The Clerk's Tale
Folio 137v
17 of 31 folios
But first siknesse and after wo and <3b>peyne3b>
¶ Ȝe ben oure lord doþ wiþ ȝour owne <1a>þing1a>
Riȝt as ȝou liste askeþ no rede at <2a>me2a>
For as I lifte at home al my <1b>cloþinge1b>
655
Whan I first come to ȝou right so quod <2b>sche2b>
Lefte I my wille and al my <2c>liberte2c>
And tok ȝour cloþing wherfore I ȝou <3a>perye3a>
Doþ ȝour plesaūce I wil ȝour lust <3b>obeye3b>
¶ And certes if I hadde <1a>perscience1a>
660
Ȝoure wille to knowe or ȝe ȝour lust me <2a>tolde2a>
I wolde it do wiþouten <1b>necligence1b>
But now I wot ȝour lust and what ȝe <2b>wolde2b>
Al ȝour plesaunce ferme and stable I <2c>holde2c>
For wiste I þat my deþ wolde do ȝou <3a>ese3a>
665
Rigħt gladly wolde I deye ȝou to <3b>plese3b>
¶ Deþ may not make no <1a>comperisoū1a>
Vnto oure loue and whan þis marquys <2a>say2a>
Þe contenaunce of his wijf he cast a <1b>doū1b>
His eyȝen tuo and wondreþ þat sche <2b>may2b>
670
In pacience suffre al þis <2c>array2c>
And forþ he goþ wiþ drery <3a>contynaunce3a>
But to his herte it was right gret <3b>plesaūce3b>
¶ Þis Oggel sergaunt in þe same <1a>wise1a>
Þat he hir douȝt er caughte right so <2a>he2a>
675
Or worse if men worse can <1b>deuyse1b>
Haþ hent hir sone þat ful was of <2b>beaute2b>
And euer in oon so pacient was <2c>sche2c>
That sche no cheere made of <3a>heuynesse3a>
But kiste hir sone and after gan it <3b>blesse3b>
680
¶ Saue þis sche payed him if þat he <1a>mighte1a>
Hir litel sone he wolde in erþe <2a>graue2a>
His tendre lymes delicat to <1b>sight1b>
Fro foules and fro bestes for to <2b>saue2b>
But sche non answer of him mighte <2c>haue2c>
685
He wente his wey as he no þing ne <3a>roughte3a>
But to Boloigne he tendrely it <3b>brouȝte3b>