1

Men mighten afken why he was
Eke at the fefte who might are we love
And I answer to that demand an

Ther every wight fave he naire Man

Was with the lecu free

No wight but God, thar te m

God lift to fhew his waTAL UN

In hire, for we fhaid len za TEM &TAL
Crift, which that is

By certain menesta STAT

Doth thing for certain

To mannes wit, their ur stredn

Ne can nat knows

Now fith fhe woul

Who kepte hire for the senato
Who kepte Jonas ʼn the uterus
Til he was fouted

Wel may men kan r we a

That kept the pesie in w
With drve feet turla
Who bade the name
That power han neve
Both north and in
Anoyen neyther EN, DE
Sothly the commander
That frn the remnek a thi
As wel whan the awore as

A certain trefor that the thither ladde,

And foth to fayn vitaille gret plentee,

They han hire yeven, and clothes eke fhe hadde,
And forth fhe fayleth in the falte fee.

4865

O my Custance! ful of benignitee,
O Emperoures yonge doughter dere!

He that is Lord of fortune be thy ftere.

She bleffeth hire, and with ful pitous vois

Unto the crois of Crift thus fayde she:

4870

O clere, o weleful auter, holy crois!

Red of the Lambes blood ful of pitee,

That wefh the world fro the old iniquitee,

Me fro the fende and fro his clawes kepe

That day that I shal drenchen in the depe.

4875

Victorious tree, protection of trewe,

That only worthy were for to bere

The King of heven with his woundes newe,
The white Lamb, that hurt was with a spere;
Flemer of fendes out of him and here

4880

On which thy limmes faithfully extenden,

Me kepe, and yeve me might my lif to amenden.
Yeres and dayes fleet this creature

Thurghout the fee of Grece, unto the Straite
Of Maroc, as it was hire aventure:

On many a fory mele now may she baite;
After hire deth ful often may fhe waite,
Or that the wilde waves wol hire drive
Unto the place ther as the fhal arive.

4885

Men mighten afken why she was not flain? '4890 Eke at the feste who might hire body fave?

And I answer to that demand again,

Who faved Daniel in the horrible cave,

Ther every wight fave he, mafter or knave,
Was with the leon frette or he afterte?
No wight but God, that he bare in his hertc.
God lift to fhew his wonderful miracle
In hire, for we fhuld seen his mighty werkes:
Crift, which that is to every harm triacle,
By certain menes oft, as knowen clerkes,
Doth thing for certain ende that ful derke is
To mannes wit, that for our ignorance

Ne can nat know his prudent purveiance.

Now fith she was not at the feste yslawe,

4895

4900

Who kepte hire fro the drenching in the fee? 4905 Who kepte Jonas in the fishes mawe,

Til he was fpouted up at Ninivee?

Wel may men know it was no wight but he
That kept the peple Ebraike fro drenching,

With drye feet thurghout the fee paffing.
Who bade the foure fpirits of tempest,
That power han to anoyen lond and fee,
Both north and fouth, and also weft and eft,
Anoyen neyther fee, ne lond, ne tree?
Sothly the commander of that was he
That fro the tempest ay this woman kepte
As wel whan fhe awoke as whan fhe flepte.

4910

4955

4920

Wher might this woman mete and drinke have? Three yere and more how lafteth hire vitaille? Who fed the Egyptian Mary in the cave Or in defert? no wight but Crift fans faille. Five thousand folk it was as gret marvaille With loves five and fishes two to fede: God fent his foyfon at hire grete nede.

She driveth forth into our ocean Thurghout our wide fee, til at the last Under an hold, that nempnen I ne can,

4925

Fer in Northumberlond, the wave hire caft,

And in the fand hire ship stiked so fast

That thennes wolde it not in all a tide :

4930

The wille of Crift was that she shulde abide.

The Constable of the caftle doun is fare

To feen this wrecke, and al the fhip he fought,
And fond this wery woman ful of care;

He fond alfo the trefour that she brought : 4935
In hire langage mercy the befought,

The lif out of hire body for to twinne,
Hire to deliver of wo that fhe was inne.

A maner Latin corrupt was hire fpeche,
But algate therby was the understond.
The Conftable, whan him lift no lenger feche,
This woful woman brought he to the lond.
She kneleth doun, and thanketh Goddes fond;
But what he was the wolde no man feye

4940

For foule ne faire, though that she shulde deye. 4945

4950

4955

She faid fhe was fo mased in the fee
That the forgate hire minde, by hire trouth.
The Conitable hath of hire fo gret pitee,
And eke his wif, that they wepen for routh:
She was fo diligent withouten flouth
To serve and plesen everich in that place
That all hire love that loken in hire face.
The Conftable and Dame Hermegild his wif
Were Payenes, and that contree every wher;
But Hermegild loved Cuftance as hire lif;
And Cuftance hath so long fojourned ther
In orifons, with many a bitter tere,
Til Jefu hath converted thurgh his grace
Dame Hermegild, Conftableffe of that place.
In all that lond no Criften dorfte route;
All Criften folk ben fled fro that contree
Thurgh Payenes, that conquereden all aboute
The plages of the north by lond and fee.
To Wales fled the Cristianitee
Of olde Bretons dwelling in this ile;
Ther was hir refuge for the mene while.

But yet n'ere Criften Bretons fo exiled
That ther n'ere fom which in hir privitee
Honoured Crift, and Hethen folk begiled,

4960

4965

And neigh the castle fwiche ther dwelten three: 4970
That on of hem was blind, and might not fee,
But it were with thilke eyen of his minde,

With which men mowen fee whan they ben blinde.