Lenvoye de Chaucer
Folio 107r
1 of 2 folios
1170
For which heer for the wyues loue of bathe
Wos lif and hir secte god mayntene
In hie maistrye and elles were it scathe
Y wol wyth lusty herte fressh and grene
Sey yow a songe to glade yow I. wene
1175
And let vs stente of ernestful matere
Herkeneth my songe that seith in this manere
Grisilde is ded and eke hir pacience
And bothe at ones in ytaille
Wherefore I crie in open audience
No wedded man be hardy to assaille
5
His wyues pacience in hope to fynde
Grisildis for certeyn he shal fayle
O noble wyues ful of prudence
Lat nat humilite your tonge nayle
Ne lat no clerk haue cause or diligence
10
To wryte of yow a story of which maruaille
As of grisildis pacient and kynde
Lest chychyuache yow swolow in hir entraille
Folwyth ecto that holdeth no silence
But euer answereth at the countretaille
15
Be nat bidaffed for your Innocence
But sharpely take on yow the gouernaylle
Emprentyth this lessoun in your mynde
For commune profit syn it may auaylle
Ye archewyues standeth at deffence
20
Syn ye ben stronge as is a gret camaile
Ne suffreth nat that men do yow offence
And sclendre wyues feble as in bataille
Beth egre as is a tigre yonde in ynde
Ay clappeth as a mylle y yow consaille .