The Clerk's Tale
Folio 258v
29 of 30 folios
Ful manye a ȝeer ī hih prosperite
Lyuyn these too in concord & in reste
1130
And r\i/chely his doghtyr maryede he
Vn to a lord on of the worthieste
Of xxx al ytayle & þāne in pees & reste
Hise wyuys fadyr in his court he kepith
Tyl þt þe soule out of the body crepith
1135
His sone succedith in his heritage
In reste & pees aftyr his faderys day
And fortenat was ek in mariage
Al put he nat his wif in greet assay
This world is nat so strong It is no nay
1140
As it hath been in olde tymis ȝoore
And herkenyth what thi\s/ auctor seyth therfore
This stori is seyd noght for that wyuys schulde
Folwȳ grysilde as in humylitee
For it were importable thogh they wolde
1145
But for that euery wight in his degree
Schulde been constaunt in aduersitee
As was Grisilde / therfore this Petrak wryteth
This story which he wt high style endyteth
For sythe a woman was sopacient
1150
Vn to a mortal man wel more vs ogħte
Receyuyn al in gre þt god we see
For greet skele is he / preue that he wroghte
But he ne tēptyth no man that he bo\u/ghte
As seith seynt Iame / If ye his pistyl reede
1155
He preuyth folk alday / it is no drede
And sufferyth vs as for excercice
W scharpe sc\h/ourgis / of aduercitee
Ful ofte to be bet in sundery wyse
Not for to knowe / oure wil for certis he
1160
Er we were born knew al oure freletee
And for oure beste is al his gouernaūce
Lat vs thāne lyue / in verteuous sufferaūce