The Squire's Tale
Folio 284r
15 of 16 folios
That I hadde graūtede fully myn looue
In swich a gise as it was seyd a boue
And ȝeuȳ hȳ myn trewe herte as fre
As he swoor he ȝaf his herte to me
535
A non this tigre ful of doubilnesse
Fil on hise kneis wt so deuout humblesse
With so high reuerence as bi hire cheere
So lyk a gentil louere of manere
So rauyschid as it semede for the Ioye
540
That neuere Troylis ne parys of Troye
Iason certis ne nō oþer man
Syn lameth was / þt aldyrferst be gan
To louȳ too as wrytyn folk by forn
Ne neuere sȳ the fyrste man was born
545
Ne coude man by twenty thousent part
Coūtyrfete the sophemys of his art
Ne were worthi onbokele his galoche
There doubilnesse or feynȳge schulde aproche
Ne so coude thanke a whit as he dede me
550
His manere was an heuene for to se
To ony wemā were che neuere so wys
So peyntede he & kembede at poynt deuys
As weel hise wordis as hise contenaūce
And I louede hȳ for his obeysaūce
555
And for the trouthe I demede in his herte
That ȝif so were that ony thyng hȳ smerte
Al were it neuere so lyte & I it wiste
Me thouȝte I felte deth myn herte twyste
And schortely so fer forth this thyng went
560
That myn wil was his willis instrument
This is to seye myn wil obeyede his wil
In alle thȳge as fer as resoū xx fil
Kepynge the boūdis of myn worchepe euere
Ne neuere hadde I thyng so leef ne leuere
565
As hȳ god wot ne neuere schal nomo
This lastede lengere thā a ȝeer or two
That I supposede of hire not but good
But finally thus at the laste it stood