The Clerk's Tale
Folio 99v
25 of 29 folios
¶ Abouten vndren / gan this Erl aligħte
That wt hym broghte / thise noble children tweye
For which the peple / ran to seen the sigħte
Of hir array / so richely biseye
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And thanne at erst / amonges hem they seye
That walter was no fool / thogħ þt hym leste
To chaunge his wyf / for it was for the beste
For she is fairer / as they deemen alle
Than is Grisilde / and moore tendre of age
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And fairer fruyt bitwene hem sholde falle
And xx moore plesant . for hir heigħ lynage
Hir brother eek / so fair was of visage
That hem to seen / the peple hath caught plesaūce
Cōmendynge now / the Markys gouernaūce
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O stormy peple / vnsad / and euere vntrewe
Ay vndiscreet and chaungynge as a vane
Delitynge euere / in rumbul that is newe
For lyk the moone / ay wexe ye and wane
Ay ful of clappyng deere ynogħ a Iane
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Youre doom is fals / youre constance yuele preeueth
A ful greet fool / is he / þt on yow leeueth
Thus seyden sadde folk / in that Citee
Whan that the peple / gazed vp and doun
For they were glad / rigħt for the noueltee
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To han / a newe lady of hir toun
Namoore of this / make I now mencioun
But to Grisilde agayn / wol I me dresse
And telle / hir constance / and hir bisynesse
¶ Ful bisy was Grisilde / in euery thyng
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That to the feeste / was apertinent
Rigħt noght was she abayst of hir clothyng
Thogħ it were rude / and somdeel eek to rent
But wt glad cheere / to the yate is she went
With oother folk to greete the Markysesse
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And after that dooth forth hir bisynesse
With so glad chiere / hise gestes she receyueth
And so konnyngly / euerich in his degree
That no defaute / no man aperceyueth
But ay they wondren / what she myghte bee
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That in so poure array was for to see
And koude / swich honour / and reuerence
And worthily / they preisen hir prudence