The Franklin's Tale
Folio 133r
2 of 24 folios
35
Of swich lordship as men han of hir wyues
And for to lede the more in blisse hir lyues
Of his fre wille he swoor hir as a knyght
That neuer in al his lyue he day ne nyght
Ne shold vpon him take no maistrye
40
Agayn hir wille ne kithe hir Ialousye
But hir obeye and folowe hir wille in al
As any louer to his lady shal
Saue that the name of soueraynte
That wolde he haue for shame of his degre
45
¶ She thanked him and wyth gret humblesse
She seide syr sith your gentilesse
Ye profer me to haue so large a reyne
Ne wolde neuer god bitwix vs tweyne
As in my gilt were either werre or strif
50
Syr I wol be your humble trew wif
Haue here my trouthe til that myn hert breste
Thus ben thei bothe in quyete and in reste
For o thing syres dar I hardly seye
That frendes eche othir moot obeye
55
If thei wol longe holden compaignye
Loue wole nat be constreyned bi maistrie
Whan maistrie comth the god of loue anon
Beteth his wynges and fare wel he is gon
Loue is a thing as any spirit fre
60
Wommen of kynde desiren liberte
And nat to be constreyned as a thral
And so don men yif I sooth seyn shal
Loke who that moost is pacient in loue
He is at his auauntage al a boue
65
Pacience is an higħ vertue certeyn
For it venquysshet as thise clerkes seyn
Thing that rigour sholde neuer atteyne
For euery word men may not chide or pleyne
Lerneth to suffre or elles so mot I gon
70
Ye shal it lerne wher so ye wol or non
For in this world certeyn ther no wight is