The Clerk's Tale
Folio 125r
6 of 28 folios
Bot vnneþ þilke worde he spake
Bott wente his weie for rewþe & pite
Be forne þe folke hir seluen strepeþ sche
895
And in hire smoke wiþ foote & hede albare
To ward hir fader house sche is fare
¶ The folke hire folowen wepein in hir weie
And fortune aie þei cursen as þei gone
Bot sche fro wepeinge kepped hir eyȝen drie
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Ne in þis time worde ne spak sche none
Hir fader þat þis tiþinge herd a none
Cursiþ þe daie & time þat nature
Schope him to be a lyues creature
¶ For oute of doute þis olde poure man
For euer it demed siþþe it first began
Þat whan þe lorde had fulfilde his corage
Him wold þinge it were disparage
To wedde one of so pouere a lignage
To his astate so lowe to a lyht
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And voide hir as sone as euer he myht
¶ Aȝeine his douhter hastely goþe he
For he be noyse of folke knewe hire comeinge
And wiþ hire olde cote as it miht be
He couerde hir ful sorwfully wepinge
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Bot on hir bodi myht he it nouht bringe
For rude was þe cloþe & more of age
Be fele daies þan was hire mariage
¶ Thus wiþ hire fader for acerteine space
Dwelleþ þis floure of wifly pacience
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That neyþe be hir wordes ne be hir face
Be forne þe folke ne eke in hir absence .
Ne schewede sche þat hir was done offence
Ne of hire hihe a state in remembrance
Ne hadde sche as be hir countenance
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¶ No wondere is for in hire grete astate
Hire goste was euer in pleine humilite
No tendre mouþe none herte delicate
Ne pompe ne semblant of roialte
Bot ful of pacience & benignite
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Discrete & prideles ay honurable
And to hir husbond euere meke & stable
¶ Men speken of Iob & most of his humblesse
As clerkes whan hem liste can endite