The Clerk's Tale
Folio 255v
23 of 30 folios
Tus with hire fadyr / for a certeyn space
Dwellyth this flour of wyfly pacience
920
That neythir by be hire wordys ne hire face
By fore the folk ne ek in hire absence
Ne schewede sche þt hire was don offence
Ne of hire highe estat no remembraūce
Ne hadde sche as by hyre cuntenaūce
925
No wondyr is / for in hire greete estate
Hyre gost was ay in pleyn humylitee
No tendere mouth non herte delicate
No pompe no semblaunt of royaltee
But ful of pacient benygnetee
930
Dyscreet & prideles / ay honurable
And to hire husbonde euere mek & stable
Men speke of Iob / & most for his humblesse
As clerkis whā hē leste can wel endite
Namely of mē / but as in sothfastnesse
935
Thow Clerkys preysyn wemen but a lyte
There Can no man in humblesse hē a quyte
As wemen can ne ben half so trewe
As wemen ben but it be falle of newe
Frō Boloygne as this erl of pauyk come
940
Of which þe fame vp sprong bothe more & lesse
And to the peplis eris alle & some
Was kouth eek that a newe Markisesse
He wt hȳ broghte in swich pōpe & richesse
That neuere was there seyn wt manys eye
945
So noble a ray in al west Lūbardye
This Markis which that shoop & knew al this
Er þt this erl was come / sente his massage
For thilke sely pore Gresyldis
And sche with houmble herte & glad visage
950
Noght in a swollyn thoght in hire corage
Cam at his heste / & on hire kneis hire sette
And reuerently & wisely / sche hȳ grette