The Clerk's Tale
Folio 95r
16 of 29 folios
610
IN this estaat / ther passed been foure yeer
Er she with childe was / but as god wolde
A man child she bar / by this Walter
Ful gracious / and fair for to biholde
And whan that folk it to his fader tolde
615
Nat oonly he / but al his contree merye
Was for this child / and god they thanke and herye
Whan it was two yeer old / and fro the brest
Departed of his norice / on a day
This Markys / caughte yet another lest
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To tempte his wyf / yet ofter if he may
O nedelees / was she tempted in assay
But wedded men / ne knowe no mesure
Whan þt they fynde / a pacient creature
¶ Wyf quod this Markys / ye han herd er this
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My peple / sikly berth oure mariage
And namely / sith my sone yborn is
Now is it worse / than euere in al oure age
The mrmure sleeth myn herte and my corage
For to myne eres / comth the voys so smerte
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That it wel ny / destroyed hath myn herte
¶ Now sey they thus / whan Walter is agon
Thanne shal / the blood of Ianicle succede
And been oure lord / for oother haue we noon
Swiche wordes / seith my peple out of drede
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Wel oughte I / of swich murmr taken heede
For certeinly / I drede swich sentence
Thougħ they nat pleyn / speke in myn Audience
I wolde lyue in pees / if that I mygħte
Wherfore / I am disposed outrely
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As I his suster / serued by nygħte
Rigħt so thenke I / to serue hym pryuely
This warne I yow / þt ye nat sodeynly
Out of youre self for no wo sholde outreye
Beth pacient and ther of I yow preye
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¶ I haue quod she seyd thus / and euere shal
I wol no thyng ne nyl no thyng certayn
But as yow list naugħt greueth me at al
Thougħ þt my dougħter / and my sone be slayn
At youre comandement this is to sayn
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I haue noght had no part of children tweyne
But first siknesse / and after wo and peyne