The Clerk's Tale
Folio 131r
30 of 32 folios
Gaunt mercy lord . god thank it ȝow quod sche
That ȝe han kept my children so deere
1090
Now rek I neuer to be deed right heere /
Sith I stond in ȝour loue and in ȝour grace
No fors of deth ne whan my spirit pace
O tender deere . ȝonge children myne
Ȝoure woful moder wende stedefastly
1095
That cruel houndes . and som foul vermyne
Had eten ȝow but god of his mercy
And ȝour benigne fader tenderly
Hath doon ȝow kept and in þat same stounde
Al sodeinly sche swapped doun to grounde /
1100
And in hir swough so sadly holdith sche
Hir children tuo . whan sche gan hem tembrace
That with gret sleigħt and gret difficulte
The children from her am þay gonne arace
O many a teer . o many a pitous face .
1105
Doun ran of hem þat stooden hir bisyde
Vnnethe aboute hir mighte þay abyde
Waltier hir gladith and hir sorwe slakith
Sche rysith vp abaisshed from hir traunce
And euery wight hir ioy and feste makith
1110
Til sche hath caugħt agayn hir continaunce
Wauter hir doth so faithfully plesaunce
That it was daynte for to see þe cheere
Bitwix hem tuo now þay ben met in feere
These ladys whan þat þay her tyme say
1115
Han taken hir and in to chambre goon
And strippen hir . out of hir rude array
And in a cloth of gold þat brighte schon
With a coroun of many a riche stoon
Vpon hir heed þay in to halle hir brought
1120
And þer sche was honoured as hir ougħt
Thus hath þis pitous day a blisful ende
For euery man and wōman doth his migħt
This day in mirth and reuel to despende
Til on þe welken schon þe sterres bright
1125
For more solempne in euery mannes sigħt