Of hire astat to knowe plein；
Sche wolde him nothing elles sein
Bot of hir name； which sche feigneth；
Alle othre thinges sche restreigneth；
That a word more sche ne tolde。
This lord thanne axeth if sche wolde 1170
With him abide in compaignie；
And seide he cam fro Barbarie
To Romeward； and hom he wente。
Tho sche supposeth what it mente；
And seith sche wolde with him wende
And duelle unto hire lyves ende；
Be so it be to his plesance。
And thus upon here aqueintance
He tolde hire pleinly as it stod；
Of Rome how that the gentil blod 1180
In Barbarie was betraied；
And therupon he hath assaied
Be werre； and taken such vengance；
That non of al thilke alliance；
Be whom the tresoun was compassed；
Is from the swerd alyve passed；
Bot of Constance hou it was；
That cowthe he knowe be no cas；
Wher sche becam； so as he seide。
Hire Ere unto his word sche leide； 1190
Bot forther made sche no chiere。
And natheles in this matiere
It happeth thilke time so：
This Lord； with whom sche scholde go；
Of Rome was the Senatour；
And of hir fader themperour
His brother doughter hath to wyve；
Which hath hir fader ek alyve；
And was Salustes cleped tho；
This wif Heleine hihte also； 1200
To whom Constance was Cousine。
Thus to the sike a medicine
Hath god ordeined of his grace；
That forthwith in the same place
This Senatour his trowthe plihte；
For evere； whil he live mihte；
To kepe in worschipe and in welthe；
Be so that god wol yive hire helthe；
This ladi； which fortune him sende。
And thus be Schipe forth sailende 1210
Hire and hir child to Rome he broghte；
And to his wif tho he besoghte
To take hire into compaignie：
And sche； which cowthe of courtesie
Al that a good wif scholde konne；
Was inly glad that sche hath wonne
The felaschip of so good on。
Til tuelve yeres were agon；
This Emperoures dowhter Custe
Forth with the dowhter of Saluste 1220
Was kept； bot noman redily
Knew what sche was； and noght forthi
Thei thoghten wel sche hadde be
In hire astat of hih degre；
And every lif hire loveth wel。
Now herke how thilke unstable whel；
Which evere torneth； wente aboute。
The king Allee； whil he was oute；
As thou tofore hast herd this cas；
Deceived thurgh his Moder was： 1230
Bot whan that he cam hom ayein；
He axeth of his Chamberlein
And of the Bisschop ek also；
Wher thei the qweene hadden do。
And thei answerde； there he bad；
And have him thilke lettre rad；
Which he hem sende for warant；
And tolde him pleinli as it stant；
And sein； it thoghte hem gret pite
To se so worthi on as sche； 1240
With such a child as ther was bore；
So sodeinly to be forlore。
He axeth hem what child that were；
And thei him seiden； that naghere；
In al the world thogh men it soghte；
Was nevere womman that forth broghte
A fairer child than it was on。
And thanne he axede hem anon；
Whi thei ne hadden write so：
Thei tolden； so thei hadden do。 1250
He seide； 〃Nay。〃 Thei seiden； 〃Yis。〃
The lettre schewed rad it is；
Which thei forsoken everidel。
Tho was it understonde wel
That ther is tresoun in the thing：
The Messager tofore the king
Was broght and sodeinliche opposed；
And he； which nothing hath supposed
Bot alle wel； began to seie
That he nagher upon the weie 1260
Abod； bot only in a stede；
And cause why that he so dede
Was； as he wente to and fro；
At Knaresburgh be nyhtes tuo
The kinges Moder made him duelle。
And whan the king it herde telle；
Withinne his herte he wiste als faste
The treson which his Moder caste；
And thoghte he wolde noght abide；
Bot forth riht in the same tide 1270
He tok his hors and rod anon。
With him ther riden manion；
To Knaresburgh and forth thei wente；
And lich the fyr which tunder hente；
In such a rage； as seith the bok；
His Moder sodeinliche he tok
And seide unto hir in this wise：
〃O beste of helle； in what juise
Hast thou deserved forto deie；
That hast so falsly put aweie 1280
With tresoun of thi bacbitinge
The treweste at my knowlechinge
Of wyves and the most honeste？
Bot I wol make this beheste；
I schal be venged er I go。〃
And let a fyr do make tho；
And bad men forto caste hire inne：
Bot ferst sche tolde out al the sinne；
And dede hem alle forto wite
How sche the lettres hadde write； 1290
Fro point to point as it was wroght。
And tho sche was to dethe broght
And brent tofore hire Sones yhe：
Wherof these othre； whiche it sihe
And herden how the cause stod；
Sein that the juggement is good；
Of that hir Sone hire hath so served；
For sche it hadde wel deserved
Thurgh tresoun of hire false tunge；
Which thurgh the lond was after sunge； 1300
Constance and every wiht compleigneth。
Bot he； whom alle wo distreigneth；
This sorghfull king； was so bestad；
That he schal nevermor be glad；
He seith； eftsone forto wedde；
Til that he wiste how that sche spedde；
Which hadde ben his ferste wif：
And thus his yonge unlusti lif
He dryveth forth so as he mai。
Til it befell upon a dai； 1310
Whan he hise werres hadde achieved；
And thoghte he wolde be relieved
Of Soule hele upon the feith
Which he hath take； thanne he seith
That he to Rome in pelrinage
