| | And pleynly al the maner he hym tolde | |
| | As ye haue herd I can it telle no bettir | |
| | And shewith the kyngis seel and his lettir | |
| 785 | And sayde lord as ye comaundid me | |
| | On peyne of deth so haue I do certeyn | |
| | This messanger turmentid was til he | |
| | Must be knowe and telle plat and playn | |
| | Fro nyght to nyght what place he had in layn | |
| 790 | And thus be with subtil enquerynge | |
| | Imagened was be whom this gan sprynge | |
| | The hond was knowen that the lettir wroot | |
| | And al the venym of this cursid dede | |
| | But in what wyse certeinly I not | |
| 795 | The effect is this that alla out of drede | |
| | His moder slough that men may plainly rede | |
| | For she traytour was to her ligeaunce | |
| | Thus endid olde donegelde with a myschaunce | |
| | The sorou that this alla nyght and day | |
| 800 | Makith for his wyf and his child also | |
| | There is no tunge that it telle may | |
| | But now wol I to Custaunce go | |
| | That fletith in the se with peyne and wo | |
| | Fyue yeer and more as likyd cristis sonde | |
| 805 | Or that her ship approchid to ony londe | |
| | Vnder an hethen castel at the laste | |
| | The whiche the name not in my tixt I fynde | |
| | Custaunce and eke hir child vp cast | |
| | Almyghty god that saueth al man kynde | |
| 810 | Haue on Custaunce & her child sum mynde | |
