The Clerk's Tale
Folio 89v
5 of 29 folios
Lat me allone / in chesynge of my wyf
That charge / vp on my bak / I wole endure
But I yow preye / and charge vp on youre lyf
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What wyf that I take / ye me assure
To worshipe hir / whil that hir lyf may dure
In word and werk bothe heere and euerywheere
As she / an Emperoures doghter weere
And forthermoore / this shal ye swere / that ye ;
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Agayn my choys / shul neither grucche ne stryue
For sith / I shal / forgoon my libertee
At your requeste / as euere moot I thryue
Ther as myn herte is set ther wol I wyue
And but ye wole assente in this manere
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I prey yow / speketh namoore of this matere
¶ With hertely wyl / they sworen and assenten
To al this thyng ther seyde no wigħt nay
Bisekynge hym of gace / er that they wenten
That he / wolde graunten hem a certein day
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Of his spousaille / as soone / as euere he may
For yet alwey / the peple som what dredde
Lest þt the Markys / no wyf wolde wedde
¶ He graunted hem a day / swich as hym leste
On which / he wolde be wedded sikerly
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And seyde / he dide al this at hir requeste
And they / with humble entente / buxomly
Knelynge vp on hir knees ful reuerently
Hym thonken alle / and thus they han an ende
Of hir entente / and hoom agayn they wende
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¶ And heer vp on / he to hise officeres
Comaundeth / for the feste to purveye
And to hise piuee knygħtes and Squieres
Swich charge yaf / as hym liste on hem leye
And they / to his comandement obeye
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And ech of hem / dooth al his diligence
To doon / vn to the feeste reuerence