 | [The Breuyate and shorte Tragycall hystorie of the fayre Custance, the Emperours doughter of Rome |  |
Howe Donegylde ones agayne/counterfayted the kynges letters/whiche were sent vnto Custance/clene contrary to the tenour of the same. Capi. ix.
Soroufull was the kyng/replete wt wo & payne
Whan he the letter reed/but yet his inwarde sore
He wolde to no mā showe/but shortly wrot agayne
Sayeng: welcōe the sonde of Christ/for euermore
To me a wretche/whiche am newe lerned ī thy lore
Welcōe thy grace good lorde/thy lyking & plesaūce
My hert & wyll/I put/vnto thyne ordynaunce.
Whan he the letter reed/but yet his inwarde sore
He wolde to no mā showe/but shortly wrot agayne
Sayeng: welcōe the sonde of Christ/for euermore
To me a wretche/whiche am newe lerned ī thy lore
Welcōe thy grace good lorde/thy lyking & plesaūce
My hert & wyll/I put/vnto thyne ordynaunce.
Kepe ye right well my chylde/albeit foule or fayre
And eke my louyng wife/vntyll my home cōmyng
Christ whan hym lyst/may sende me suche an hayre
Whiche shalbe moche fayrer/& more for or pleasing
This letter he sealed/full bytterly wepyng
And to the messanger/he dyde it soone conuey
His leaue he taketh/and forthe he rode his way
And eke my louyng wife/vntyll my home cōmyng
Christ whan hym lyst/may sende me suche an hayre
Whiche shalbe moche fayrer/& more for or pleasing
This letter he sealed/full bytterly wepyng
And to the messanger/he dyde it soone conuey
His leaue he taketh/and forthe he rode his way
O beestly messanger/fulfylled with drōkennesse
Strōg is thy brethe/thy lymmes disceyue the aye
Thou doest discouer/counsayle and secretnesse
Thy brayne is troubled/thou ianglyst as a Iaye
Thou tournest vp sodowne/althyng out of array
For where as dronknesse dothe raigne/in any rout
No coūsaile there is kept/but it at last must out.
Strōg is thy brethe/thy lymmes disceyue the aye
Thou doest discouer/counsayle and secretnesse
Thy brayne is troubled/thou ianglyst as a Iaye
Thou tournest vp sodowne/althyng out of array
For where as dronknesse dothe raigne/in any rout
No coūsaile there is kept/but it at last must out.
O cursed Donegylde/I haue no Englysshe digne
Thy malice to declare/nor halfe thy tiranny
Wherfore to the deuyll/that office I resigne
Let hym indite and shewe/thy wrathe & false enuy
O deuillisshe woman/fye on thy trechery
Thou came of Iudas kyn/for this I dare say well
Though here in erth yu walke/thy spirite is in hell.
Thy malice to declare/nor halfe thy tiranny
Wherfore to the deuyll/that office I resigne
Let hym indite and shewe/thy wrathe & false enuy
O deuillisshe woman/fye on thy trechery
Thou came of Iudas kyn/for this I dare say well
Though here in erth yu walke/thy spirite is in hell.
In meane while his letters/were stollen euerichon
And other letters made/whiche said in this wyse:
The kynge cōmaundeth/that the kepar anon
On payne of hangyng/by lawe and high iustice
He shulde nat suffre/thus written was precice
Custaunce in his realme/no lengar to abyde
Nat vnto thre days ende/for ought yt might betyde
And other letters made/whiche said in this wyse:
The kynge cōmaundeth/that the kepar anon
On payne of hangyng/by lawe and high iustice
He shulde nat suffre/thus written was precice
Custaunce in his realme/no lengar to abyde
Nat vnto thre days ende/for ought yt might betyde
But in the same shippe/wherin as he her founde
She and her yong son/with suche as nedefull were
Alone he shulde her put/and thrust her frō the l{āde}
wt charge on payne of deth /yt she no more cōe there.
O dissolate Custance/in hert wele mayst thou fere
And slepe vnquietly/awayting thy penaunce
Whan Donegild for the/hath made such ordynāce.
She and her yong son/with suche as nedefull were
Alone he shulde her put/and thrust her frō the l{āde}
wt charge on payne of deth /yt she no more cōe there.
O dissolate Custance/in hert wele mayst thou fere
And slepe vnquietly/awayting thy penaunce
Whan Donegild for the/hath made such ordynāce.
