The Clerk's Tale
Folio 248v
10 of 30 folios
Not only this / Grisyldis thourgh hire wit
Koude al þe fet of wyfly humbilnesse
430
But ek whā þe cas / requyrede it
The comune profyt coude sche redresse
Ther nas discord rancure ne heuynesse
In al þt lond þt sche ne coude apese
And wysely brynge hē in reste & ese
435
Thow þt hire husbonde / absent were a non
Ȝif gentyl men or oþere of hire cuntre
Were wroth sche wolde / brȳge hē at x oon
So wyse & rype wordis hadde she
And Iugementis of so gret equite
440
Þ sche frō heuene sent as men wēde
Puple to saue & oþere men tamende
Nat longe tyme aftyr þt þis gresylde
Was I weddit sche a doughtyr hath I bore
Al hadde sche leuere a born a knaue chyld
445
Glad was þe markis & þe folk þerfore
For thow a mayde chyld cam al by fore
Sche may vn to a knauechild ateyne
By liklyhed syn sche nys nat bareyne
Ther fel as it bi fel tymys mo
450
Whā þt þis child hath soukede but a throwe
This markis in his herte longith soo
To tepete his wyf hire sadnesse for to knowe
That he ne myȝte out of his herte throwe
This meruelious desyr his wyf tasayee
455
Nedles god wot he thouȝte hyre for taffraye
He hadde asayed hire ryȝt I now be fore
And fond hire eeuere good / what neded it
Hire for to tempte alwey more & more
Thow sūmen preyse it for a subtil wit
460
But as for me I seye þt yuele it sit
Tassaye a wyf / whan þat it is noon nede
And put hire in anguys & in drede