Wol go； wher Pope was Pelage；
To take his absolucioun。
And upon this condicioun
He made Edwyn his lieutenant；
Which heir to him was apparant； 1320
That he the lond in his absence
Schal reule： and thus be providence
Of alle thinges wel begon
He tok his leve and forth is gon。
Elda； which tho was with him there；
Er thei fulliche at Rome were；
Was sent tofore to pourveie；
And he his guide upon the weie；
In help to ben his herbergour；
Hath axed who was Senatour； 1330
That he his name myhte kenne。
Of Capadoce； he seide； Arcenne
He hihte； and was a worthi kniht。
To him goth Elda tho forth riht
And tolde him of his lord tidinge；
And preide that for his comynge
He wolde assigne him herbergage；
And he so dede of good corage。
Whan al is do that was to done；
The king himself cam after sone。 1340
This Senatour； whan that he com；
To Couste and to his wif at hom
Hath told how such a king Allee
Of gret array to the Citee
Was come； and Couste upon his tale
With herte clos and colour pale
Aswoune fell； and he merveileth
So sodeinly what thing hire eyleth；
And cawhte hire up； and whan sche wok；
Sche syketh with a pitous lok 1350
And feigneth seknesse of the See；
Bot it was for the king Allee；
For joie which fell in hire thoght
That god him hath to toune broght。
This king hath spoke with the Pope
And told al that he cowthe agrope；
What grieveth in his conscience；
And thanne he thoghte in reverence
Of his astat； er that he wente；
To make a feste； and thus he sente 1360
Unto the Senatour to come
Upon the morwe and othre some；
To sitte with him at the mete。
This tale hath Couste noght foryete；
Bot to Moris hire Sone tolde
That he upon the morwe scholde
In al that evere he cowthe and mihte
Be present in the kinges sihte；
So that the king him ofte sihe。
Moris tofore the kinges yhe 1370
Upon the morwe； wher he sat；
Fulofte stod； and upon that
The king his chiere upon him caste；
And in his face him thoghte als faste
He sih his oghne wif Constance；
For nature as in resemblance
Of face hem liketh so to clothe；
That thei were of a suite bothe。
The king was moeved in his thoght
Of that he seth； and knoweth it noght； 1380
This child he loveth kindely；
And yit he wot no cause why。
Bot wel he sih and understod
That he toward Arcenne stod；
And axeth him anon riht there；
If that this child his Sone were。
He seide； 〃Yee； so I him calle；
And wolde it were so befalle；
Bot it is al in other wise。〃
And tho began he to devise 1390
How he the childes Moder fond
Upon the See from every lond
Withinne a Schip was stiereles；
And how this ladi helpeles
Forth with hir child he hath forthdrawe。
The king hath understonde his sawe；
The childes name and axeth tho；
And what the Moder hihte also
That he him wolde telle he preide。
〃Moris this child is hote；〃 he seide； 1400
〃His Moder hatte Couste； and this
I not what maner name it is。〃
But Allee wiste wel ynowh；
Wherof somdiel smylende he lowh；
For Couste in Saxoun is to sein
Constance upon the word Romein。
Bot who that cowthe specefie
What tho fell in his fantasie；
And how his wit aboute renneth
Upon the love in which he brenneth； 1410
It were a wonder forto hiere：
For he was nouther ther ne hiere；
Bot clene out of himself aweie；
That he not what to thenke or seie；
So fain he wolde it were sche。
Wherof his hertes privete
Began the werre of yee and nay；
The which in such balance lay；
That contenance for a throwe
He loste； til he mihte knowe 1420
The sothe： bot in his memoire
The man which lith in purgatoire
Desireth noght the hevene more；
That he ne longeth al so sore
To wite what him schal betide。
And whan the bordes were aside
And every man was rise aboute；
The king hath weyved al the route；
And with the Senatour al one
He spak and preide him of a bone； 1430
To se this Couste； wher sche duelleth
At hom with him； so as he telleth。
The Senatour was wel appaied；
This thing no lengere is delaied；
To se this Couste goth the king；
And sche was warned of the thing；
And with Heleine forth sche cam
Ayein the king； and he tho nam
Good hiede； and whan he sih his wif；
Anon with al his hertes lif 1440
He cawhte hire in his arm and kiste。
Was nevere wiht that sih ne wiste
A man that more joie made；
Wherof thei weren alle glade
Whiche herde tellen of this chance。
This king tho with his wif Constance；
Which hadde a gret part of his wille；
In Rome for a time stille
Abod and made him wel at ese：
Bot so yit cowthe he nevere plese 1450
His wif； that sche him wolde sein
Of hire astat the trowthe plein；
Of what contre that sche was bore；
Ne what sche was； and yit therfore
With al his wit he hath don sieke。
Thus as they lihe abedde and spieke；
Sche preide him and conseileth bothe；
That for the worschipe of hem bothe；
So as hire thoghte it were honeste；
He wolde an honourable feste 1460
Make； er he wente； in the Cite；
Wher themperour himself schal be：
He graunteth al that sche him preide。
Bot as men in that time seide；
This Emperour fro thilke day
That ferst his dowhter wente away
He was thanne after nevere g