They speken of magike and abufion; They cannot seen in that non avantage, Than faw they therin fwiche difficultee 4635 4640 They trowen that no Criften prince wold fayn That us was yeven by Mahound our prophete. 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, The fame accord is fworne on eyther fide; Now, fair Cuftance, almighty God thee gide. 4665 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: 4670 4675 4680 I fay the woful day fatal is come But forward they hem dreffen all and fome. Ful pale arift, and dresseth hire to wende, 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? 4690 4695 Fader, (the faid) thy wretched child Cuftance, I mufte gon, fin that it is your will; But Crift, that starfe for our redemption, I wretched woman no force though I spill: 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 .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. That naturally wold hold another way, Infortunat afcendent tortuous, Of which the lord is helpeles fall, alas! 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, Was ther no philosophre in al thy toun ? 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 The mother of the Soudan, well of vices, 4745 And right anon fhe for her confeil fente, And they ben comen to know what the mente; Lordes, (the fayd) ye known everich on What fhuld us tiden of this newe lawe 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. |