The Squire's Tale
Folio 125r
4 of 16 folios
As wel by werk / as by auctoritee
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For gentil herte / kithetħ gentillesse
I se wel ȝe han / of my distresse
Compassioū / my faire Canacee
Of verray wōmanly / benygnetee
That nature / in ȝoure principijs hatħ set
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But for non hope / for to fare the bet
But for to obeye / vn to ȝoure herte free
And for to maken othere / I war by me
As by the whelp / is chastised the leou
Rigħt for that cause / and that conclusiou
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Whil that I haue a leiser / and a space
Myn harm I wil confessen / or I pace
And whil that oon / hire sorwe tolde
That other wepe / as she to water wolde
Til that the faucoū / bad hire to be stille
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And witħ a syke / rigħt thus she seide hire wylle
¶ There I was bred / allas that ilke day
An forstred in a roche / of marbel gray
So tenderly / that no thyng eyled me
I nyst nat / what was aduersitee
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Til I coude flee / ful heigħ vnder the sky
Tho dwelled a Tercelet / me fast by
That semed wellewellwelle / of al gentillesse
Al were he ful of tresoū / & falsnesse
It was so wrapped / vnder humble chere
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And vnder hew of trouthe / in sucħ manere
Vnder plesaunce / & vnder besy peyne
That no wygħt wold han wend / he coude feyne
So diep in greyn / he dyed hise colours
Rigħt as a serpent / hidetħ vnder floures
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Til he may sen his tyme / for to byte
Rigħt so / this god of loues Ypocrite
Dotħ his sermouns / and obeisaunces
And kepetħ in semblaunt / alle his obseruaunces
That sovnetħ in to gentillesse / of loue
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As on a Toumbe / is al the fair a boue
And vnder is the cors / swicħ as ȝe wote
Swicħ was this Ypocrite / bothe cold and hote
And in this wyse / he serued his entente
That saue the fend / noon wist what he ment
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Til he so longe had weped / and compleyned
And many ȝere / his seruyse to me feyned
Til that myn herte / to pitous & to nyce
Al Innocent / of his crowned malice
So fered of his detħ / as thougħt me