Lenvoye de Chaucer
Folio 101v
1 of 2 folios
For sith a womman / was so pacient
1150
Vn to a mortal man / wel moore vs ogħte
Receyuen al in gree / that god vs sent
For greet skile is / he preeue that he wrogħte
But he / ne tempteth no man / that he bogħte
As seith Seint Iame / if ye his pistel rede
1155
He preeueth folk al day / it is no drede
And suffreth vs / as for oure excercise
With sharpe scourges / of Aduersitee
Ful ofte / to be bete in sondry wise
Nat for to knowe oure wyl / for certes he ;
1160
Er we were born / knew oure freletee
And for oure beste / is al his gouernaūce
Lat vs thanne lyue / in vertuous suffraūce
¶ But o word lordynges herkneth er I go
It were ful hard / to fynde now a dayes
1165
In al a toun / Grisildis / thre or two
For if þt they were put to swiche assayes
The gold of hem / hath now so badde alayes
With bras / þt thogħ the coyne be fair at eye
It wolde rather / breste atwo than plye
1170
For which heere / for the wyues loue of Bathe
Whos lyf and al hir secte god mayntene
In heigh maistrie / and elles were it scathe
I wol with lusty herte / fressħ and grene
Seyn yow a song to glade yow I wene
1175
And lat vs stynte / of ernestful matere
Herkneth my song that seith in this manere
Grisilde is deed / and eek hir pacience
And bothe atones / buryed in Ytaille
For which I crie / in open audience
No wedded man / so hardy be tassaille
5
His wyues pacience / in hope to fynde
Grisildis / for in certein he shal faille
O noble wyues / ful / of heigħ prudence
Lat noon humylitee / youre tonge naille
Ne lat no clerk / haue cause or diligence
10
To write of yow / a storie of swich meruaille
As of Grisildis / pacient and kynde
Lest Chichiuache / yow swelwe in hir entraille