bed the bloody knife he fand By Dame Constance: Alas! what might she say? For very woe her wit was all away.
To King Allá was told all this mischance, And eke the time, and where, and in what wise, That in a ship was founden this Constance, As here before ye have me heard devise: The kingë’s heart for pity gan agrise, When he saw so benign a creature Fall in disease and in misáventure.
For as the lamb toward his death is brought, So stood this innocent before the king: This falsë knight, that had this treason wrought, Bore her in hand that she had done this thing: But natheless there was great murmuring Among the people, that say they cannot guess That she had done so great a wickedness.
For they had seen her ever virtuoús, And loving Hermegild right as her life: Of this bare witness each one in that house, Save he that Hermegild slew with his knife: This gentle king had caught a great motife Of this witness, and thought he would inquere Deeper into this case, the truth to lear.