thyng noised bi the Citee, she was outcast as advowteres and to the
nephew or cosyn[1] of hir husbond she was committed.
Thei cam in to Alisaunder, and covered and hid with strength and kynde of clothis; beryng hymsilf evene to the kyng in manyfold seruice, in the friendship of the kyng hym bare as myght be in curtesye most swift and light. As admynistratrice of al the Realme the kynges Rentis wern infinytily multiplied bi his providence. Than themperour of Rome dede; his yong sone whan he Empired in the (f. 137b) Empire, herd of the sapient wisdam[2] of hym of Alisaunder, sent hym to Rome. [He] peased thempire, Restored soft and easy lawes in to the friendship of themperour and the Citezeins and the provynce with his high merites, nat puttyng hymsilf any symulacioun or token vnto his traitour. Bi hap and fortune [she] fond hir husbond among poore folk most porest and dide hym to be nurisshed. And bifore his traitour dide to be Rehersed his treason bifore the Citezeyns; that don arraied a feste to the delectacioun that is to say of felawship and festers; than at the last he opened and deemed into deth of his owne confessioun. The pore man went his wey and she to hir husbond.
XXX. The Unchaste Wife and the Rescue of Her Lover
Svche on willyng to chastice his nephew or Cosyn and to withdrawe hym from the vnlieful love of wymmen and from the vnnumerable aduersities whiche often tyme fallith of this vnhappy thyng, of suche a clerk dide to write the pavour, basshidnes, and the dreede.
Svche a myghti man ther was[3] whiche suche a day from his
house the space of a daies jorney went to his place. The wif forsoth
for hir housbondis made sure suche a clerk hir love, cald
[hym] in the derk of the nyght. Whiche while of the fowle lust
that thei vsiden, the husbonde vnavised and vnwares com hom
ageyne. Forsoth ther mette hym in his jorney [oon] whiche plesaunt
thynges hym told. To whom al his houshold meyne mette hym
with lightis. The clerk heryng that wherfor to torn hym vttirly[4]
he wist nat. Only out of the chamber he[5] went for to huyde hym
and for overmoche dreede so astonyed that he wist nat wher to torne
hym, or bi what wey to go out of the Court vttirly[6] he wist nat.
