Lenvoye de Chaucer
Folio 144v
1 of 1 folios
1155
He preueþ folk alday it is no <3b>drede3b>
And suffreþ vs as for oure <1a>excercise1a>
Wiþ scharpe scorges of <2a>aduersite2a>
Ful often to ben betyn in sondry <1b>wyse1b>
Nought for to knowe oure wille for certes <2b>he2b>
1160
Or we were born knew al oure <2c>frelete2c>
And for oure beste is al oure <3a>gouernaūce3a>
Lat vs þanne lyue in vertuous <3b>suffraunce3b>
¶ But lordinges o word herkeneþ ar I <1a>go1a>
It were ful hard to fynde now a <2a>dayes2a>
1165
In aƚƚ a toun Grisildes þre or <1b>tuo1b>
For if þat þey were putte to suche <2b>assayes2b>
The golde of hem haþ now so badde <2c>layes2c>
Wiþ bras þat þougħ þe coyne be fayr at <3a>eye3a>
It wolde raþer berst a tuo þan <3b>plye3b>
1170
¶ For which her for þe wyues loue of <1a>Baþe1a>
Whos lijf and al hire helþe god <2a>mayntene2a>
In hire maystrye and elles were it <1b>skaþe1b>
I wolde wiþ lusty herte freisshe and <2b>grene2b>
Sey ȝou asong to glade ȝou I <2c>wene2c>
1175
And late vs stynte of ernestful <3a>matiere3a>
Herkneþ my song þat seiþ in þis <3b>manere3b>
¶ Grisild is deed and eek hir pacience
And boþe at oones buryed in ytayle
Wher fore I crye in open audience
No wedded man be hardy to assayle /
5
His wyues pacience in hope to fynde /
Grisildis for in certes he schal fayle /
O noble wyues ful of heih prudence
Lat non humilite ȝoure tonge nayle /
Ne lat no clerk haue cause or diligence
10
To write of ȝou a story of such meruayle
As Grisildis pacient and kynde
Lest chychevache ȝow swolwe in hire entrayle
Folweþ herto and holdeþ no scilence