Geoffrey Chaucer

“ And eke Alla that king was of that land,
And saw his wife dispiteously slain,
For which full oft he wept and wrung his hand;
And in the bed the bloody knife he fand
By Dame Constance: Alas! what might she say?
For very woe her wit was all away.
To King Alla was told all this mischance
And eke the time, and where, and in what wise
That in a ship was founden this Constance,
As here before ye have me heard devise:
The kinges heart for pity gan agrise,
When he saw so benign a creature
Fall in disease and in misaventure. ”

“ Where thou wert well, from thennes art thou weiv'd.
Imprudent emperor of Rome, alas!
Was there no philosopher in all thy town?
Is no time bet than other in such case?
Of voyage is there none election,
Namely to folk of high condition,
Not when a root is of a birth y-know?
Alas! we be too lewed, or too slow.
To ship was brought this woeful faire maid
Solemnely, with every circumstance:
"Now Jesus Christ be with you all," she said.
There is no more,but "Farewell, fair Constance." ”

“ Now, fair Constance, Almighty God thee guide!
Now woulde some men waiten, as I guess,
That I should tellen all the purveyance,
The which the emperor of his noblesse
Hath shapen for his daughter, Dame Constance.
Well may men know that so great ordinance
May no man tellen in a little clause,
As was arrayed for so high a cause. ”

“ Some men would say, how that the child Maurice
Did this message unto the emperor:
But, as I guess, Alla was not so nice,
To him that is so sovereign of honor
As he that is of Christian folk the flow'r,
Send any child, but better 'tis to deem
He went himself; and so it may well seem. ”

“ And other lordes, God wot, many a one,
On Syrians to take high vengeance:
They burn and slay, and bring them to mischance
Full many a day: but shortly this is th' end,
Homeward to Rome they shaped them to wend. ”

“ Through whiche plaintes gan their woe increase.
I pray you all my labour to release,
I may not tell all their woe till to-morrow,
I am so weary for to speak of sorrow.
But finally, when that the sooth is wist,
That Alla guiltless was of all her woe,
I trow an hundred times have they kiss'd,
And such a bliss is there betwixt them two,
That, save the joy that lasteth evermo',
There is none like, that any creature
Hath seen, or shall see, while the world may dure. ”

“ Th' effect is this, that Alla, out of drede,
His mother slew, that may men plainly read,
For that she traitor was to her liegeance:
Thus ended olde Donegild with mischance.
The sorrow that this Alla night and day
Made for his wife, and for his child also,
There is no tongue that it telle may. ”

“ Out of this world this King Alla he hent,
For whom Constance had full great heaviness.
Now let us pray that God his soule bless:
And Dame Constance, finally to say,
Toward the town of Rome went her way.
To Rome is come this holy creature,
And findeth there her friendes whole and sound:
Now is she scaped all her aventure:
And when that she her father hath y-found,
Down on her knees falleth she to ground,
Weeping for tenderness in hearte blithe
She herieth God an hundred thousand sithe.
In virtue and in holy almes-deed
They liven all, and ne'er asunder wend ”

“ They muste take in patience at night
Such manner necessaries as be pleasings
To folk that have y-wedded them with rings,
And lay a lite their holiness aside
As for the time, it may no better betide.
On her he got a knave child anon,
And to a Bishop and to his Constable eke
He took his wife to keep, when he is gone
To Scotland-ward, his foemen for to seek.
Now fair Constance, that is so humble and meek,
So long is gone with childe till that still
She held her chamb'r, abiding Christe's will
The time is come, a knave child she bare ”

“ Sooth is, that through a woman's eggement
Mankind was lorn, and damned aye to die;
For which thy child was on a cross y-rent:
Thy blissful eyen saw all his torment,
Then is there no comparison between
Thy woe, and any woe man may sustene.
"Thou saw'st thy child y-slain before thine eyen,
And yet now lives my little child, parfay:
Now, lady bright, to whom the woeful cryen,
Thou glory of womanhood, thou faire may,
Thou haven of refuge, bright star of day,
Rue on my child, that of thy gentleness
Ruest on every rueful in distress.
"O little child, alas! ”

“ Before Alla during the meates space,
The child stood, looking in the kinges face.
This Alla king had of this child great wonder,
And to the senator he said anon,
"Whose is that faire child that standeth yonder?"
"I n'ot," quoth he, "by God and by Saint John;
A mother he hath, but father hath he none,
That I of wot:" and shortly in a stound
He told to Alla how this child was found. ”

“ That Phoebus, which that shone so clear and bright,
Degrees was five-and-forty clomb on height;
And for that day, as in that latitude,
It was ten of the clock, he gan conclude;
And suddenly he plight his horse about.
"Lordings," quoth he, "I warn you all this rout
The fourthe partie of this day is gone. ”

“ Hearken what is the sentence of the wise:
Better to die than to have indigence.
Thy selve neighebour will thee despise,
If thou be poor, farewell thy reverence.
Yet of the wise man take this sentence,
Alle the days of poore men be wick',
Beware therefore ere thou come to that prick.
If thou be poor, thy brother hateth thee,
And all thy friendes flee from thee, alas!
O riche merchants, full of wealth be ye,
O noble, prudent folk, as in this case,
Your bagges be not fill'd with ambes ace,
But with *six-cinque*, that runneth for your chance ”

“ O blood royal, that standest in this drede,
Far be thy friendes in thy greate need!
This king Alla had such compassioun,
As gentle heart is full filled of pity,
That from his eyen ran the water down
"Now hastily do fetch a book," quoth he ”

“ And I shall make us safe for evermore."
They sworen and assented every man
To live with her and die, and by her stand:
And every one, in the best wise he can,
To strengthen her shall all his friendes fand. ”