The Clerk's Tale
Folio 99r
24 of 29 folios
¶ Fro Boloigne / is this Erl of Pavyk come
940
Of which the fame vp sprang to moore and lesse
And in the peples eres / alle and some
Was kouth eek / that a newe Markysesse
He wt hym brogħte / in swich pompe and richesse
That neuere was ther seyn / with mannes eye
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So noble array / in al westlumbardye
¶ The Markys / which that shoope and knew al this
Er that this Erl was come / sente his message
For thilke / sely poure Grisildis
And she with humble herte / and glad visage
950
Nat with no swollen thoght in hir corage
Cam at his heste / and on hir knees hir sette
And reuerently / and wisely she hym grette
¶ Grisilde quod he / my wyl is outrely
This mayden / that shal wedded been to me
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Receiued be / to morwe as roially
As it possible is / in myn hous to be
And eek / that euery wigħt in his degree
Haue his estaat in sittyng and seruyse
And heigħ plesaūce / as I kan best deuyse
960
I haue no wōmen / suffisaūt certayn
The chambres / for tarraye in ordinaūce
After my lust / and therfore wolde I fayn
That thyn were / al swich manere gouernaūce
Thow knowest eek of old al my plesaūce
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Thogh thyn array be badde and yuel biseye
Do thou thy deuoir at the leeste weye
¶ Nat oonly lord / that I am glad quod she
To doon your lust but I desire also
Yow for to serue / and plese in my degree
970
With outen feyntyng and shal eueremo
Ne neuere / for no wele / ne no wo
Ne shal the goost / wt Inne myn herte stente
To loue yow best wt al my trewe entente
And with that word / she gan the hous to digħte
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And tables for to sette / and beddes make
And peyned hir / to doon al that she myghte
Preyynge the chambreres / for goddes sake
To hasten hem / and faste swepe and shake
And she / the mooste seruysable of alle
980
Hath euery chambre arrayed / and his halle