The Clerk's Tale
Folio 174v
3 of 35 folios
xxxx with he was to speke as of lynage
xxe gentileste / yborn of Lumbardye
A fair persone / and strong and yong of age
And ful of honor / and of curteisye
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Discret ynogh / his contree for to gye
Saue in some thynges / þt he was to blame
And Walter / was this yonge lordes name
¶ I blame hym thus / that he considered noght
In tyme comynge / what myghte hym bityde
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But on his lust persent was al his thoght
As for to hauke / and hunte on euery syde
Wel neigh / alle oothere cures leet he slyde
And eek he nolde / and that was worst of alle
Wedde no wyf for noght þt may bifalle
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¶ Oonly that point his peple bar so soore
That flokmele on a day / they to hym wente
And oon of hem / þt wisest was of loore
Or ellis / þt the lord / best wolde assente
That he sholde telle hym / what his peple mente
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Or ellis koude he / shewe wel swich matere
He to the Markys seyde / as ye shal heere
¶ O noble Markys / your humanitee
Assureth vs / and yeueth vs hardynesse
As ofte / as tyme is of necessitee
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That we to yow / mowe telle oure heuynesse
Accepteth lord / now of your gentillesse
That we with pitous herte / vn to yow pleyne
And lat youre erys / noght my voys disdeyne
¶ Al haue I noght to doone / in this matere
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Moore than another man / hath in this place
Yet for as muche / as ye my lord so deere
Han alwey shewed me / fauour and gace
I dar the bettre / aske of yow a space
Of audience / to shewen oure requeste
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And ye my lord / to doon right as yow leste