stant allone; 655 She hath no wight to whom to make hir mone.
O blood royal, that stondest in this drede, Fer ben thy freendes at thy grete nede!
(560) 654. E.
Ln.
_om.
_ ye.
This Alla king hath swich compassioun, As gentil herte is fulfild of pitee, 660 That from his yën ran the water doun.
‘Now hastily do fecche a book,’ quod he, ‘And if this knight wol sweren how that she This womman slow, yet wole we us avyse Whom that we wole that shal ben our Iustyse.
’ 665 A Briton book, writen with Evangyles, Was fet, and on this book he swoor anoon She gilty was, and in the mene whyles (570) A hand him smoot upon the nekke-boon, That doun he fil atones as a stoon, 670 And bothe his yën broste out of his face In sight of every body in that place.
A vois was herd in general audience, And seyde, ‘thou hast desclaundred giltelees The doghter of holy chirche in hey presence; 675 Thus hastou doon, and yet holde I my pees.
’ Of this mervaille agast was al the prees;
As mased folk they stoden everichone, (580) For drede of wreche, save Custance allone.
[150: T.
5100-5134. ] Greet was the drede and eek the repentance 680 Of hem that hadden wrong suspeccioun Upon this sely innocent Custance;
And, for this miracle, in conclusioun, And by Custances mediacioun, The king, and many another in that place, 685 Converted was, thanked be Cristes grace!
This false knight was slayn for his untrouthe By Iugement of Alla hastifly; (590) And yet Custance hadde of his deeth gret routhe.
And after this Iesus, of his mercy, 690 Made Alla wedden ful solempnely This holy mayden, that is so bright and shene, And thus hath Crist y-maad Custance a quene.
But who was woful, if I shal nat lye, Of this wedding but Donegild, and na mo, 695 The kinges moder, ful of tirannye?
Hir thoughte hir cursed herte brast a-two;
She wolde noght hir sone had do so; (600) Hir thoughte a despit, that he sholde take So strange a creature un-to his make.
700 Me list nat of the chaf nor of the stree Maken so long a tale, as of the corn.
What sholde I tellen of the royaltee At mariage, or which cours gooth biforn, Who bloweth in a trompe or in an horn?
705 The fruit of every tale is for to seye;
They ete, and drinke, and daunce, and singe, and pleye.
701. Cm.
nor; E. or; _rest_ ne.
704. E.
Hn.
mariages; Ln.
þe mariage;
_rest_ mariage; Hl.
Of mariage.
705. a] E. the; Hn.
Pt.
_omit_.
They goon to bedde, as it was skile and right; (610) For, thogh that wyves been ful holy thinges, They moste take in pacience at night 710 Swich maner necessaries as been plesinges To folk that han y-wedded hem with ringes, And leye a lyte hir holinesse asyde As for the tyme; it may no bet bityde.
[151: T.
5135-5169. ] On hir he gat a knave-child anoon, 715 And to a bishop and his constable eke He took his wyf to kepe, whan he is goon To Scotland-ward, his fo-men for to seke; (620) Now faire Custance, that is so humble and meke, So longe is goon with childe, til that stille 720 She halt hir chambre, abyding Cristes wille.
The tyme is come, a knave-child she ber;
Mauricius at the font-stoon they him calle;
This Constable dooth forth come a messager, And wroot un-to his king, that cleped was Alle, 725 How that this blisful tyding is bifalle, And othere tydings speedful for to seye;
He takth the lettre, and forth he gooth his weye.
(630) 728. Hn.
tath; Cm.
taath; _rest_ taketh.
This messager, to doon his avantage, Un-to the kinges moder rydeth swythe, 730 And salueth hir ful faire in his langage, ‘Madame,’ quod he, ‘ye may be glad and blythe, And thanke god an hundred thousand sythe;
My lady quene hath child, with-outen doute, To Ioye and blisse of al this regne aboute.
735 733. Cp.
Hl.
thanke; E. Hn.
thanketh; Cm.
thankede; Pt.
Ln.
thonketh.
735. E.
Cm.
to; _rest_ of.
Lo, heer the lettres seled of this thing, That I mot bere with al the haste I may;
If ye wol aught un-to your sone the king, (640) I am your servant, bothe night and day.
’ Donegild answerde, ‘as now at this tyme, nay; 740 But heer al night I wol thou take thy reste, Tomorwe wol I seye thee what me leste.
’ 740. Hl.
_om.
_ at.
This messager drank sadly ale and wyn, And stolen were his lettres prively Out of his box, whyl he sleep as a swyn; 745 And countrefeted was ful subtilly Another lettre, wroght ful sinfully, Un-to the king direct of this matere (650) Fro his constable, as ye shul after here.
[152: T.
5170-5204. ] The lettre spak, ‘the queen delivered was 750 Of so horrible a feendly creature, That in the castel noon so hardy was That any whyle dorste ther endure.
The moder was an elf, by aventure Y-come, by charmes or by sorcerye, 755 And every wight hateth hir companye.
’ 750. MSS.
queene, queen.
755. E.
Hn.
Cm.
Y-comen.
756. E.
Hn.
_om.
_ wight; Hl.
man.
Wo was this king whan he this lettre had seyn, But to no wighte he tolde his sorwes sore, (660) But of his owene honde he wroot ageyn, ‘Welcome the sonde of Crist for evermore 760 To me, that am now lerned in his lore;
Lord, welcome be thy lust and thy plesaunce, My lust I putte al in thyn ordinaunce!
Kepeth this child, al be it foul or fair, And eek my wyf, un-to myn hoom-cominge; 765 Crist, whan him list, may sende me an heir More agreable than this to my lykinge.
’ This lettre he seleth, prively wepinge, (670) Which to the messager was take sone, And forth he gooth; ther is na more to done.
770 O messager, fulfild of dronkenesse, Strong is thy breeth, thy limes faltren ay, And thou biwreyest alle secreenesse.
Thy mind is lorn, thou Ianglest as a Iay, Thy face is turned in a newe array!
775 Ther dronkenesse regneth in any route, Ther is no conseil hid, with-outen doute.
O Donegild, I ne have noon English digne (680) Un-to thy malice and thy tirannye!
And therfor to the feend I thee resigne, 780 Let him endyten of thy traitorye!
Fy, mannish, fy!
o nay, by god, I lye, Fy, _feendly_ spirit, for I dar wel telle, Though thou heer walke, thy spirit is in helle!
[153: T.
5205-5239. ] This messager comth fro the king agayn, 785 And at the kinges modres court he lighte, And she was of this messager ful fayn, And plesed him in al that ever she mighte.
(690) He drank, and wel his girdel underpighte.
He slepeth, and he snoreth in his gyse 790 Al night, un-til the sonne gan aryse.
791. Hl.
vn-to; Pt.
to; _rest_ til; _but_ vn-til (_as in_ Tyrwhitt) _seems better_.
