The Clerk's Tale
Folio 154v
21 of 30 folios
But there as ȝe me profere xxx swych dewarye
As I fyrst brouȝte it is weel in mȳ mȳde
850
It were mȳne wrechede clothis no thyng fayre
The wheche to me were hard now for to fynde
O goode god how gentyl & how kynde
Ȝe semedȳ be ȝoure speche & ȝoure visage
The day that makyd was oure maryage
855
But soth is seyd / algate I fynde it trewe
For in effect it preuede is in me
Loue is not old / as whā þt it is newe
But sertis lord for noon aduercite
To deyen in þe cas it schal nat be
860
That euere in word / or werk I schal repēte
That I ȝow ȝaf mȳ herte / wt hol entente
Myn lord ȝe wot that In mȳ faderys place
Ȝe dede me strype out of my poore weede
And rychely me claddȳ of ȝoure grace
865
To ȝow brouȝte I not ellis out of dreede
But feyth & meknesse & maydȳhede
And heere ageyn myn clothȳge I restore
And ek mȳ weddȳge ryng for euere more
The remenaūt of ȝoure Iewellys redy bee
870
In with ȝoure chaūbere that dar I sayn
Nakyd out of mȳ faderys hous quod sche
I cam / & nakyd I mot / turne a geyn
Al ȝoure plesaūce I wele folwe fayn
But ȝit I hope it be not ȝoure entente
875
That I smokles out of ȝoure paleys wēte
Ȝe coude not don so disonest a thyng
That ilke wōbe in whiche ȝoure chyldere leye
Schulde by fore the peple in mȳ walkynge
Be seyn al bare / therfore I ȝow preye
880
Lat me not lyk a werm / goon by the weye
Remembrith ȝow myn owene lord so deere
I was ȝoure wyf thow I onworthy weere