| | That al her loue that lokyn in her face | |
| 435 | The Constabyl and dame hermegild his wyf | |
| | Were paynemys and that contre euery where | |
| | But hermegild louyd her as her lyf | |
| | And Custance hath so longe I soiourned there | |
| | In orisoun with many a bittir tere | |
| 440 | Tyl Ihesus hath conuertid thorough his grace | |
| | Dame hermegilde the Constablis wyf of þe place | |
| | In al that lond no cristen durste route | |
| | Alle cristen men be fled fro that contre | |
| | Thorough paynemes that conquered al aboute | |
| | The Royame as wel by londe as by see | |
| | To wales thenne fledde the Cristianite | |
| | Of olde britons duellyng in that Ile | |
| | Ther was no refute for the mene whyle | |
| | But yet nere cristen britons so exyled | |
| 450 | That ther nas som in her priuyte | |
| | Honouryd crist and hethen folk begilyd | |
| | And nygh the castel suche ther dwellid thre | |
| | That one of hem was blynd & myght not se | |
| | But it were with thicke yen of his mynde | |
| 455 | With whiche they seen aftir men be blynde | |
| | Bright was the sonne as in a somers day | |
| | For whiche the Constabyl and his wyf also | |
| | And Custaunce hath take the right way | |
| | Toward the see a furlong wey or two | |
| 460 | To pleyen and to romen to and fro | |
| | And in this walk the blynde men they mette | |
| | Crokid and olde with yen faste I shette | |
