The Clerk's Tale
Folio 93r
12 of 29 folios
Ther fil / as it bifalleth tymes mo ;
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Whan þt this child / had souked but a throwe
This Markys / in his herte longeth so
To tempte his wyf hir sadnesse for to knowe
That he ne myghte / out of his herte throwe
This merueillous desir his wyf tassaye
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Nedelees god woot / he thoghte / hir for taffraye
¶ He hadde assayed hir / ynogħ bifore
And foond hir euere good / what neded it
Hir for to tempte / and alwey / moore and moore
Thougħ som men preise it for a subtil wit /
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But as for me / I seye that yuele it sit
To assaye a wyf whan þt it is no nede
And putten hir / in Angwyssħ and in drede
For which / this Markys / wroghte in this manere
He cam allone / a nygħt / ther as she lay
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With stierne face / and wt ful trouble cheere
And seyde thus / Grisilde quod he that day
That I yow took out of your pouere array
And putte yow / in estaat of heigħ noblesse
Ye haue / nat that / forgeten as I gesse
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I seye Grisilde / this persent dignitee
In which that I haue put yow /. as I trowe ;
Maketh yow nat / foryetful for to be
That I yow took / in poure estaat ful lowe
For any wele / ye moot your seluen knowe
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Taak heede / of euery word / that y yow seye
Ther is no wigħt that hereth it but we tweye
Ye woot your self wel / how þt ye cam heere
In to this hous / it is nat longe ago
And thougħ to me / þt ye be lief and deere
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Vn to my gentils / ye be no thyng so
They seyn / to hem / it is greet shame and wo
For to be subgetz / and to been in seruage
To thee / that born art of a smal village
And namely / sith thy doghter was ybore
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Thise wordes / han they spoken doutelees
But I desire / as I haue doon bifore
To lyue my lyf wt hem / in reste and pees
I may nat in this caas / be recchelees
I moot doon wt thy doghter for the beste
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Nat as I wolde / but as my peple leste