The Clerk's Tale
Folio 126r
4 of 28 folios
And peyned hire to done al þat sche myht
Preieinge þe chambreres for goddes sake
To hasten hem & fast swepe & schake
And sche þe most seruisiable of aƚƚ
980
Haþe euery chambre arraide & his haƚƚ
¶ Aboute vndern gan þis erle alyht
And wyþ him brouht his noble childern tweye
For wiþ þe peple ran to see þat siht
Of hir arraye so Richely be seye
985
And þan at arst amonges hem þei seye
Þat walter was no fule þouhe þat him leste
To chaunge his wif for it was for þe beste
¶ For sche is fairere as þei demen alle
Þan is Crisilde & more tendir of age
990
And feirer fruyte betwene hem schold faƚƚ
And more plesance for hir hihe lignage
Hir broþer eke so faire was of visage
That hem to se þe peple haþ kauht plesance
Cōmendynge nowe þe Markes gouernance
995
¶ O stormy peple vnsad & euer vntrewe
Ay indiscrete & chaungeinge as a fane
Deliteinge aye in Rombbe þat is newe
Fare like þe mone ay wexen ȝe & wane
Ay ful of Clappinge dere ynowhe a Iane
1000
Ȝoure dome as fals ȝoure inconstance wele preueþ
A for grete fole is he þat on ȝowe leueþ
¶ Thus seiden sadde folke in þat Cite
Whan þat þe peple gased vp & doune
For þei were glad riht for þe nouelte
1005
To haue a newe lady of here toune
No more of þis now make .I. mencione
Bot to Crisilde anone .I. wil me dresse
And tel hir Constance & hir besinesse
¶ Ful besy was crisilde in euery þinge
1010
Þat to þe feste was apertenent
Riht nouht was sche abassched of hir cloþinge
Þouhe it were rode & eke somdele to rente
Bot wiþ glad chiere to þe ȝate is wente
Wyþ oþere folke to grete þe marquysesse
1015
And after þat doþ forþe hir besinesse
¶ Wiþ so gladde chiere his gestes sche resceyueþ
And conyngly eueryche in his degre
Þat defaute noman apperceyueþ