The Franklin's Tale
Folio 170r
23 of 24 folios
And axed of hire whider þat sche wente
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And sche answerde half as sche were mad
Vnto þe gardyn as mȳ housbonde bad
My trouþe for to holde allas allas
Aurelius gan wonder of þis caas
And in his herte had gret compassioū
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Of hire and of hire lamentacioū
And of Arueragus þe worþy knigħt
And bad hire holde al þat sche higħt
So loþ he was his wijf schulde breke hir trouþe
And in his herte he caste of þis gret rouþe
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Considerynge þe beste on euery syde /
That fro his luste were him better abyde
Than don so heigħ a cherles wrecchednes
Aȝeins fraunchise and aȝein al gentilnes
For which in fewe wordes sayde he þus
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Ma dame seiþ to ȝoure lord Arueragus
Þat seþyns I se þis grete gentilnes /
To ȝou and ek I se wel ȝoure distres
Certes me þinkeþ it were right gret rouþe
Þen ȝe to me þus schulde breke ȝoure trouþe
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I haue wel leuer euer to suffre wo
Þen I departe þe loue betwixe ȝou tuo
I ȝou relesse ma dame in to ȝoure hand
Quyte euery surement and euery band
That ȝe han made to me as here byforn
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Siþens þilke tyme that ȝe were born
My trouþe I pligħt I schal ȝou neuer repreue
Of no biheste and here I take my leue /
As of þe trewest and þe beste wyf
Þat euer ȝit I knew in al my lyf
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But euery wigħt be war of hire byheste
On Dorigen remembreþ atte leste
Thus can a squier don a gentil dede
As wel as can a knight wiþouten drede
Sche þanked him vppon hir knees al bare