Page images
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

Two cardinales he hath affifed

With other lordes many mo,
That with his doughter fhulden go
To fe the fouldan be converted.

But that which never was wel herted
Envie tho began to travaile
In difturbaunce of this fpoufaile
So prively that none was ware.
The moder, which the fouldan bare,
Was than alive and thoughte this
Unto her felfe: if it fo is,
My fone him wedde in this manere,
Than have I lost my joies here,
For min eftate fhall fo be laffed.
Thenkend thus fhe hath compaffed
By fleight how that she may beguile
Her fone, and fell within a while
Betwene hem two whan that they were,
She feigned wordes in his ere
And in this wife gan to say:

My fone, I am by double way
With all min herte glad and blithe,
For that my felfe have ofte fithe
Defired thou wolte, as men faith,
Receive and take a newe feith,

Qualiter adveniente Conftancia in Barbariam mater foldani huiufmodi nupcias perturbare volens filium fuum una cum dicta Conftancia cardinalibufque et aliis Romanis primo die ad convivium invitavit, et convefcentibus illis in menfa ipfum foldanum omnefque ibidem preter Conftanciam Romanos ab infidiis latitantibus fubdola detractione interfici procuravit ipfamque Conftanciam in quadam navi abfque gubernaculo pofitam per altum mare ventorum flatibus agitandam in exilium dirigi folam conftituit.

Which shall be forthringe of thy life.
And eke so worshipfull a wife
The doughter of an emperour
To wedde it shall be great honour.
Forthy my fone, I you befeche,
That I fuch grace might areche,
Whan that my doughter come shall,
That I may than in speciall

So as me thenketh it is honeste
Be thilke, which the firfte feste
Shall make unto her welcominge.

The fouldan graunteth her axinge. And she therof was gladde inough, For under that anone she drough With false wordes that she spake Covin of dethe behinde his backe. And therupon her ordinaunce

She made fo, that whan Conftance
Was comen forth with the Romains
Of clerkes and of citezeins,
A riche fefte fhe hem made.
And mofte whan they weren glade
With falfe covin, which she hadde,
Her close envie tho fhe spradde.
And alle tho, that hadden be
Or in appert or in prive
Of counfeil to the mariage,

She flough hem in a fodein rage
Endlong the borde as they be fet,
So that it mighte nought be let

Her owne fone was nought quite,
But died upon the same plite.
But what the highe god woll fpare
It may for no perill misfare.

This worthy maiden, which was there,
Stode than as who faith dede for fere
To fe the feft, how that it stood,
Whiche all was torned into blood.
The dish forth with the cuppe and all
Bebled they weren over all.

She figh hem die on every fide,
No wonder though the wepte and cride
Makend many a wofull mone.
Whan all was flain but fhe al one,
This olde fend, this Sarazin

Let take anone this Conftantin
With all the good fhe thider brought
And hath ordeigned as the thought
A naked ship withoute ftere,

In which the good and her in fere
Vitaled full for yeres five,

Where that the winde it wolde drive,
the wawes wilde.

She put upon

But he, which alle thinges may fhilde,
Thre yere til that fhe cam to londe
Her ship to ftere hath take on honde,
And in Northumberlond arriveth,
And happeth thanne that she driveth
Under a caftell with the flood,
Whiche upon Humber banke stood.

Qualiter navis cum Conftancia in partes Anglie, que tunc pagana fuit,prope Humber fub quodam caftello regis, qui tunc Allee vocabatur, poft triennium applicuit, quam quidam miles nomine Elda dicti caftelli tunc cuftos e navi lete fufcipiens

[ocr errors]

de in cuftodiam ho

vit.

uxori fue Hermingel- And was the kinges owne also,
norifice commenda- The whiche Allee was cleped tho,
A Saxon and a worthy knight,
But he beleveth nought aright.
Of this caftell was caftellaine
Elda the kinges chamberlaine,
A knightly man after his lawe.
And whan he figh upon the wawe
The ship drivend alone so,

He badde anone men fhulden go
To fe, what it betoken may.
This was upon a fomer day,

The ship was loked and she founde.
Elda within a litel ftounde

It wift and with his wife anone
Toward this yonge lady gone,
Where that they founde great richeffe.
But she her wolde nought confeffe,
Whan they her axen what she was.
And netheles upon the cas

Out of the ship with great worship
They toke her into felafhip

As they, that weren of her glade.
But she no maner joie made,
But forweth fore of that she fonde

No chriftendome in thilke londe.
But elles fhe hath all her will,
And thus with hem she dwelleth still.
Dame Hermegild, which was the wife
Of Elda, liche her owne life

Conftance loveth, and fell fo
Spekend all day betwene hem two
Through grace of goddes purveiaunce
This maiden taught the creaunce
Unto this wife fo parfitly,
Upon a day that faste by

In presence of her husbonde,

Where they go walkend on the ftronde,
A blinde man, which cam ther ladde,
Unto this wife criend he badde
With bothe his hondes up and praide
To her and in this wife he faide:
O Hermegilde, which Criftes feith
Enformed, as Constance faith,
Received hast: yif me my fight.

Upon this worde her herte aflight
Thenkend what was befte to done,
But netheles she herde his bone

And faide in truft of Criftes lawe,
Which done was on the croffe and flawe,
Thou blinde man beholde and fe.
With that to God upon his kne
Thonkend he toke his fight anone,
Wherof they merveil everychone.
But Elda wondreth most of alle,
This open thing whiche is befalle
Concludeth him by fuche a way,
That he the feith mo nede obey.
Now lift what fell upon this thinge.
This Elda forth unto the kinge

Qualiter Conftancia Eldam cum uxore fua, qui antea Chriftiani non extiterant, ad fidem Chrifti miraculofe

convertit.

Qualiter quidam miles juvenis in amorem Conftancie exardef

« PreviousContinue »