The Clerk's Tale
Folio 103v
24 of 27 folios
But to Grisilde a geyn / I wol me dresse
And telle hire constaunce / and hire besynesse
¶ Ful besy was Grisilde / in euery thyng
1010
That to the fest / was pertynent
Rigħt nougħt was she a bayst / of hire clothyng
Thougħ it were rude / and somdele eke to rent
But witħ glad chere / to the ȝate is she went
Witħ othere folk / to grete the Markysesse
1015
And after that / dotħ fortħ hire besynesse
¶ Witħ so glad chere / hise gestes she resceyued
And so konyngly / euericħ in his degree
That no defaute / noman perceyued
But ay they wondren / what she be
1020
That in so poore aray / was for to se
And coude swicħ honor / and reuerence
And worthily they preisen / hire prudence
¶ In al this mene while / she ne stynt
This Mayde / and eke hire brother / to comende
1025
Witħ al hire herte / in ful benigne entent
So wel / that noman coude / hire pris amende
But at the last / whan that theise lordes wende
To setten hē doun to mete / he gan to calle
Grisilde / as she was besy / in the halle
1030
¶ Grisilde qd he / as it were in his pley
How lyketħ the my wyf / and hire beaute
Rigħt wel qd she / my lord / for in good fey
A fairere saw I neuere noon / than she
I preye to god / ȝeue hire prosperite
1035
And so hope I / that he wyl to ȝow send
Plesaunce I now / vn to ȝoure lyues end
¶ O thyng byseke I ȝow / and warne also
That ȝe ne pryke / wt no turmentynge
This tendre Mayde / as ȝe han don moo
1040
For she is fostred / in hire norisshynge
More tenderly / and to my supposynge
She coude nat / aduersite endure
As coude a poore / fostred creature
¶ And whan this Walter / saugħ hire pacience
1045
Hire glad chere / and no malice at al
And he so oft / had don to hire offence
And she ay sad / and constaū t as a wal
Contenuyng euere / hire Innocence oueral
This sturdy Markys / gan his hert dresse
1050
To rewe vp oon hire wyfly / stedfastnesse
¶ This is I now / Grisilde myn qd he