The Franklin's Tale
Folio 132r
18 of 20 folios
¶ And of Arueragus the worthy knygħt
That bad hir holden / al þt she had higħt
So looth hym was / his wyf sholde breke hir trouthe
And in his herte / he caughte of this greet routhe
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Considerynge / the beste on euery syde
That fro his lust yet were hym leuere abyde
Than doon / so heigħ a cherlyssħ wrecchednesse
Agayns franchise / and alle gentillesse
For whicħ / in fewe wordes seyde he thus
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¶ Madame / seyeth to your lord Arueragus
That sith I se his grete gentillesse
To yow / and eek I se wel your distresse
That hī were leuere han shame / and þt were routhe
Than ye to me / sholde breke thus youre trouthe
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I haue wel leuere / euere to suffre wo
Than I departe / the loue bitwix yow two
I yow relesse madame / in to your hond
Quyt euery serement and euery bond
That ye han maad to me / as heer biforn
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Sith thilke tyme / which þt ye were born
My trouthe I pligħte / I shal yow neuer repreue
Of no biheste / and heere I take my leue
As of the treweste / and the beste wyf
That euere yet I knew in al my lyf
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But euery wyf be war of hir biheeste
On Dorigene / remembreth / atte leeste
Thus kan a Squier / doon a gentil dede
As wel as kan a knygħt with outen drede
¶ She thonketh hym / vp on hir knees al bare
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And hoom / vn to hir housbonde is she fare
And tolde hym al / as ye han herd me sayd
And be ye siker / he was so weel apayd
That it were inpossible / me to wryte
What sholde I lenger / of this cas endyte
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¶ Arueragus / and Dorigene his wyf
In souereyn blisse / leden forth hir lyf
Neuere eft ne was ther Angre hem bitwene
He cherisseth hir / as thougħ she were a queene
And she was to hym / trewe for eueremoore
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Of thise folk / ye gete of me namoore
Aurelius / that his cost hath al forlorn
Curseth the tyme / þt euere he was born
Allas quod he / allas that I bihigħte
Of pured gold / a thousand pound of wigħte
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Vn to this Philosophre / how shal I do
I se namoore / but that I am fordo
Myn heritage / moot I nedes selle
And been a begger / heere may I nat dwelle