The Clerk's Tale
Folio 256r
24 of 30 folios
Grisilde quod he / myn wil is outirly
This mayde þt schal weddit been to me
955
Resseyuede ben to morwe as roially
As it possible is in myn hous to be
And ek that euery wiȝt in his degere
Haue his estat / in sittȳge & seruyse
And hegh plesaūce / as I can best deuyse
960
I haue no wemen suffisaūt certeyn
The chambris for taraye in ordenaūce
Aftyr myn lust & þerfore wolde I fayn
That thȳ were / al swich manere gouernaūce
Thow knowyst ek of old / al myn plesaūce
965
Thow thyn aray be badde & euele be seye
Do þu thyn deuer / at the leste weye
Nat only lord þt I am glad quod sche
To do ȝoure lust / but .I. desyre also
Ȝow for to serue & plese in myn degre
970
With outyn feyntynge & schal euere mo
Ne neuere for no wele ne no wo
Ne schal myn gost with inne myn herte stēte
To loue ȝow best / wt al myn hol entente
And with that word sche gan the hous to dighte
975
And tabellis for to sette & al redy make
And peynede hire to don al þt sche myȝte
Preyinge þõ chamberis for godis sake
To haste hem & faste swepe & shake
And she þõ moste / seruyable of alle
980
Hath euery chābre arayed and his halle
A boutyn vndryn gan this erl a lyȝte
That with hȳ broghte these noble childere tweye
For which the peple ran xxx to seen the syght
Of hire aray so rychely be seye
985
And thanne at erst a mongis hē they seye
That waltyr was no fol thow þt hȳ leste
To chonge his wyf / for it was for the beste