The Clerk's Tale
Folio 244r
1 of 30 folios
Bowith ȝoure nekke / vndyr þe blysful ȝok
Of souereynte / & not of seruyse
115
Which þt men clepe / spousayle or wedlok
And thynkith lord / a mong ȝoure thouȝtys wyse
How þt oure dayis / passe in sundery wyse
For thow we slepe / or wake or rome or ryde
Ay fleth þe tyme / it nyl no man a byde
120
And þow ȝoure / grene thouȝt floure as ȝit
In crepith age / alwey as stylle as ston
And deth manasith / euery age & smyt
In eche estat / for þere escapith noon
And also serteyn / as we knowyn echon
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That we schal deye / as vncerteyn with alle
Been of þt day / whan deth schal on vs falle
Acceptyth þāne / of vs þe trewe entent
That neuere ȝit / refusedyn þȳ heste
And we wele lord / ȝif þt ȝe wele assent
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Chese ȝow a wyf / in schort tyme at þe leste
Born of þe / gentilleste & of þe meste
Of al þis lond / so þt it ogħte seene
Honour to god / & ȝow as wecan deme
Delyuere vs / out of al þis bosy drede
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And tak a wif for hyghe godis sake
For ȝif it / so be fel as god forbede
That þorw ȝoure deth ȝoure lyf schulde slake
And þt a straūge successour schulde take
Ȝoure erytage O wo were vs on lyue
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Wherfore we prey ȝow hastyly to wyue
Hire meke preyere & here pitous chire
Made þe Markis herte to haue pytee
Ȝe wele quod he myn owene peple dere
To þt I neuere erst thouȝte to streyne me
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I me reioysede of mȳ libertee
That selde tyme is foūde in maryage
There I was fre I mote been in seruage