Man of Law’s Tale Lies and Deceit Quotes

We shul first feyne us cristendom to take –
Coold water shal nat greve us but a lite! –
And I shal swich a feeste and revel make
That, as I trowe, I shal the Sowdan quite.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Man of Law’s Tale. The Sultaness plans a number of deceptions as part of her play to pay back the the Sultan for converting to Christianity. First she and her supporters will present to become Christians, a little cold water in Baptism won’t upset them very much. Then she will arrange a great feast and celebration to honor her son the Sultan’s marriage, and she will take her revenge.

Bisechynge hym to doon hire that honour,
That she moste han the Cristen folk to feeste –
"To plesen hem I wol do my labour."
The Sowdan seith, "I wol doon at youre heeste,"
And knelynge thanketh hire of that requeste.
So glad he was, he nyste what to seye.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Man of Law’s Tale. There is not much worse than a deceiving, hypocritical mother. The Sultaness beseeches the Sultan to allow her the honor of putting on a feast for the Christians. The unfortunate son kneels to thank her, unaware that he was about to be hacked to pieces.

This false knyght, that hath this tresoun wroght,
Berth hire on hond that she hath doon thys thyng.
But nathelees, ther was greet moornyng
Among the peple, and seyn they kan nat gesse
That she had doon so greet a wikkednesse.
For they han seyn hire evere so vertuous,
And lovynge Hermengyld right as hir lyf.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Man of Law’s Tale. The knight who slit Hermengild’s throat falsely testifies that Constance carried out the murder. But Constance’s reputation for goodness has grown so strong among the people, that they say they cannot believe she could have done so great a wickedness. For they have seen how viruous she is and how she loved Hermengild as much as her own life.

A Britoun book, written with Evaungiles,
Was fet, and on this book he swoor anoon
She gilty was, and in the meene whiles
An hand hym smoot upon the nekke-boon,
That doun he fil atones as a stoon.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Man of Law’s Tale. King Alla wants to test the veracity of the knight’s evidence. So he has him swear on a British book of the gospels. The moment the knight swear his evidence of Constance’s guilt a hand strikes him on the neck-bone and he falls down like a stone, his two eyes bursting out of his face. Instant divine judgment!

A voys was herd in general audience,
And seyde, "Thou hast desclaundred, giltelees,
The doghter of hooly chirche in heigh presence;
Thus hastou doon, and yet holde I my pees!
Of this mervaille agast was al the prees;
As mazed folk they stoden everichone,
For drede of wreche, save Custance allone.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Man of Law’s Tale. After the false knight is exposed and Constance exonerated, a voice is heard in the general audience saying that a guiltless daughter of the church has been slandered in the presence of the high God. The bewildered folk are terrified of the vengeance that might be visited upon them – all except for Constance alone.

This messager drank sadly ale and wyn,
And stolen were his lettres pryvely
Out of his box, whil he sleep as a swyn;
And countrefeted was ful subtilly
Another lettre, wroght ful synfully,
Unto the kyng direct of this mateere.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Man of Law’s Tale. While King Alla is away at war, Constance gives birth to a beautiful baby son. But the King’s evil mother Donegild intercepts a letter to him from his Constable bearing the happy news and replaces it with a counterfeited letter telling him that his son is horribly deformed.

The lettre spak the queene delivered was
Of so horrible a feendly creature
That in the castel noon so hardy was
That any while dorste ther endure.
The mooder was an elf, by aventure
Ycomen, by charmes or by sorcerie,
And every wight hateth hir compaignye.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Man of Law’s Tale. The Constable’s letter to the King forged by Donegild says that Constance has delivered so horrible and fiendish a baby that no one in the castle dares go near it. The mother is an evil spirit full of charms and sorcery and every person hates her, the letter states, as the vicious Donegild attempts to turn her son against Constance.

Eft were his lettres stolen everychon,
And countrefeted lettres in this wyse:
"The king comandeth his constable anon,
Up peyne of hangyng, and on heigh juyse,
That he ne sholde suffren in no wyse
Custance in-with his reawme for t’ abyde."

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Man of Law’s Tale. After plying King Alla’s messenger with drink, Donegild steals the King’s letter to his Constable directing him to guard his baby son and wife. She counterfeits a letter to falsely say that the King commands his Constable, on pain of hanging, to banish Constance and her son from the realm.

And thus, by wit and sotil enquerynge,
Ymagined was by whom this harm gan sprynge.
The hand was knowe that the lettre wroot,
And al the venym of this cursed dede,
But in what wise, certeinly, I noot.
Th’ effect is this: that Alla, out of drede,
His mooder slow – that may men pleynly rede –
For that she traitour was to hire ligeance.
Thus endeth olde Donegild, with meschance!

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Man of Law’s Tale. After finding his wife and son gone on his return home King Alla, through wit and subtle questioning, learns the identify of the writer of the forged letters that had Constance banished – his mother Donegild! For her cruelty and for being a traitor, she pays the ultimate penalty – King Alla slays her.
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