The Franklin's Tale
Folio 155r
4 of 24 folios
Nat fer fro Pedmark ther his dwellyng was
Wher as he lyueth / in blisse and in solas
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¶ Who koude telle / but he hadde wedded be
The ioye / the ese / and the prosperitee
That is / bitwix an housbonde / and his wyf
A yeer and moore / lasted this blisful lyf
Til þt the knyght of which I speke of thus
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That of kairrud / was clepid Arueragus
Shoope hym to goon / and dwelle a yeer or twayne
In Engelond / that clepid was ek Britayne
To seke in armes / worshipe and honour
For al his lust he sette in swich labour
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And dwelled ther two yeer / the book seith thus
¶ Now wol I stynte / of this Arueragus
And speke I wole / of Dorigene his wyf
That loueth hir housbonde / as hir hertes lyf
For his absence / wepeth she and siketh
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As doon thise noble wyues / whan hem liketh
She moorneth / waketh / waileth / fasteth / pleyneth
Desir of his persence / hir so destreyneth
That al this wide world / she set at noght
Hir freendes whiche þt knowe / hir heuy thoght
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Conforten hire / in al that euer they may
They perchen hire / they telle hir nyght and day
That causelees / she sleeth hir self allas
And euery confort possible in this cas
They doon to hire / with al hir bisynesse
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Al for to make hire / leue hir heuynesse
¶ By proces / as ye knowen euerichoon
Men may so longe / grauen in a stoon
Til som figure / ther Inne empernted be
So longe / han they conforted hir / til she
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Receyued hath / by hope and by resoū
The emperntyng of hir consolacioū
Thurgh which / hir grete sorwe gan aswage
She may nat alwey / duren in swich rage
¶ And eek Arueragus / in al this care
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Hath sent hir lettres hom / of his welfare
And that he wole / come hastily agayn
Or ellis hadde this sorwe / hir herte slayn