Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 32

'In name of Crist,' cryde this blinde Britoun, 'Dame Hermengild, yif me my sighte agayn.'

This lady wex affrayed of the soun, Lest that hir housbond, shortly for to sayn, Wolde hir for Iesu Cristes love han slayn, 565 Til Custance made hir bold, and bad hir werche The wil of Crist, as doghter of his chirche.

The constable wex aba.s.shed of that sight, (470) And seyde, 'what amounteth al this fare?'

Custance answerde, 'sire, it is Cristes might, 570 That helpeth folk out of the feendes snare.'

And so ferforth she gan our lay declare, That she the constable, er that it were eve, Converted, and on Crist made him bileve.

574. Hl. Cm. Conuerted; _rest_ Conuerteth. E. maketh; Ln. maad; _rest_ made.

[147: T. 4995-5029.]

This constable was no-thing lord of this place 575 Of which I speke, ther he Custance fond, But kepte it strongly, many wintres s.p.a.ce, Under Alla, king of al Northumberlond, (480) That was ful wys, and worthy of his hond Agayn the Scottes, as men may wel here, 580 But turne I wol agayn to my matere.

Sathan, that ever us waiteth to bigyle, Saugh of Custance al hir perfeccioun, And caste anon how he mighte quyte hir whyle, And made a yong knight, that dwelte in that toun 585 Love hir so hote, of foul affeccioun, That verraily him thoughte he shulde spille But he of hir mighte ones have his wille. (490)

He woweth hir, but it availleth noght, She wolde do no sinne, by no weye; 590 And, for despyt, he compa.s.sed in his thoght To maken hir on shamful deth to deye.

He wayteth whan the constable was aweye, And prively, up-on a night, he crepte In Hermengildes chambre whyl she slepte. 595

Wery, for-waked in her orisouns, Slepeth Custance, and Hermengild also.

This knight, thurgh Sathanas temptaciouns, (500) Al softely is to the bed y-go, And kitte the throte of Hermengild a-two, 600 And leyde the blody knyf by dame Custance, And wente his wey, ther G.o.d yeve him meschance!

598. E. Hn. Sathans; Hl. Satanas; _but_ Sathanas _in_ Cp. Pt. Ln.

Sone after comth this constable hoom agayn, And eek Alla, that king was of that lond, And saugh his wyf despitously y-slayn, 605 For which ful ofte he weep and wrong his hond, And in the bed the blody knyf he fond By dame Custance; allas! what mighte she seye? (510) For verray wo hir wit was al aweye.

606. E. Hn. weep; Cm. Cp. Pt. wepte; Hl. wept. E. wroong.

[148: T. 5030-5064.]

To king Alla was told al this meschance, 610 And eek the tyme, and where, and in what wyse That in a ship was founden dame Custance, As heer-biforn that ye han herd devyse.

The kinges herte of pitee gan agryse, Whan he saugh so benigne a creature 615 Falle in disese and in misaventure.

For as the lomb toward his deeth is broght, So stant this innocent bifore the king; (520) This false knight that hath this tresoun wroght Berth hir on hond that she hath doon this thing. 620 But nathelees, ther was greet moorning Among the peple, and seyn, 'they can not gesse That she hath doon so greet a wikkednesse.

620. _So in_ E.; _rest_ Bereth. 621. _All_ moorning (mornyng); Tyrwhitt _has_ murmuring; _see note_.

For they han seyn hir ever so vertuous, And loving Hermengild right as her lyf.' 625 Of this bar witnesse everich in that hous Save he that Hermengild slow with his knyf.

This gentil king hath caught a gret motyf (530) Of this witnesse, and thoghte he wolde enquere Depper in this, a trouthe for to lere. 630

626. E. baar.

Allas! Custance! thou hast no champioun, Ne fighte canstow nought, so weylawey!

But he, that starf for our redempcioun And bond Sathan (and yit lyth ther he lay) So be thy stronge champioun this day! 635 For, but-if Crist open miracle kythe, Withouten gilt thou shalt be slayn as swythe.

She sette her doun on knees, and thus she sayde, (540) 'Immortal G.o.d, that savedest Susanne Fro false blame, and thou, merciful mayde, 640 Mary I mene, doghter to Seint Anne, Bifore whos child aungeles singe Osanne, If I be giltlees of this felonye, My socour be, for elles I shal dye!'

638. E. sit; Hn. Cm. Pt. sette; Hl. set. 644. E. or; _rest_ for.

[149: T. 5065-5099.]

Have ye nat seyn som tyme a pale face, 645 Among a prees, of him that hath be lad Toward his deeth, wher-as him gat no grace, And swich a colour in his face hath had, (550) Men mighte knowe his face, that was bistad, Amonges alle the faces in that route: 650 So stant Custance, and loketh hir aboute.

