The Franklin's Tale
Folio 130r
14 of 20 folios
Of yow my souereyn lady / but youre grace
But in a gardyn yond / at swich a place
Ye woot rigħt wel / what ye bihigħten me
620
And in myn hand / youre trouthe pligħten ye
To loue me best god woot ye seyde so
Al be / þt I vnworthy am therto
Madame I speke it / for the honor of yow
Moore than to saue / myn hertes lyf rigħt now
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I haue do so / as ye comanded me
And if ye vouche sauf / ye may go see
Dooth as yow list haue your biheste in mynde
For quyk or deed / right ther ye shal me fynde
In yow lith al / to do me lyue or deye
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But wel I woot the Rokkes been aweye
¶ He taketh his leue / and she astoned stood
In al hir face / nas a drope of blood
She wende neuere / han come in swich a trappe
Allas quod she / þt euere this sholde happe
635
For wende I neuere / by possibilitee
That swich a Monstre / or merueille mygħte bee
It is / agayns the proces of nature
And hoom she goth / a sorweful creature
For verray feere / vnnethe may she go
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She wepeth / wailleth / al a day or two
And swowneth / that it routhe was to see
But why it was / to no wigħt tolde shee
For out of towne / was goon Arueragus
But to hir self / she spak and seyde thus
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With face pale / and wt ful sorweful cheere
In hir compleynt as ye shal after heere
¶ Allas quod she / on thee Fortune I pleyne
That vnwar / wrapped hast me in thy cheyne
For which tescape / woot I no scour
650
Saue oonly / deeth or dishonour
Oon of thise two / bihoueth me to chese
But nathelees / yet haue I leuere to lese
My lif / than of my body haue a shame
Or knowe my seluen fals / or lese my name
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And with my deth / I may be quyt ywis
Hath ther nat many a noble wyf er this
And many a mayde / yslayn hir self allas
Rather than wt hir body doon trespas
¶ Yis certes / lo thise stories beren witnesse
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Whan .xxx. tirauntz / ful of cursednesse
Hadde slayn Phidou / in Atthenes at feste
They comanded / hise dogħtres for tareste
And bryngen hem / biforn hem in despit
Al naked / to fulfille hir foul delit /