That he for pite tho ne wepte.
Arcennus, which her fonde and kepte,
Was thanne glad of that is falle,
So that with joie among hem alle
They riden in at Rome gate.
This emperour thought all to late,
Till that the pope were come
And of the lordes fende fome
To pray him, that he wolde haste.
And he cam forth in alle hafte.
And whan that he this tale herde,
How wonderly this chaunce ferde,
He thonketh god of his miracle,
To whos might may be none obstacle.
The king a noble feste hem made,
And thus they weren alle glad.
A parlement er that they went
They fetten unto this entent,
To putten Rome in full espeire,
That Morice was apparant heire
And fhulde abide with hem stille,
For fuch was all the londes wille.
Whan every thing was fully fpoke
Of forwe and queint was all the smoke,
Tho toke his leve Allee the kinge
And with full many a riche thinge
Which themperour him hadde yive
He goth a gladde life to live.
For he Conftance hath in his honde,
Which was the comfort of the londe.
Qualiter Mauricius cum imperatore ut heres imperii remanfit et rex Allee et Conftancia in Angliam regreffi funt.
Qualiter rex Allee poft biennium in
For whan that he cam home ayein,
There is no tunge that might fain,
What joie was that ilke ftounde
Of that he hath his quene founde,
Which first was fent of goddes fonde,
Whan she was driven upon the ftronde,
By whom the misbeleve of finne
Was lefte and Criftes feith came inne
To hem that whilome were blinde.
But he, which hindreth every kinde
And for no gold may be forbought,
Anglia humane The deth comend er he besought
carnis refolucio Toke with this king such acqueintaunce,
debitum perfoluit, That he with all his retenaunce
poft cuius obitum
Conftancia
cum Ne mighte nought defend his life,
tranftulit moratu- And thus he parteth from his wife,
Which thanne made forwe inough.
And therupon her herte drough
To leven Englond for ever
go where that she hadde lever
To Rome whanne that she came.
And thus of all the lond she nam
Her leve, and goth to Rome ayein.
And after that the bokes fain
She was nought there but a throwe,
Whan deth of kinde hath overthrowe De morte impera- Her worthy fader, which men faide That he betwene her armes deide. And afterward the yere fuende Tho god hath made of her an ende,
And fro this worldes fairie
Hath take her into compaignie.
Morice her fone was corouned,
Which fo ferforth was abandouned
To Cristes feith, that men him calle
Morice the christenest of alle.
And thus the whel meving of love
Was ate lafte fet above.
And fo, as thou haft herd to-fore,
The false tunges weren lore,
Whiche upon love wolden lie.
Forthy touchend of this envie,
Which longeth unto bakbitinge,
Be ware thou make no lefinge
In hindring of another wight.
And if thou wolt be taught aright,
What mischefe bakbitinge doth,
By other waie a tale foth
Now might thou here next fuende,
Which to this vice is accordende.
In a cronique as thou shalt wite
A
great enfample I finde write,
Whiche I fhall telle
Philip of Macedoine kinge
Two fones hadde by his wife,
Whose fame yet in Grece is rife.
Demetrius the firfte brother
Was hote and Perfeus that other.
Demetrius men faiden tho
The better knight was of the two,
Macedonie regnum To whom the lond was attendant
proditorie vendidif- As he, whiche heir was apparant
fet, quem fuper hoc in
To regne
after his faders day.
judicium producens
teftibufque judicibus But that thing, which no water may
quamvis falfiffime Quenche in this world but ever brenneth,
tum evicit, quo de- Into his brothers hert it renneth,
infra breve poftea The proud envie of that he fighe
His brother fhulde climbe on highe,
nante deus huiufmodi And he to him mot than obeie
abhorrens ipfum cum That may he suffre by no waie,
natorum multitudine With strengthe durft he no thing fonde.
um ab Emilio tunc So toke he lefinge upon honde,
eventu bellico inter- Whan he figh time and spake therto. quod ab illo die Ma- For it befell that time fo
cedonie poteftas pe- His fader grete werres hadde
no imperio fubjugata With Rome, whiche he ftreite ladde defervivit, et eius de
tractio, quam contra Through mighty hond of his manhod, alium confpiraverat,
in fui ipfius diffama- As he which hath inough knighthod. cionem pro perpetuo And ofte hem hadde fore greved.
But er the werre were acheved,
As he was upon ordenaunce
At home in Grece, it fell par chaunce
Demetrius, whiche ofte aboute
Ridend was, stood that time out,
So that this Perfe in his absence,
Which bar the tunge of pestilence
With false wordes whiche he feigneth
Upon his owne brother pleineth,
In privete behinde his bake
And to his fader thus he spake:
To hem of Rome, and
For thanne they behote him so,
That he with hem shall regne
in pees.
Thus hath he caft for his encres,
That your eftate fhall go to nought.
And this to prove shall be brought
So ferforth, that I undertake
It shall nought wel mow be forsake.
The kinge upon this tale answerd
And said, if this thing which he herd
Be foth and may be brought to prove,
It shall nought be to his behove,
Which fo has shapen us the werfte,
For he him felf shall be the ferfte
That shall be dede, if that I may.
Thus afterwarde upon a day,
Whan that Demetrius was come,
Anone his fader hath him nome
And bad unto his brother Perfe,
That he his tale shall reherse
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