Howe the wofull Custaunce/with her lytell son Maurice by the cursed trayson of Donegilde/was set agayne in to the same shippe wherin she came thyder/and so went fletyng vpon the see at her aduenture: And of her pituouse cōplaynt. Cap. x.
The next mornyng/whan the messanger awoke
Unto the castell/he cōmeth at a brayd
And to the kepar/the letters forthe he toke
Which seyng ye tenour/was marueylously dismaid
So straitly written/full ofte (alas he said)
This fraile britell worlde/how may it long endure
Sithe so unstedfast/we se eche creature.
Unto the castell/he cōmeth at a brayd
And to the kepar/the letters forthe he toke
Which seyng ye tenour/was marueylously dismaid
So straitly written/full ofte (alas he said)
This fraile britell worlde/how may it long endure
Sithe so unstedfast/we se eche creature.
O Christ of heuyn/if that it be thy wyll
As thou arte equall iudge: alas/howe may this be
That thou doest suffre/the innocentes to spyll
And wicked folke to lyue/in great prosperite
Alas good Custance/that wo is me for the
Sithe I thy turmētour must be/or therfore dye
A shamfull dethe I se/none other remedy.
As thou arte equall iudge: alas/howe may this be
That thou doest suffre/the innocentes to spyll
And wicked folke to lyue/in great prosperite
Alas good Custance/that wo is me for the
Sithe I thy turmētour must be/or therfore dye
A shamfull dethe I se/none other remedy.
Full tenderly wepte/all they within the place
For ruthe/whan the kyng this cruell letter sent
And shorte tale to make/with pale and deedly face
Custance at the last/towarde the shippe is went
There was non other mean/but yet wt good entent
The wyll of Crist she toke/& knelyng by the strōde
Welcome good lorde she said/be vnto me thy sonde
For ruthe/whan the kyng this cruell letter sent
And shorte tale to make/with pale and deedly face
Custance at the last/towarde the shippe is went
There was non other mean/but yet wt good entent
The wyll of Crist she toke/& knelyng by the strōde
Welcome good lorde she said/be vnto me thy sonde
He the whiche me kept/from all the cryme & blame
While I vpon the lāde/haue bydden here with you
He can me saue also/from perill harme and shame
Upon the salte see/all though ye se nat howe
As strong as euer he was/right so he is yet nowe
In him is all my trust/and in his mother dere
Whiche shalbe vnto me/my mast my sayle and stere
While I vpon the lāde/haue bydden here with you
He can me saue also/from perill harme and shame
Upon the salte see/all though ye se nat howe
As strong as euer he was/right so he is yet nowe
In him is all my trust/and in his mother dere
Whiche shalbe vnto me/my mast my sayle and stere
Her lytell yong childe/lay wepyng in her arme
Of motherly pytie/right rewfully she sayd
Peace nowe my childe/for none shall do the harme
Wherwith her kercher/of from her heed she brayd
And ouer his face/anone the same she layd
And in her armes/she rocked hym full fast
And towarde heuyn/her eyes vp she cast.
Of motherly pytie/right rewfully she sayd
Peace nowe my childe/for none shall do the harme
Wherwith her kercher/of from her heed she brayd
And ouer his face/anone the same she layd
And in her armes/she rocked hym full fast
And towarde heuyn/her eyes vp she cast.
Mylde mother quoth she/and blessed mayde Mary
Sothe it is/that by a womans entycement
Mankynde was forlorne/and dampned for to dye
Whom to redeme/thy childe: on the crosse was rent
Thou lady with thyn eyes/sawe all his tourment
Than: no comparison certesse/there is bytwene
Thy sorowes/of all/that euer hath ben sene.
Sothe it is/that by a womans entycement
Mankynde was forlorne/and dampned for to dye
Whom to redeme/thy childe: on the crosse was rent
Thou lady with thyn eyes/sawe all his tourment
Than: no comparison certesse/there is bytwene
Thy sorowes/of all/that euer hath ben sene.
Thy childe yu sawe slayne/before thyne owne eye
And yet nowe lyueth/my lytell childe alway
Nowe blessed lady/to whom all creatures crye
The well of womanheed/mother and mayden aye
Thou hauen of refuge/the bright starre of the day
Upon my childe and me/in this our harde distresse
Haue thou compassion/of thy great goodnesse.
