The Franklin's Tale
Folio 164r
22 of 24 folios
That hym were leuere han shame / and that were routhe
Than ye to me / sholde breke thus your trouthe
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I haue wel leuere / euere to suffre wo
Than I departe the loue / bitwix yow two
I yow relesse madame / in to youre hond
Quyt euery serement and euery bond
That ye han maad to me / as her biforn
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Sith thilke tyme / which þt ye were born
My trouthe I plighte / I shal you neuer repreue
Of no biheeste / and here I take my leue
As of the treweste / and the beste wyf
That euere yet I knew / in al my lyf
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But euery wyf / be war of hir biheste
On Dorigene / remembreth at the leste
Thus kan a Squyer / doon a gentil dede
As wel as kan a knyght with outen drede
¶ She thonketh hym / vp on hir knees al bare
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And hom vn to hir housbond / is she fare
And tolde hym al / as ye han herd me sayd
And be ye siker / he was so wel apayd
That it were inpossible / me to write
What sholde I lenger / of this cas endite
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¶ Arueragus / and Dorigene his wyf
In souereyn blisse / leden forth hir lyf
Neuere eft ne was ther angre hem bitwene
He cherisseth hir / as thogh she were a queene
And she was to hym trewe / for euere moore
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Of thise two folk / ye gete of me namoore
¶ Aurelius / that his cost hath al forlorn
Curseth the tyme / that euere he was born
Allas quod he / allas that I bihighte
Of pured gold / a thousand pound of wighte
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Vn to this Philosophre / how shal I do
I se namoore / but that I am for do
Myn heritage / moot I nedes selle
And been a beggere / here may I nat dwelle
And shamen al my kynrede / in this place
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But I of hym / may gete bettre grace
But nathelees / I wol of hym assaye
At certeyn dayes / yeer by yeer to paye