The Clerk's Tale
Folio 180r
14 of 35 folios
Ther fil / as it bifalleth tymes mo
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Whan þt this child / hath souked but a throwe
This Markys / in his herte longeth so
To tempte his wyf / hir sadnesse for to knowe
That he ne myghte / out of his herte throwe
This merueilous desir / his wyf tassaye
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Nedelees god woot he thoghte hir for tafraye
¶ He hadde assayed hir / ynow bifore
And fond hir euere good / what neded it
Hir for to tempte / and alwey moore & moore
Thogh som men preyse it for a subtil wit
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But as for me / I seye þt yuele it sit
Tassaye a wyf / whan þt it is no nede
And putten hir / in angwyssħ and in drede
¶ For which / this Markys / wroghte in this manere
He cam allone a nyght ther as she lay
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With steerne face / and with ful trouble cheere
And seyde thus / Grisilde quod he that day
That I yow took out of your poure array
And putte yow in estat of heigh noblesse
Ye haue nat that forgeten as I gesse
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¶ I seye Grisilde / this persent dignitee
In which þt I haue put yow / as I trowe
Maketh yow / nat foryetful for to be
That I yow took in poure estat ful lowe
For any wele / ye mote your seluen knowe
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Tak hede of euery word / þt I yow seye
Ther is no wight þt hereth it but we tweye
¶ Ye woot your self wel / how þt ye cam heere
In to this hous / it is nat longe ago
And thogh to me / þt ye be lief and deere
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Vnto my gentils / ye be no thyng so
They seyn / to hem / it is greet shame & wo
For to be subgitz / and been in seruage
To thee / that born art of a smal village