And yet nowe lyueth/my lytell childe alway
Nowe blessed lady/to whom all creatures crye
The well of womanheed/mother and mayden aye
Thou hauen of refuge/the bright starre of the day
Upon my childe and me/in this our harde distresse
Haue thou compassion/of thy great goodnesse.
O lytell tendre babe: alas what is thy gylte
Thou neuer yet wrought/no maner syn parde
Thy cruell father/why wyll he haue the spylte
Of mercy dere kepar/and tendre loue quod she
Wytsafe my lytell childe/may tary here with the
If hym thou dare nat saue/frō perisshyng & blame
yet ones wytsaue/to kysse hym/in his fathers name
Thou neuer yet wrought/no maner syn parde
Thy cruell father/why wyll he haue the spylte
Of mercy dere kepar/and tendre loue quod she
Wytsafe my lytell childe/may tary here with the
If hym thou dare nat saue/frō perisshyng & blame
yet ones wytsaue/to kysse hym/in his fathers name
[OMITTED]ters cause/sent a senatour with a gret army/to[OMITTED] vengeance vpon the surreyns: Whiche senatour cōmyng hōwarde/mette with Custance fletyng [OMITTED] the see/nat knowynge who she was/and brought bothe her and her chylde to Rome/home vnto his wyfe. Cap. xiii.
Of Custance lette vs stynt/as for a lytell w[OMITTED]
And of her father/the worthy Emperour
Of Rome/nowe speke we/whiche by report [OMITTED]
The dethe of {Christians}/and of the dis[OMITTED]
To his dou[OMITTED]t mos[OMITTED]
I meane of [OMITTED]
Whiche at [OMITTED]
And of her father/the worthy Emperour
Of Rome/nowe speke we/whiche by report [OMITTED]
The dethe of {Christians}/and of the dis[OMITTED]
To his dou[OMITTED]t mos[OMITTED]
I meane of [OMITTED]
Whiche at [OMITTED]
Wherfore the [OMITTED]
Sent forthe a[OMITTED]
Accompanyed with sorr[OMITTED]
Upon the Surreyns/[OMITTED]
They brent ouerall/and slew[OMITTED]
And short tale to make/this is th[OMITTED]
The surreyns distroyed/ye romayns hōe did wēde.
Sent forthe a[OMITTED]
Accompanyed with sorr[OMITTED]
Upon the Surreyns/[OMITTED]
They brent ouerall/and slew[OMITTED]
And short tale to make/this is th[OMITTED]
The surreyns distroyed/ye romayns hōe did wēde.
And as this Senatour/repayred home agayne
To Rome warde sayling/with laude and victory
The shippe he mette driuyng/anon the s[illeg.]mayne
In whiche Custaunce satte/and w[illeg.]itterly
Wherfor nor what she was/nothīng [illeg.] why
She went in suche degre/& though she died wt care
Of her estate to him/she wolde no wise declare.
To Rome warde sayling/with laude and victory
The shippe he mette driuyng/anon the s[illeg.]mayne
In whiche Custaunce satte/and w[illeg.]itterly
Wherfor nor what she was/nothīng [illeg.] why
She went in suche degre/& though she died wt care
Of her estate to him/she wolde no wise declare.
To Rome he brought her/streight vnto his wyfe
[OMITTED]ere she right well was kept/& her yong son also
[OMITTED]d with this Senatour/she ladde a mery lyfe
[OMITTED]hus hath our lady/brought forthe of care and [illeg.]
[OMITTED]staunce/lyke as she hath done/many other [illeg.]
[OMITTED]d long tyme she dwelled in Rome/wt rest & pesse
[OMITTED]ertuous workes/and parfite holynesse.
[OMITTED]ere she right well was kept/& her yong son also
[OMITTED]d with this Senatour/she ladde a mery lyfe
[OMITTED]hus hath our lady/brought forthe of care and [illeg.]
[OMITTED]staunce/lyke as she hath done/many other [illeg.]
[OMITTED]d long tyme she dwelled in Rome/wt rest & pesse
[OMITTED]ertuous workes/and parfite holynesse.
[OMITTED] Senatours wife/her aunt linally was
[OMITTED]natwithstāding/she knewe her neuer ye more
[OMITTED]onger tary/I wyll/as in this case
[OMITTED]nge Alba/of whom I spake before
[OMITTED] his wife wept/wt [OMITTED] sighyng sore
[OMITTED]yll Custance
[OMITTED]aunce.
