The Clerk's Tale
Folio 188v
31 of 35 folios
1030
¶ Grisilde quod he / as it were in his pley
How liketh thee my wyf / and hir beautee
Right wel quod she my lord / for in good fey
A fairer saw I neuere noon / than she
I prey to god / yeue hire prosperritee
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And so hope I / þt he wol to yow sende
Plesance ynogh / vn to youre lyues ende
¶ O thyng biseke I yow / and warne also
That ye ne prike / with no tormentynge
This tendre mayden / as ye han do mo
1040
For she is fostred / in hir norissynge
Moore tendrely / and to my supposynge
She koude nat aduersitee endure
As koude / a poure fostred creature
¶ And whan this Walter / saw hir pacience
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Hir glad cheere / and no malice at al
And he so ofte / had doon to hir offence
And she ay sad / and constant as a wal
Continuynge euere / hir Innocence ouer al vbique
This sturdy Markys / gan his herte dresse
1050
To rewen / vp on hir wifly stedfastnesse
¶ This is ynogh / Grisilde myn quod he
Be now namoore agast ne yuele apayed
I haue thy feith / and thy benygnytee
As wel / as euere womman . was ~ assayed
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In greet estat and poureliche arrayed
Now knowe I deere wyf / thy stedfastnesse
And hire in armes took / and gan hir kesse
¶ And she for wonder / took of it no keepe
She herde nat what thyng he to hir seyde
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She ferde / as she hadde stirt out of a sleepe
Til she / out of hir mazednesse abreyde
Grisilde quod he / by god þt for vs deyde
Thow art my wyf / noon oother I haue
Ne neuere hadde / as god my soule saue