The Clerk's Tale
Folio 254r
20 of 30 folios
And sche answerde a noon in pacience
Myn lord quod sche I wot & wyste alwey
815
Ho\w/ that by twixe ȝore magnificence
And myn pouerte no wyght can ne may
Makȳ icomparysoū it is no nay
I ne hylde me neuere dygne in no manere
To be ȝoure wyf no / ne ȝoure chaūberere
820
And in this hous there ȝe me lady made
The hyghe god take I for myn witnesse
And also wysely he myn soule so glade
I hyld me neuere lady ne maystresse
But vmble seruaūt to ȝoure worthynesse
825
And euere schal whil mȳ lyf may dure
Abovyn euery wordely creature
That ȝe so longe of ȝoure benyngnetee
Han holde me in honour & nobleye
Wher as I was not worthy for to bee
830
That thanke I god / & ȝow to whō I preye
Forȝilde it ȝow ther is no more to seye
And to myn fadyr gladly wele I wende
And with hȳ dwelle vn to mȳ lyuys ende
There I was fostered of \a/ chyld ful smal
835
Tyl I be deed mȳ lyf there wele I leede
A wydewe clene in body herte & al
For sythe I ȝaf to ȝow myn maydȳhede
And am ȝoure trewe wyf it is no drede
God schilde swich a lordis wyf to take
840
A nothir man to husbōde or to make
And of ȝoure newe wif god of his grace
So graūte ȝow wele & prosperitee
For I wele gladly ȝildȳ hire mȳ place
In which þt I was xx blysful wone to be
845
For syth it lykyth ȝow myn lord quod sche
That whilhō were al mȳ hertis reste
That I schal gon .I. wele goon whā ȝow leste