[OMITTED]natwithstāding/she knewe her neuer ye more
[OMITTED]onger tary/I wyll/as in this case
[OMITTED]nge Alba/of whom I spake before
[OMITTED] his wife wept/wt [OMITTED] sighyng sore
[OMITTED]yll Custance
[OMITTED]aunce.
[OMITTED]de cāe to Rome [OMITTED] by the noblese [OMITTED]toke with hī dyuers ty[illeg.] [OMITTED] Maurice/the son of Custance [OMITTED]ynges fest: & how the kyng by [OMITTED]t remēbred his wife Custance/at whose fysnamy the kyng marueyled. Cap. xiiii.
Kyng Alba ye which/his moder thus had slayne
By great remorse of hert/& inwarde repentaunce
Toke [illeg.] displeasure/that to be shorte & playne
To R{ome st}reight he cāe/for to receyue penaunce
And as the pope wolde/to byde his ordynaunce
As he shulde hym enioyne/& Iesu Christ besought
His syns to forgyue/wherin he had mis wrought.
By great remorse of hert/& inwarde repentaunce
Toke [illeg.] displeasure/that to be shorte & playne
To R{ome st}reight he cāe/for to receyue penaunce
And as the pope wolde/to byde his ordynaunce
As he shulde hym enioyne/& Iesu Christ besought
His syns to forgyue/wherin he had mis wrought.
The cōmon brute was soone/thorowe Rome
How that kyng Alba/shulde come on pilgrim
By Harbigem/the which came hym beforne
Wherfore the Senatour/as there was the vsage
[OMITTED]ine hym richely/rode with all his hole lynage
As well to manyfest/his hye magnifycence
As to the kyng to do/pleasure and reuerence.
How that kyng Alba/shulde come on pilgrim
By Harbigem/the which came hym beforne
Wherfore the Senatour/as there was the vsage
[OMITTED]ine hym richely/rode with all his hole lynage
As well to manyfest/his hye magnifycence
As to the kyng to do/pleasure and reuerence.
Most amyable chere/this noble Senatour
Made to kyng Alba/and he to hym also
Eche vnto other/dyd synguler honour
And so it befell/that on a day or two
Whan that this Senatour/to kyng Alba dyd go
To the triumphe and feest/the trouthe to verify
Custance sonne he toke/with hym in company.
Made to kyng Alba/and he to hym also
Eche vnto other/dyd synguler honour
And so it befell/that on a day or two
Whan that this Senatour/to kyng Alba dyd go
To the triumphe and feest/the trouthe to verify
Custance sonne he toke/with hym in company.
Perchaūce sōe wolde suppose/by cōsent of Custāce
That this senatour/her sonne dyde leade to fest
To you I can nat/expresse the circumstance
But be it as be may/there was he at the fest
But certesse sothe it is/right at his mothers hest
Before kyng Alba/all the dyner space
The childe stode lokyng/aye in the kynges face.
That this senatour/her sonne dyde leade to fest
To you I can nat/expresse the circumstance
But be it as be may/there was he at the fest
But certesse sothe it is/right at his mothers hest
Before kyng Alba/all the dyner space
The childe stode lokyng/aye in the kynges face.
This childe to beholde/the kyng had great wōder
And of the senatour/demaunded he anone
Sayeng: whose fayre childe/is he yt standes yōder
I can nat tell quod he/by god and by saynt Iohan
A mother he hath/but father knowe I none
That I dyd euer se/and shortly in that stounde
He tolde how the mother/& eke ye childe were foūde
And of the senatour/demaunded he anone
Sayeng: whose fayre childe/is he yt standes yōder
I can nat tell quod he/by god and by saynt Iohan
A mother he hath/but father knowe I none
That I dyd euer se/and shortly in that stounde
He tolde how the mother/& eke ye childe were foūde
[OMITTED]certesse sir quod she/vnto the trouthe to go
{As} good a lyuer/as she: in all my life
I haue nat knowen/nor fewe suche other mo
Of worldly women/widowe mayde nor wife
Moche leauer she had/to dye vpon a knife
Than sensualite/her reason shulde subdue
In her all vice is deed/and vertue floureth newe.
{As} good a lyuer/as she: in all my life
I haue nat knowen/nor fewe suche other mo
Of worldly women/widowe mayde nor wife
Moche leauer she had/to dye vpon a knife
Than sensualite/her reason shulde subdue
In her all vice is deed/and vertue floureth newe.
