King Alla, which that hadde his moder slayn, (890)
Upon a day fil in swich repentance,
That, if I shortly tellen shal and plain, 990
To Rome he comth, to receyven his penance;
And putte him in the popes ordinance
In heigh and low, and Iesu Crist bisoghte
Foryeve his wikked werkes that he wroghte.
The fame anon thurgh Rome toun is born, 995
How Alla king shal come in pilgrimage,
By herbergeours that wenten him biforn;
For which the senatour, as was usage, (900)
Rood him ageyn, and many of his linage,
As wel to shewen his heighe magnificence 1000
As to don any king a reverence.
995. E. thurgh out the toun; _rest_ thurgh Rome toun. 996. E. Hn. Cp.
Pt. comen. 999. E. Hn. agayns.
Greet chere dooth this noble senatour
To king Alla, and he to him also;
Everich of hem doth other greet honour;
And so bifel that, in a day or two, 1005
This senatour is to king Alla go
To feste, and shortly, if I shal nat lye,
Custances sone wente in his companye. (910)
Som men wolde seyn, at requeste of Custance,
This senatour hath lad this child to feste; 1010
I may nat tellen every circumstance,
Be as be may, ther was he at the leste.
But soth is this, that, at his modres heste,
Biforn Alla, during the metes space,
The child stood, loking in the kinges face. 1015
[160: T. 5436-5470.]
This Alla king hath of this child greet wonder,
And to the senatour he seyde anon,
‘Whos is that faire child that stondeth yonder?’ (920)
‘I noot,’ quod he, ‘by god, and by seint Iohn!
A moder he hath, but fader hath he non 1020
That I of woot’—but shortly, in a stounde,
He tolde Alla how that this child was founde.
‘But god wot,’ quod this senatour also,
‘So vertuous a livere in my lyf,
Ne saugh I never as she, ne herde of mo 1025
Of worldly wommen, mayden, nor of wyf;
I dar wel seyn hir hadde lever a knyf
Thurgh-out her breste, than been a womman wikke; (930)
Ther is no man coude bringe hir to that prikke.’
1026. Hl. Cm. Ln. mayden; _rest_ mayde. Cm. nor; Hl. Ln. or; _rest_ ne.
Now was this child as lyk un-to Custance 1030
As possible is a creature to be.
This Alla hath the face in remembrance
Of dame Custance, and ther-on mused he
If that the childes moder were aught she
That was his wyf, and prively he sighte, 1035
And spedde him fro the table that he mighte.
‘Parfay,’ thoghte he, ‘fantome is in myn heed!
I oghte deme, of skilful Iugement, (940)
That in the salte see my wyf is deed.’
And afterward he made his argument— 1040
‘What woot I, if that Crist have hider y-sent
My wyf by see, as wel as he hir sente
To my contree fro thennes that she wente?’
1041. E. haue; _rest_ hath. E. ysent; Cm. I-sent; _rest_ sent.
And, after noon, hoom with the senatour
Goth Alla, for to seen this wonder chaunce. 1045
This senatour dooth Alla greet honour,
And hastifly he sente after Custaunce.
But trusteth weel, hir liste nat to daunce (950)
Whan that she wiste wherefor was that sonde.
Unnethe up-on hir feet she mighte stonde. 1050
1047. E. Pt. hastifly; _rest_ hastily, hastely.
[161: T. 5471-5505.]
When Alla saugh his wyf, faire he hir grette,
And weep, that it was routhe for to see.
For at the firste look he on hir sette
He knew wel verraily that it was she.
And she for sorwe as domb stant as a tree; 1055
So was hir herte shet in hir distresse
Whan she remembred his unkindenesse.
Twyës she swowned in his owne sighte; (960)
He weep, and him excuseth pitously:—
‘Now god,’ quod he, ‘and alle his halwes brighte 1060
So wisly on my soule as have mercy,
That of your harm as giltelees am I
As is Maurice my sone so lyk your face;
Elles the feend me fecche out of this place!’
1060. Hl. alle; _which the rest omit_.
Long was the sobbing and the bitter peyne 1065
Er that hir woful hertes mighte cesse;
Greet was the pitee for to here hem pleyne,
Thurgh whiche pleintes gan hir wo encresse. (970)
I prey yow al my labour to relesse;
I may nat telle hir wo un-til tomorwe, 1070
I am so wery for to speke of sorwe.
But fynally, when that the sooth is wist
That Alla giltelees was of hir wo,
I trowe an hundred tymes been they kist,
And swich a blisse is ther bitwix hem two 1075
That, save the Ioye that lasteth evermo,
Ther is non lyk, that any creature
Hath seyn or shal, whyl that the world may dure. (980)
1074. Hl. they ben.
Tho preyde she hir housbond mekely,
In relief of hir longe pitous pyne, 1080
That he wold preye hir fader specially
That, of his magestee, he wolde enclyne
To vouche-sauf som day with him to dyne;
She preyde him eek, he sholde by no weye
Un-to hir fader no word of hir seye. 1085
1084. E. wolde; _rest_ sholde.
[162: T. 5506-5540.]
