They speken of magike and abufion;
But finally, as in conclufion,

They cannot seen in that non avantage,
Ne in non other way fave mariage.

Than faw they therin fwiche difficultee
By way of refon, for to fpeke all plain,
Because ther was fwiche diverfitee
Betwene hir bothe lawes, that they sayn

4635

4640

They trowen that no Criften prince wold fayn
Wedden his child under our lawe fwete,

That us was yeven by Mahound our prophete.
And he answered, Rather than I lefe
Cuftance I wol be criftened douteles:
I mote ben hires, I may non other chefe,
I pray you hold your arguments in pees;
Saveth my lif, and beth not reccheles
To geten hire that hath my lif in cure,
For in this wo I may not long endure.
What nedeth greter dilatation?

4645

4650

I say by tretife and ambassatrie,

And by the Popes mediation,

And all the chirche, and all the chevalrie,

4655

And certain gold, I n'ot what quantitee,
And hereto finden suffisant furetee.

The fame accord is fworne on eyther fide;

Now, fair Cuftance, almighty God thee gide. 4665
Now wolden fom men waiten, as I geffe,
That I fhuld tellen all the purveiance
The which that the Emperour of his nobleffe
Hath shapen for his doughter Dame Cuftance.
Wel may men know that so gret ordinance
May no man tellen in a litel claufe

As was arraied for so high a cause.

Lordes, ladies, and knightes of renoun,

Bishopes ben shapen with hire for to wende,

And other folk ynow; this is the end:
And notified is thurghout al the toun
That every wight with gret devotioun
Shuld prayen Crift that he this mariage
Receive in gree, and fpede this viage.
The day is comen of hire departing,

4670

4675

4680

I fay the woful day fatal is come
That ther may be no longer tarying,

But forward they hem dreffen all and fome.
Cuftance, that was with forwe all overcome,

Ful pale arift, and dresseth hire to wende,
For wel fhe feth ther n'is non other ende.

4685

Alas! what wonder is it though fhe wept,

That fhal be sent to ftraunge nation

Fro frendes that so tendrely hire kept,

And to be bounde under fubjection

Of on the knoweth not his condition?
Houfbondes ben all good, and han ben yore,
That knowen wives, I dare fay no more.

4690

4695

Fader, (the faid) thy wretched child Cuftance,
Thy yonge doughter, foftered up so soft,
And ye, my moder, my foveraine plefance
Over all thing, (out taken Crift on loft)
Cuftance your child hire recommendeth oft
Unto your grace, for I fhal to Surrie,
Ne fhal I never feen you more with eye.
Alas! unto the Barbare nation

I mufte gon, fin that it is

your will;

But Crift, that starfe for our redemption,
So yeve me grace his heftes to fulfill,

I wretched woman no force though I spill:
Women arn borne to thraldom and penance,

And to ben under mannes governance.

I trow at Troye whan Pirrus brake the wall Or Ilion brent, or Thebes the citee,

4700

4705

Ne at Rome for the harm thurgh Hanniball, 4710
That Romans hath venquefhed times three,
N'as herd fwiche tendre weping for pitee

.4709. Or Ilion brent] There is great confufion among the mff. in this line. I have made the beft fenfe that I could, without departing too far from them. Mf. A. reads

Or whanne Ilion brende Thebes the citee,

which might lead one to conjecture,

Or whanne Philip brende Thebes the citee.

This laft phrase is French. See Froiffart, v. i. c. 225," Dedans "Rénes la cité et environ."

As in the chambre was for hire parting;

But forth fhe mote wheder fhe wepe or fing.
O firfte moving cruel firmament!
With thy diurnal fwegh that croudest ay,
And hurtleft all from eft til occident,

That naturally wold hold another way,
Thy crouding fet the heven in swiche array
At the beginning of this fierce viage
That cruel Mars hath flain this marriage.

Infortunat afcendent tortuous,

Of which the lord is helpeles fall, alas!
Out of his angle into the derkest hous,

O Mars, o Atyzar! as in this cas;

O feble Mone! unhappy ben thy pas,

4715

4720

4725

Thou knitteft thee ther thou art not received,
Ther thou were wel fro thennes art thou weived.
Imprudent Emperour of Rome, aias!

Was ther no philosophre in al thy toun ?
Is no time bet than other in fwiche cas?
Of viage is ther pon electioun,

Namely to folk of high conditioun,

4730

.4725. O Mars, o Atyzar] So mf. A. Other mff. read, Athafir, Atayzer, Attezer, Aṭazir. I am not astrologer enough to determine which is the right word. Atizar, Span. and Attifer, Fr. fignify to light a fire, to inflame; but whether that fenfe can have any place here I am doubtful.

4732. is ther non electioun] In the margin of mf, C. 1, is the following quotation; " Omnes concordati funt, quod "Electiones fint debiles, nifi in divitibus: habent enim ifti, li

cet debilitentur eorum elediones, radicem, i. nativitates

Naf whan a rote is of a birth yknowe?

Alas! we ben to lewed or to flow.

4735

To fhip is brought this woful faire maid
Solempnely, with every circumstance:
Now Jefu Crift be with you all, fhe faid.
Ther n'is no more, but Farewel, fair Cuftance.
She peineth hire to make good countenance; 4740
And forth I let hire fayle in this manère,
And turne I wol againe to my matere.

The mother of the Soudan, well of vices,
Efpied hath hire fones pleine entente,
How he wol lete his olde facrifices;

4745

And right anon fhe for her confeil fente,

And they ben comen to know what the mente;
And whan affembled was this folk in fere
She fet hire doun, and fayd as ye fhul here.

Lordes, (the fayd) ye known everich on
How that my fone in point is for to lete
The holy lawes of our Alkaron,
Yeven by Goddes meffager Mahomete;
But on avow to grete God I hete,
The lif fhal rather out of my body fterte
Than Mahometes lawe out of myn herte.

What fhuld us tiden of this newe lawe
But thraldom to our bodies and penance,
And afterward in helle to ben drawe,

4730

4755

"eorum, quæ confortat omnem planetam debilem in iti"nere," . It is taken from Liber Ele&ionum, by one Zael, ms. Harl. 80, Bod. 1643.