This childe of fauour/resembled moche Custance
As lyke as possible/a creature might be
Kyng Alba the face/had in his remembraunce
Of noble Custaunce/and theron mused he
Coniecting/wheder the childes mother were she
Whiche was his spouse and wife/& priuely he sight
And from the table he spedde/in all he might.
As lyke as possible/a creature might be
Kyng Alba the face/had in his remembraunce
Of noble Custaunce/and theron mused he
Coniecting/wheder the childes mother were she
Whiche was his spouse and wife/& priuely he sight
And from the table he spedde/in all he might.
Certesse quod the kyng/I haue a dissye heed
Full well ought I [illeg.] me/after rightfull iugement
That long or now my wife/in the salte see is deed
And after a while/he tourned his argument
Sayeng: why may nat Christ/whiche is oīpotent
Kepe her nowe from dethe/as he hath done before
For whom he lyst to saue/shall neuer be forlore.
Full well ought I [illeg.] me/after rightfull iugement
That long or now my wife/in the salte see is deed
And after a while/he tourned his argument
Sayeng: why may nat Christ/whiche is oīpotent
Kepe her nowe from dethe/as he hath done before
For whom he lyst to saue/shall neuer be forlore.
It is as possible/that she be hider brought
Preserued fro harme/of stormes tempestious
Sithe he is most of power/that made all of nought
As wele as she before/on see most peryllous
Was to our countre safe/conueyed vnto vs
What god wyll haue done/who may the same resist
He is the lorde of all/he may do what he lyst.
Preserued fro harme/of stormes tempestious
Sithe he is most of power/that made all of nought
As wele as she before/on see most peryllous
Was to our countre safe/conueyed vnto vs
What god wyll haue done/who may the same resist
He is the lorde of all/he may do what he lyst.
Howe kynge Alba had knowledge of his faithfull spouse Custaunce/and of their ioyouse metyng. Cap. xv.
Nat long tyme after/home with the senatour
Went Alba on a day/to se this wonders chaunce
The senatour made/to Alba great honour
And hastely he sent/after the fayre Custaunce:
Well ye may suppose/she lyst nothing to daunce
Whan she the cause therof/did knowe & vnderstōde
Her blode was altred/to here th[OMITTED] ne sonde.
Went Alba on a day/to se this wonders chaunce
The senatour made/to Alba great honour
And hastely he sent/after the fayre Custaunce:
Well ye may suppose/she lyst nothing to daunce
Whan she the cause therof/did knowe & vnderstōde
Her blode was altred/to here th[OMITTED] ne sonde.
[OMITTED] Alba at the fyrst/whan he his [OMITTED]
As[OMITTED] astonyed/right fayre he dyd [OMITTED]
With wepyng teares/of tenderly p[OMITTED]
And at the fyrst sight/that he vpon [OMITTED]
He knewe well it was she/but w[OMITTED]
Her hert had suche distresse/[OMITTED]
For to remembre/[OMITTED]
As[OMITTED] astonyed/right fayre he dyd [OMITTED]
With wepyng teares/of tenderly p[OMITTED]
And at the fyrst sight/that he vpon [OMITTED]
He knewe well it was she/but w[OMITTED]
Her hert had suche distresse/[OMITTED]
For to remembre/[OMITTED]
Ofte tymes she [illeg.]own [OMITTED]
Hymselfe he [OMITTED]
Nowe lorde [OMITTED]
As wisely on [OMITTED]
As no more gy[OMITTED]
Than is my son Maurice/whi[OMITTED]
And if I be/the feēde fetche me [OMITTED]
Hymselfe he [OMITTED]
Nowe lorde [OMITTED]
As wisely on [OMITTED]
As no more gy[OMITTED]
Than is my son Maurice/whi[OMITTED]
And if I be/the feēde fetche me [OMITTED]
Long lasted the sobbyng/and intrinsec [OMITTED]
Or that her wofull hert/frō bitter teres [OMITTED]
Great pite it was/to here them bothe co[OMITTED]
Ye reders all I pray/my ladd[illeg.] to [illeg.]
Their wo I can nat shewe/nor halfe the cyrcūstāce
I am so wery/to speke of wofull chance.
Or that her wofull hert/frō bitter teres [OMITTED]
Great pite it was/to here them bothe co[OMITTED]
Their wo I can nat shewe/nor halfe the cyrcūstāce
I am so wery/to speke of wofull chance.
