The longe night and eek a day also,
For al the fyr and eek the bathes hete, 520
She sat al cold, and felede no wo,
It made hir nat a drope for to swete.
But in that bath hir lyf she moste lete;
For he, Almachius, with ful wikke entente
To sleen hir in the bath his sonde sente. 525
521. Cm. felede; E. Hn. feled; Cp. Pt. Ln. felt of it. 524. E. Hn. a
ful; Cm. a; _rest_ ful.
Three strokes in the nekke he smoot hir tho,
The tormentour, but for no maner chaunce
He mighte noght smyte al hir nekke a-two;
And for ther was that tyme an ordinaunce,
That no man sholde doon man swich penaunce 530
The ferthe strook to smyten, softe or sore,
This tormentour ne dorste do na-more.