The Clerk's Tale
Folio 185v
25 of 35 folios
820
xnd in this hous / ther ye me lady made
The heighe god take I / for my witnesse
And also wisly / he my soule glade
I neuere heeld me lady / ne maistresse
But humble seruant to youre worthynesse
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And euere shal / whil þt my lyf may dure
Abouen / euery worldly creature
¶ That ye so longe / of youre benygnytee
Han holden me / in honour and nobleye
Where as I was / noght worthy for to be
830
That thonke I god and yow / to whom I preye
Foryelde it yow / ther is namoore to seye
Vn to my fader / gladly wol I wende
And with hym dwelle / vn to my lyues ende
¶ Ther I was fostred / of a child ful smal
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Til I be deed / my lyf ther wol I lede
A wydewe clene / in body / herte / and al
For sith / I yaf to yow / my maydenhede
And am youre trewe wyf / it is no drede
God shilde / swich a lordes wyf to take
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Another man / to housbond / or to make
¶ And of youre newe wyf / god of his gace
So graunte yow / wele and prosperitee
For I wol gladly / yelden hir my place
In which / þt I was blisful wont to be
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For sith it liketh yow / my lord quod she
That whilom weren / al myn hertes reste
That I shal goon / I wol goon whan yow leste
¶ But ther as ye / me profre swich dowaire
As I first broghte / it is wel in my mynde
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It were my wrecched clothes / no thyng faire
The whiche to me / were hard now for to fynde
O goode god / how gentil / and how kynde
Ye semed / by your speche / and your visage
The day / that maked was oure mariage