The Clerk's Tale
Folio 185r
24 of 35 folios
785
Among al this / after his wikke vsage
This Markys yet his wif to tempte moore
To the outreste preue / of hir corage
Fully to han / experience and loore
If that she were / as stedefast as bifore
790
He on a day / in open audience
Ful boystously / hath seyd hir this sentence
¶ Certes Grisilde / I hadde ynogh plesance
To han yow to my wyf / for your goodnesse
As for youre trouthe / and for your obeysance
795
Noght for your lynage / ne for your richesse
But now knowe I / in verray sothfastnesse
That in gret lordshipe / if I wel auyse
Ther is gret seruitute / in sondry wyse
¶ I may nat do / as euery Plowman may
800
My peple / me constreyneth for to take
Another wyf / and cryen day by day
And eek the pope / rancour for to slake
Consenteth it that dar I vndertake
And trewely / thus muche I wol yow seye
805
My newe wif / is comynge by the weye
¶ Be strong of herte / and voyde anon hir place
And thilke dower / þt ye broghten me
Tak it agayn / I graunte it of my gace
Retourneth / to youre fadres hous quod he
810
No man may / alwey han prosperitee
With euene herte / I rede yow tendure
The strook / of Fortune / or of auenture
¶ And she agayn / answerde in pacience
My lord quod she / I woot and wiste alway
815
How þt bitwixen / youre magnificence
And my pouerte / no wight kan ne may
Maken comparisoū / it is no nay
I ne heeld me neuere digne / in no manere
To be your wyf no ; ne youre chambrere