The Clerk's Tale
Folio 127v
1 of 28 folios
That wiþ grete slyht & grete difficulte
The childerne from hir harme þei gun race
O many atere on mony a pitous face
1105
Doune ranne on hem þat stoden hir be side
Vnneþ aboute hir myhten þei abide
¶ Walter hire gladeþ & hire sorwe slakeþ
Sche riseþ vp abasched from hir traunce
And euery wyht hire ioyeþ & fest makeþ
1110
Til sche haþe cauht aȝeine her countenance
Waltier hir doþe so feiþefully plesance
Þat it is deynteþ for to see þe chiere
Be twexe hem tuo nowe þei bue mette in fere
¶ This ladyse whan þat þei her time seie
1115
Han taken hir & in to chambre gone
And strippen hir oute of hir rode araie
And in a cloþe of golde þat briht schone
Wiþ a corenal & mony a riche stone
Vpon hir hede þei in to hal hir brouhte
1120
And þan sche was honoured as sche ouhte
¶ Thus haþe þis pytous daie a blisful ende
For euery man & wōman doþe her myht
This daie in merþe & reuel to despende
Til on þe welkine schone þe sterres briht
1125
For more solempne in euery mannes siht
This feste was & gretter of costage
Than was þe reuel of hir mariage
¶ Ful mony a ȝere in hihe prosperite
Leuen þis tuo in concorde & rest
1130
And richely his douhter maried he
Vn to a lorde one of þe worþiest
Of aƚƚ ytaile þan . & pees & rest
His wives fader in his courte he kepeþ
Til þat his soule oute of his body crepeþ
1135
¶ His sōne succedeþ in his heritage
In reste & pes after his fader daie
And fortunate eke was in mariage
Al pute he nouht his wif in grete assaie
Þis werlde is not so stronge it is no naye
1140
As it haþe bue in olde time ȝore
And erkeneþ what þis auctor seiþ þerefore
¶ This storie is seide not for þat wyues scholde
Folowen Crisilde as in humilite F 128r|
For it were importable þouhe þei wolde
1145
Bot for þat euery whight in his degre
Scholde be constant in aduersite
As was Crisilda þer for Petrake wryteþ
This story whiche he wiþ hihe stile enditeþ
¶ For seþþe awōman was so paciente
1150
Vnto a mortel man wele more vs ouht
Receyuen al in gre þat god vs sente
For grete skylles he proueþ þat he wrouht
Bot he tempteþ no man þat he bouht
As seiþe seinte Iame if ȝe his pistel rede
1155
He proueþ folke aldaie it is no drede
¶ And suffreþ vs as for oure exercise
Wiþ scharpe scourges of aduersite
Ful often to be beten in sundry wise
Nouȝt for to knowe oure wil for certes he
1160
Or we ware borne knewe al oure frelete
And for oure best is al his gouernance
Lete vs þan leue in vertuous suffrance
¶ Bot lordinges o worde herkeneþ ar .I. go
It ware ful harde to finde nowe a dayes
1165
In al a toune Crisildes one or tuo
For if þat þei were put to suche assaies
The golde of hem haþe nowe so bad laies
Wiþ bras þat þouhe þe coyne be faire at eye
It wolde raþer brist y tuo þan plye
1170
¶ For whiche for þe wyues loue of baþe
Whas lyf & al here helþe god maynteigne
In hir maystre & elles ware it skaþe
.I. wolde wiþ lusty herte frische & grene
Sey ȝowe a songe to glad ȝowe .I. wene
1175
And latte vs stint of enest ful matiere
Herkeneþ my songe þat seiþe in þis manere