Som men wold seyn, how that the child Maurice
Doth this message un-to this emperour;
But, as I gesse, Alla was nat so nyce (990)
To him, that was of so sovereyn honour
As he that is of cristen folk the flour, 1090
Sente any child, but it is bet to deme
He wente him-self, and so it may wel seme.
This emperour hath graunted gentilly
To come to diner, as he him bisoghte;
And wel rede I, he loked bisily 1095
Up-on this child, and on his doghter thoghte.
Alla goth to his in, and, as him oghte,
Arrayed for this feste in every wyse (1000)
As ferforth as his conning may suffyse.
The morwe cam, and Alla gan him dresse, 1100
And eek his wyf, this emperour to mete;
And forth they ryde in Ioye and in gladnesse.
And whan she saugh hir fader in the strete,
She lighte doun, and falleth him to fete.
‘Fader,’ quod she, ‘your yonge child Custance 1105
Is now ful clene out of your remembrance.
I am your doghter Custance,’ quod she,
‘That whylom ye han sent un-to Surrye. (1010)
It am I, fader, that in the salte see
Was put allone and dampned for to dye. 1110
Now, gode fader, mercy I yow crye,
Send me namore un-to non hethenesse,
But thonketh my lord heer of his kindenesse.’
1107. _So in all the MSS.; to be read as_ Cústancë (_three syllables_).
Who can the pitous Ioye tellen al
Bitwix hem three, sin they ben thus y-mette? 1115
But of my tale make an ende I shal;
The day goth faste, I wol no lenger lette.
This glade folk to diner they hem sette; (1020)
In Ioye and blisse at mete I lete hem dwelle
A thousand fold wel more than I can telle. 1120
[163: T. 5541-5573.]
This child Maurice was sithen emperour
Maad by the pope, and lived cristenly.
To Cristes chirche he dide greet honour;
But I lete al his storie passen by,
Of Custance is my tale specially. 1125
In olde Romayn gestes may men finde
Maurices lyf; I bere it noght in minde.
1126. E. Hn. Cm. In the; _rest om._ the.
This king Alla, whan he his tyme sey, (1030)
With his Custance, his holy wyf so swete,
To Engelond been they come the righte wey, 1130
Wher-as they live in Ioye and in quiete.
But litel whyl it lasteth, I yow hete,
Ioye of this world, for tyme wol nat abyde;
Fro day to night it changeth as the tyde.
Who lived ever in swich delyt o day 1135
That him ne moeved outher conscience,
Or ire, or talent, or som kin affray,
Envye, or pryde, or passion, or offence? (1040)
I ne seye but for this ende this sentence,
That litel whyl in Ioye or in plesance 1140
Lasteth the blisse of Alla with Custance.
1137. E. som kynnes; Cm. su_m_kenys; Hl. som maner; Hn. Cp. Pt. som
kyn; Ln. sumkin.
For deeth, that taketh of heigh and low his rente,
When passed was a yeer, even as I gesse,
Out of this world this king Alla he hente,
For whom Custance hath ful gret hevinesse. 1145
Now lat us preyen god his soule blesse!
And dame Custance; fynally to seye,
Towards the toun of Rome gooth hir weye. (1050)
1146. E. praye to; Hl. pray that; _rest_ preyen, prayen, preien, _or_
preyne.
To Rome is come this holy creature,
And fyndeth ther hir frendes hole and sounde: 1150
Now is she scaped al hir aventure;
And whan that she hir fader hath y-founde,
Doun on hir kneës falleth she to grounde;
[164: T. 5574-5582.]
Weping for tendrenesse in herte blythe,
She herieth god an hundred thousand sythe. 1155
1150. Hl. And fynt hir freendes ther bothe hool and sound. _The rest
omit_ ther.
In vertu and in holy almes-dede
They liven alle, and never a-sonder wende;
Til deeth departed hem, this lyf they lede. (1060)
And fareth now weel, my tale is at an ende.
Now Iesu Crist, that of his might may sende 1160
Ioye after wo, governe us in his grace,
And kepe us alle that ben in this place! Amen.
=Here endeth the Tale of the Man of Lawe; and next folweth the
Shipmannes Prolog.=
*** For l. 5583 _in_ Tyrwhitt’s Text, _see_ Group D, l. 1.
COLOPHON. _The latter part is from_ MS. Arch. Selden B. 14. _Many MSS.
have_ The prolog of the squyers tale, _or_ the prolog of the Squier.
_The_ Petworth MS. _and some others have here an ill-written and
spurious_ Prologue to the Shipman’s Tale, _which is here subjoined:_
‘Now freendes,’ seide our Hoost so dere,
‘How lyketh you by Iohn the Pardonere?
For he hath unbokeled wel the male;
He hath us told right a thrifty tale
As touching of misgovernaunce—
I preye to God, yeve him good chaunce!—
As ye han herd of thise riotoures three.
Now, gentil Mariner, hertely I preye thee,
Telle us a good tale, and that right anon.’
‘It shall be doon, by god and by seint Iohn,’
Seyde this Mariner, ‘as wel as ever I can,’
And right anon his tale he bigan.
[165: T. 12903-12924.]
* * * * *