The Clerk's Tale
Folio 128r
24 of 32 folios
That I ȝow ȝaf myn hert in hol entente
My lord ȝe wot þat in my fadres place
Ȝe dede me strippe out of my pore wede
And richely me cladden of ȝour grace
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To ȝow brougħt I nought elles out of drede
But faith and mekenes and maydenhede /
And her agayn my cloþyng I restore
And eek my weddyng ryng for euermore
The remenant of ȝour Iewels redy be
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Wiþin ȝour chambur dore dar I saufly sayn
Naked out of my fadres hous quod sche /
I com and naked moot I torne agayn
Al ȝour pleisaūs . wold I fulfille fayn
But ȝit I hope it be not ȝoure entent
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That I smocles out of ȝour chambre went
Ȝe couþe not doon so dishonest a þing
Þat þilke wombe in which ȝour children leye
Schulde byforn þe poeple in my walkyng
Be seye al bare wherfore I ȝow pray
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Let me not lik a worm go by þe way /
Remembre ȝow myn oughne lord so deere /
I was ȝour wyf þough I vnworþy were
Wherfor in guerdoū of my maydenhede
Which þat I brougħt and nougħt agayn I bere /
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As voucheth sauf . as ȝeue me to my meede
Such a smok as I was wont to were
That I þer with may wrye þe wombe of here /
Þat was ȝour wif and here I take my leue
Of ȝow myn oughne lord . lest I ȝow greue
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The smok quod he þat þou hast on þy bak
Let it be stille and ber it forþ wiþ þe
But wel vnnethes þilke word sche spak
But went his way for routhe and for pite
Byforn þe folk hirseluen strippith sche /
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And in hir smok . wiþ heed and foot al bare
Toward hir fader hous forth is sche fare
The folk hir folwen wepyng in hir weye
And fortune ay þay cursen as þay goon