From Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", The Man of Law's Tale, lines 743-756

Previous:
From The Man of Law's Tale, lines 729-742:
A messenger is sent to the king, but the messenger goes to the king's mother first

From The Canterbury Tales:
The Man of Law's Tale
lines 743-756: The letter to the king is falsified while the messenger sleeps

	This messager drank sadly ale and wyn,
	And stolen wer hise lettres pryvely
745	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
	Fro his constable, as ye shal after heere.

	This messenger drank deep of ale and wine,
	And stolen were his letters, stealthily,
745	Out of his box, while slept he like a swine;
	And counterfeited was, right cleverly,
	Another letter, wrought full sinfully,
	Unto the king; of this event so near,
	All from the constable, as you shall hear.

750 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,

755 Ycomen by charmes or by sorcerie,

And every wight hateth hir compaignye.

750 The letter said, the queen delivered was

Of such a fiendish, horrible creature,

That in the castle none so hardy as

Durst, for a lengthy time, there to endure.

The mother was an elf or fairy, sure,

755 Come there by chance of charm, or sorcery,

And all good men hated her company.

Next:
From The Man of Law's Tale, lines 757-770:
The king reads the letter and sends the messenger back with a return letter