Shortly to conclude/whan she the certayne wyst
That Alba gyltlesse was/of all her payne and wo
An hundred tymes I trowe/eche of them other kyst
And suche gladnesse/was made bytwene thē two
That saue yt ioye onely/whiche neuer shall haue do
But lasteth there [OMITTED]ere is/none lyke ye may be sure
Nor[OMITTED]ne/while we in lyfe may dure
That Alba gyltlesse was/of all her payne and wo
An hundred tymes I trowe/eche of them other kyst
And suche gladnesse/was made bytwene thē two
That saue yt ioye onely/whiche neuer shall haue do
But lasteth there [OMITTED]ere is/none lyke ye may be sure
Nor[OMITTED]ne/while we in lyfe may dure
[OMITTED] Emperour cāe to the senatours house/[OMITTED] where as kynge Alba and his [OMITTED] Custaunce was/and of the [OMITTED] metynge bytwene }them{ Cap. xvi.
[OMITTED] soght mekely
[OMITTED]d ruyne
[OMITTED]nstantly
[OMITTED]lyne
[OMITTED] come & dyne
[OMITTED]/I you [OMITTED] and pray
[OMITTED]/one worde of me ye say.
[OMITTED]d ruyne
[OMITTED]nstantly
[OMITTED]lyne
[OMITTED] come & dyne
[OMITTED]/I you [OMITTED] and pray
[OMITTED]/one worde of me ye say.
[OMITTED]me/wolde say the childe Maurice
[OMITTED]e did relate/vnto the Emperour
[OMITTED] I gesse/was nat so folysshe nice
To hym that is the chefe/and heed of all honour
Aboue all erthely princes/the fragrant flour
Wolde sende forthe any childe/but best it is to deme
That he hym selfe went/and so it might be seme.
[OMITTED]e did relate/vnto the Emperour
[OMITTED] I gesse/was nat so folysshe nice
Aboue all erthely princes/the fragrant flour
Wolde sende forthe any childe/but best it is to deme
That he hym selfe went/and so it might be seme.
Thēperour at the fyrst/did graunt most louingly
To come to dyner/as Alba hym besought
But fermely he behelde/and loked busely
Upon the childe Maurice/& on his dougter thought
Home went kyng Alba/and duely as he ought
Prepared for the feest/of all that might suffyce
By wisdome ordred/as he coude well deuyse.
To come to dyner/as Alba hym besought
But fermely he behelde/and loked busely
Upon the childe Maurice/& on his dougter thought
Home went kyng Alba/and duely as he ought
Prepared for the feest/of all that might suffyce
By wisdome ordred/as he coude well deuyse.
The daye appoynted cāe/that Alba gan hym dresse
And eke his wife Custance/the Emperour to mete
And right well besene/they [OMITTED]ousnesse
But whan Custance sawe/her father in the strete
Adowne she lighted/and kneled at his fete
My father dere quoth she/your yōg {doughter Custāce}
Is raced nowe full clene/out of[OMITTED]ance.
And eke his wife Custance/the Emperour to mete
And right well besene/they [OMITTED]ousnesse
But whan Custance sawe/her father in the strete
Adowne she lighted/and kneled at his fete
My father dere quoth she/your yōg {doughter Custāce}
Is raced nowe full clene/out of[OMITTED]ance.
Your doughter Custance/[OMITTED] quoth she
Whiche long a go ye sent/farre {forthe} vnto Surrye
She am I father/whiche that in the salte see
All alone was put/and dampned for to dye
Dere father nowe she said/I pray you hertely
Sende me no more forthe/so farre in Hethannesse
But thaāke here my lorde/of all his great kyndnesse.
Whiche long a go ye sent/farre {forthe} vnto Surrye
She am I father/whiche that in the salte see
All alone was put/and dampned for to dye
Dere father nowe she said/I pray you hertely
Sende me no more forthe/so farre in Hethannesse
But thaāke here my lorde/of all his great kyndnesse.
The parfite inwarde ioye/none can declare it all
Bitwene thē thre made/sithe they this wyse be met
But of this mater/an ende nowe make I shall
The tyme fast passeth/and long processe dothe let
These gladsome people/were vnto dyner set
And thus in ioye and blysse/at mete I let thē dwell
A thousande tymes better/than any tong can tell.
Bitwene thē thre made/sithe they this wyse be met
The tyme fast passeth/and long processe dothe let
These gladsome people/were vnto dyner set
And thus in ioye and blysse/at mete I let thē dwell
A thousande tymes better/than any tong can tell.
