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Alla goth to his inne, and as him ought"
Arraied for this fefte in every wife

As ferforth as his conning may fuffice.

The morwe came, and Alla gan him dresse, 5520 And eke his wif, this emperour to mete;

And forth they ride in joye and in gladneffe;
And whan fhe faw hire fader in the ftrete
She light adoun and falleth him to fete.
Fader, quod fhe, your yonge child Custance
Is now ful clene out of your remembrance.

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I am your doughter, your Cuftance, quod fhe, 'That whilom ye han fent into Surrie;

It am I, fader, that in the falte fee

Was put alone, and dampned for to die :

Now, goode fader, I you mercy crie ;
Send me no more into non Hetheneffe,
But thanketh my lord here of his kindeneffe.

Who can the pitous joye tellen all
Betwix hem thre fin they ben thus ymette?
But of my Tale make an ende I fhal,
The day goth faft, I wol no longer lette.
'Thise glade folk to dinner ben yfette;
In joye and bliffe at mete I let hem dwell,
A thousand fold wel more than I can tell.
This child Maurice was fithen Emperour
Made by the Pope, and lived Criftenly;
To Criftes chirche did he gret honour:

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5'540

.5527. your Custance】 I have added your for the fake of the metre.

But I let all his storie paffen by;

Of Cuftance is my Tale specially;

In the olde Romane geftes men may find
Maurices lif, I bere it not in mind.

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This King Alla, whan he his time fey, With his Custance, his holy wif so swete,

To Englond ben they come the righte wey,
Ther as they live in joye and in quiete:

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But litel while it lafteth I you hete ;
Joye of this world for time wol not abide,
Fro day to night it changeth as the tide.

5555

Who lived ever in fwiche delite o day
That him ne meved eyther confcience,
Or ire, or talent, or fom kin affray,
Envie, or pride, or paffion, or offence?
I ne fay but for this end this sentence,
That litel while in joye or in plefance
Lafteth the bliffe of Alla with Custance.

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For Deth, that taketh of hie and low his rente,

Whan paffed was a yere, even as I geffe,

Out of this world this King Alla he hente,

. 5552. But litel while] In Marg. C. 1," A mane ufque ad "vefperem mutabitur tempus. tenent tympanum et gaudent "ad fonum organi," &c.

.5555. Who lived ever] Ibid. “Quis unquam unicam diem "totam in fua dile&tione duxit jocundam? quem in aliqua 66 parte diei reatus confcientiæ, viz. impetus iræ, vel motus "concupifcentiæ non turbavit; quem livor, vel ardor avari"tiæ, vel tumor fuperbiæ non vexavit, quem aliqua jactura, "vel offenfa, vel paffio non commoverit," 'c.

For whom Cuftance hath ful gret heveneffe; 5563
Now let us praien God his foule blesse:
And Dame Cuftance, finally to fay,

Toward the toun of Rome goth hire way.
To Rome is come this holy creature,

And findeth ther hire frendes hole and found; 5570
Now is the feaped all hire aventure:

And whan that he hire fader hath y found
Doun on hire knees falleth the to ground,
Weping for tenderneffe in herte blithe,

She herieth God an hundred thousand fiche. 5575
In vertue and in holy almeffe dede,
They liven alle, and never afonder wende;
Till deth departeta hen this lif they lede:
And fareth now wel, my Tale is at an ende.
Now Jefu Crift, that of his might may fende 5580
Joye after wo, governe us in his grace,

And kepe us alle that ben in this place.

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