| | Thise marchants haue tolde of dame Cōstance | |
| | So gret noblesse in ernest certeinly | |
| | That this sowdan hath caught so gret plesance | |
| | To haue her figure in his remembraunce | |
| 90 | And al his lust and al his besy cure | |
| | Was forto loue here whilis his lif may endure | |
| | Parauenture in that large book | |
| | Whiche I clepe the heuen y wryte was | |
| | With sterrys that he his birthe took | |
| 95 | That he for loue sholde haue his deth allas | |
| | For in the sterrys clerer than is the glas | |
| | Ys writyn god woot who so coude rede | |
| | The deth of euery man withouten drede | |
| | In sterrys many a wynter there beforn | |
| 100 | Was wryte the deth of Ector & Achilles | |
| | Of Pompey Iulius or they were born | |
| | The stryf of Thebes and of Hercules | |
| | Of Sampson Turnus and Socrates | |
| | The deth but mennys wittis be so dul | |
| 105 | That noman can rede it atte ful | |
| | This sowdan for his pryuy counceil sent | |
| | And shortly on this mater forto passe | |
| | He hath to hem declared his entent | |
| | And sayde hem certeyn but he mighte haue grace | |
| 110 | To haue Custaunce in a litil space | |
| | He nas but ded and charged hem on hye | |
| | To shapen for hym som remedy | |
| | Diuers men diuers thinges saiden | |
| | They argumentis casten vp and doun | |