647. gat] Cp. get; Pt. gete; Hl. geyneth.

O quenes, livinge in prosperitee, d.u.c.h.esses, and ye ladies everichone, Haveth som routhe on hir adversitee; An emperoures doghter stant allone; 655 She hath no wight to whom to make hir mone.

O blood royal, that stondest in this drede, Fer ben thy freendes at thy grete nede! (560)

654. E. Ln. _om._ ye.

This Alla king hath swich compa.s.sioun, As gentil herte is fulfild of pitee, 660 That from his yen ran the water doun.

'Now hastily do fecche a book,' quod he, 'And if this knight wol sweren how that she This womman slow, yet wole we us avyse Whom that we wole that shal ben our Iustyse.' 665

A Briton book, writen with Evangyles, Was fet, and on this book he swoor anoon She gilty was, and in the mene whyles (570) A hand him smoot upon the nekke-boon, That doun he fil atones as a stoon, 670 And bothe his yen broste out of his face In sight of every body in that place.

A vois was herd in general audience, And seyde, 'thou hast desclaundred giltelees The doghter of holy chirche in hey presence; 675 Thus hastou doon, and yet holde I my pees.'

Of this mervaille agast was al the prees; As mased folk they stoden everichone, (580) For drede of wreche, save Custance allone.

[150: T. 5100-5134.]

Greet was the drede and eek the repentance 680 Of hem that hadden wrong suspeccioun Upon this sely innocent Custance; And, for this miracle, in conclusioun, And by Custances mediacioun, The king, and many another in that place, 685 Converted was, thanked be Cristes grace!

This false knight was slayn for his untrouthe By Iugement of Alla hastifly; (590) And yet Custance hadde of his deeth gret routhe.

And after this Iesus, of his mercy, 690 Made Alla wedden ful solempnely This holy mayden, that is so bright and shene, And thus hath Crist y-maad Custance a quene.

But who was woful, if I shal nat lye, Of this wedding but Donegild, and na mo, 695 The kinges moder, ful of tirannye?

Hir thoughte hir cursed herte brast a-two; She wolde noght hir sone had do so; (600) Hir thoughte a despit, that he sholde take So strange a creature un-to his make. 700

Me list nat of the chaf nor of the stree Maken so long a tale, as of the corn.

What sholde I tellen of the royaltee At mariage, or which cours gooth biforn, Who bloweth in a trompe or in an horn? 705 The fruit of every tale is for to seye; They ete, and drinke, and daunce, and singe, and pleye.

701. Cm. nor; E. or; _rest_ ne. 704. E. Hn. mariages; Ln. e mariage; _rest_ mariage; Hl. Of mariage. 705. a] E. the; Hn. Pt. _omit_.

They goon to bedde, as it was skile and right; (610) For, thogh that wyves been ful holy thinges, They moste take in pacience at night 710 Swich maner necessaries as been plesinges To folk that han y-wedded hem with ringes, And leye a lyte hir holinesse asyde As for the tyme; it may no bet bityde.

[151: T. 5135-5169.]

On hir he gat a knave-child anoon, 715 And to a bishop and his constable eke He took his wyf to kepe, whan he is goon To Scotland-ward, his fo-men for to seke; (620) Now faire Custance, that is so humble and meke, So longe is goon with childe, til that stille 720 She halt hir chambre, abyding Cristes wille.

The tyme is come, a knave-child she ber; Mauricius at the font-stoon they him calle; This Constable dooth forth come a messager, And wroot un-to his king, that cleped was Alle, 725 How that this blisful tyding is bifalle, And othere tydings speedful for to seye; He takth the lettre, and forth he gooth his weye. (630)

728. Hn. tath; Cm. taath; _rest_ taketh.

This messager, to doon his avantage, Un-to the kinges moder rydeth swythe, 730 And salueth hir ful faire in his langage, 'Madame,' quod he, 'ye may be glad and blythe, And thanke G.o.d an hundred thousand sythe; My lady quene hath child, with-outen doute, To Ioye and blisse of al this regne aboute. 735

733. Cp. Hl. thanke; E. Hn. thanketh; Cm. thankede; Pt. Ln. thonketh.

735. E. Cm. to; _rest_ of.

Lo, heer the lettres seled of this thing, That I mot bere with al the haste I may; If ye wol aught un-to your sone the king, (640) I am your servant, bothe night and day.'

Donegild answerde, 'as now at this tyme, nay; 740 But heer al night I wol thou take thy reste, Tomorwe wol I seye thee what me leste.'

740. Hl. _om._ at.