Mauricius this childe/was after Emperour
Confirmed by the pope/and lyued vertuously
Alway to holy churche/he maynteyned honour
But all these stories/I leaue and passe forthe by
At fyrst of Custaunce/to speke/purposed I
Mauricius lyfe/I beare nat well in mynde
In olde romayne iestes/his actes may ye fynde.
Confirmed by the pope/and lyued vertuously
Alway to holy churche/he maynteyned honour
But all these stories/I leaue and passe forthe by
At fyrst of Custaunce/to speke/purposed I
Mauricius lyfe/I beare nat well in mynde
In olde romayne iestes/his actes may ye fynde.
Howe kynge Alba departed from Rome with his wife Custance [OMITTED] came home in to Englande: & howe after the deth {of} the kyng her husbande/she {retur}ned vnto Rome agayne/where as she [OMITTED] her dayes/amonge her pay-frendes/with great [OMITTED] quietnesse. Cap. xvii.
Whan Alba sawe his tyme/wtouten more delay
His leaue of the Emperour/he toke for to departe
And with his wife Custāce/he cāe the gaynest way
Streight vnto Englāde/where they wt ease of hert
In quietnesse lyued/but what wight may after
The course of fortune/for welth wyll nat abyde
Tyme chaungeth as the mone/mutable lyke ye tyde
His leaue of the Emperour/he toke for to departe
And with his wife Custāce/he cāe the gaynest way
Streight vnto Englāde/where they wt ease of hert
In quietnesse lyued/but what wight may after
The course of fortune/for welth wyll nat abyde
Tyme chaungeth as the mone/mutable lyke ye tyde
What creature lyueth/in suche delyte a day
That is nat moued/outher in conscience
With yre maltalent/or some maner of fray
Enuyousnesse or pride/or some concupiscence
All this I pronounce/as touchyng my sentence
That small tyme lasted/in ioye or with plesaunce
The lyfe of Alba/with his true wyfe Custaunce.
That is nat moued/outher in conscience
With yre maltalent/or some maner of fray
Enuyousnesse or pride/or some concupiscence
All this I pronounce/as touchyng my sentence
That small tyme lasted/in ioye or with plesaunce
The lyfe of Alba/with his true wyfe Custaunce.
For dethe wyll nat forgyue/to hye ne lowe his rent
But after a yere or two/was gone expresse
Kyng Alba from this lyfe/discessed/died and went
For whom Custance made/great mone & heuynesse
To god she prayed/his soule from payne release
And soone after that he/was deed and layde in clay
Custance towarde Rome/her dressed on the way.
But after a yere or two/was gone expresse
Kyng Alba from this lyfe/discessed/died and went
For whom Custance made/great mone & heuynesse
To god she prayed/his soule from payne release
And soone after that he/was deed and layde in clay
Custance towarde Rome/her dressed on the way.
Custaunce aryued at Rome/that riche cyte
Wher as her frendes were/on lyue/both hole & soūde
Nowe hath she escaped/all harde aduersite
And whan she her father/the Emperour had foūde
Upon bothe her knees/she fell vnto the grounde
Wepyng in hert for ioye/and with a corage bolde
Our lorde she thanked/an hūdred thousande folde.
Wher as her frendes were/on lyue/both hole & soūde
Nowe hath she escaped/all harde aduersite
And whan she her father/the Emperour had foūde
Upon bothe her knees/she fell vnto the grounde
Wepyng in hert for ioye/and with a corage bolde
Our lorde she thanked/an hūdred thousande folde.
Of all her trouble/her sorowe care and drede
Whiche in her most peryle/frō dethe dyd her defēde
And with her frendes there/in quietnesse dyd lede
The rest of her lyfe/and neuer dyd entende
Tyll dethe to disceuer/and thus I make an ende
Of Custauce storie/beseching Christ that he
Bring thē vnto his blysse/which shall it rede or se.
Whiche in her most peryle/frō dethe dyd her defēde
And with her frendes there/in quietnesse dyd lede
The rest of her lyfe/and neuer dyd entende
Tyll dethe to disceuer/and thus I make an ende
Of Custauce storie/beseching Christ that he
Bring thē vnto his blysse/which shall it rede or se.
Finis.
| [The Breuyate and shorte Tragycall hystorie of the fayre Custance, the Emperours doughter of Rome | |