For we reneied Mahound our creance? And I fhal make us fauf for evermore. They fworen and affented every man 4760 To live with hire and die, and by hire ftond; 4765 Cold water fhal not greve us but a lite; O Soudanneffe, rote of iniquitee, Like to the ferpent depe in helle ybound, O Sathan envious! fin thilke day That thou were chafed from our heritage, 4770 4775 4780 4785 Thou madeft Eva bring us in fervage, Thou wolt fordon this Cristen mariage: Thin inftrument fo (wala wa the while!) 4790 Makest thou of women whan thou wolt begile. This Soudanneffe, whom I thus blame and warrie, Let prively hire confeil gon hir way: What fhuld I in this Tale longer tarie? She rideth to the Soudan on a day, And fayd him that she wold reneie hire lay, Befeching him to don hire that honour Arrived ben these Cristen folk to lond way. In Surrie, with a gret folempne route, And fayd his wif was comen out of doute, 4795 48c0 4806 4810 And praide hem for to riden again the quene, Gret was the preffe, and riche was th' array Volume II. U 4815 Received hire with all fo glad a chere As any mother might hire doughter dere; A fofte pas folempnely they ride. Nought trow I the triumph of Julius, Than was th' assemblee of this blisful hoft ; The Soudan cometh himself fone after this So really, that wonder is to tell, And welcometh hire with alle joye and blis. 4820 4825 And thus in mirth and joye I let hem dwell; 4830 The fruit of this matere is that I tell. Whan time came, men thought it for the best 'That revel flint, and men go to hir rest. The time come is this olde Sondanneffe 4835 4840 To wordly blis! fpreint is with bitterneffe V. 4841. O foden wo] I thall tranfcribe the following paffage from the margin of mf. C. 1, though I know not from what or it is borrowed, as it confirms the readings adopted in Th' ende of the joye of our worldly labour: 4845 Upon thy glade day have in thy minde The unware wo of harm that cometh behinde. The Soudan and the Criften everich on Ne ther was Surrien non that was converted, That he n'as all to-hewe er he afterted; 4850 4856 And Cuftance han they taken anon fote-hot, They han hire fet, and bidden hire lerne fayle 4860 Out of Surrie againward to Itaille. the text; "Semper mundanæ lætitiæ triftitia repentina fuc"cedit. Mundana igitur felicitas multis amaritudinibus eft re"fperfa. Extrema gaudii luctus occupat. Audi ergo falubre ❝ confilium ; in die bonorum ne immemor fis malorum." The editt. read, O foudan wo, c. .4858. fote-bot] Haftily, with all expedition. See Gower, Conf. Amant. fol. 816; And forth with all anon fote bote He flale the cowe See alfo R. R. 3827, "Haut le pied," In French, has the same fignification. Cotgrave, in v. ; so that I thould fufpe&t hot, in our phrafe, to be a corruption of haut. A certain trefor that the thither ladde, And foth to fayn vitaille gret plentee, They han hire yeven, and clothes eke fhe hadde, O my Cuftance! ful of benignitee, 4865 He that is Lord of fortune be thy ftere. She bleffeth hire, and with ful pitous vois Unto the crois of Crift thus fayde fhe: 4870 O clere, o weleful auter, holy crois! That day that I shal drenchen in the depe. 4875 That only worthy were for to bere The King of heven with his woundes newe, On which thy limmes faithfully extenden, 4880 Me kepe, and yeve me might my lif to amenden. On many a fory mele now may she baite; 4885 |