The Clerk's Tale
Folio 127r
2 of 28 folios
Sche ferd as sche had stert oute of hir slepe
Til sche oute of hir masedenesse abraide
Crisida qd he be god þat for vs deide
Thou ert my wif ne none oþer .I. haue
Ne neuer had so god my soule saue
1065
¶ This is þi douhter whiche þou hast supposed
To be my wif þat toþer faiþe fully
Schal be myne heire as .I. haue aye purposed
Thou bare hem in þi bodi trewly .
Att Boleyne haue .I. kepped hem piuely
1070
Takeþ hem aȝeine for nowe maist þou sey nouȝt
Þat þou hast lorne none of þi children tweie
¶ And folke þat oþerewise haue seide of me
.I. warne hem wele þat .I. haue done þis dede
For no malece ne for no cruelte
1075
Bot for to assaie in þe þi wōmanhede
And nouht for to sle my childern god forbede
Bot for to kepe hem piuely & stiƚƚ
Til .I. þi purpos knewe & al þi wiƚƚ
¶ Whan sche þis herde a swoune doune sche falleþ
1080
For pitous Ioye & after hire swoneinge
Sche boþe hir ȝonge childerne to hire calleþ
And in hir armes pytously wepeinge
Embraseþ hem & tendurly kissinge
Ful lyk amode wiþ þe hir salte teres
1085
Sche baþes boþ hire vesage & hire eres
¶ O whiche a pitous syht it was to see
Hir swoneynge & hire humble voice to here
Graunt mercye lord god .I. þonked ȝowe qd she
Þat ȝe haue sauede me my childern dere
1090
Nowe reche .I. neuere to be dede riht here
Seþþe .I. stonde in ȝoure loue & in ȝoure grace
No force of deþe ne whan my sprite passe
¶ O tender o dere o ȝonge childern myne
ȝoure wofulmodere wend stedfastly
1095
Þat cruel houndes or sum foule vermyne
Had eten ȝowe bot god of his mercye
& ȝoure benigne fader tendurly
Haþe done ȝowe kepe in þe same stounde
Al sodanly sche swapped a downe to grounde
1100
And in hir swoune so sadly haldeþ sche
Here childern tuo whan sche gan hem enbrace