The Clerk's Tale
Folio 189r
32 of 35 folios
1065
¶ This is thy doghter / which thow hast supposed
To be my wyf / that oother feithfully
Shal be myn heir / as I haue ay supposed
Thow bare hym / in thy body trewely
At Boloigne / haue I kept hem piuely
1070
Tak hem agayn / for now maistow nat seye
That thow hast lorn / noon of thy children tweye
¶ And folk / þt oother weys / han seyd of me
I warne hem wel / þt I haue doon this dede
For no malice / ne for no crueltee
1075
But for tassaye in thee / thy wommanhede
And nat to sleen my children / god forbede
But for to kepe hem / pryuely and stille
Til I thy purpos knewe / and al thy wille
¶ Whan she this herde / aswowne doun she falleth
1080
For pitous ioye / and after hir swownynge
She bothe hir yonge children / vn to hir calleth
And in hir armes / pitously wepynge
Embraceth hem / and tendrely kissynge
Ful lyk a moder / with hir salte terys
1085
She batheth / bothe hir visage and hir herys
¶ O which a pitous thyng it was to se
Hir swownyng and hir humble voys to heere
Grant mercy lord / god thanke it yow / quod she
That ye han saued me / my children deere
1090
Now rekke I neuere / to been ded right heere
Sith I stonde in your loue / and in youre gace
No fors of deeth / ne whan my spirit pace
¶ O tendre / o deere / o yonge children myne
Youre woful moder / wende stedefastly
1095
That cruel houndes / or som foul vermyne
Hadde eten yow / but god of his mercy
And youre benygne fader / tendrely
Hath doon yow kept and in that same stounde
Al sodeynly / she swapte adoun to grounde