The Franklin's Tale
Folio 132r
3 of 18 folios
He to his hous is gon / witħ sorweful herte
He seetħ he may nat / froo his deetħ a sterte
315
Hym semed that he felt / his hert colde
Vp to the heuene / hise hondes he gan holde
And on hise knees bare / he sette hī doun
And in his rauyng / seide his orisoun
For werray woo / out of his wyt he breide
320
He nyste what he spak / but thus he seide
Witħ pitous herte / his pleynt hatħ he bygonne
Vn to the goddes / and first vn to the Sonne
¶ He seide Appollo / god and gouernour
Of euery plaunte / herbe / Tree and flour
325
That ȝeuest after / thy declynaciou
To eche of hem / his tyme and his sesoun
As thyn herberwe chaungetħ / lowe or heigħe
Lord Phebus / cast thy mercyable eye
On wrecched Aurelie / whicħ that am but lorñ
330
Loo lord my lady / hatħ my detħ I sworñ
Witħ outen gilt / but thyn benygnetee
Vp on my dedly hert / haue som pitee
For wel I woot / lord Phebus / if ȝow list
Ȝe moun me helpen / saue my lady best
335
Now vouche saf / that I may ȝow deuyse
How that I may be holpen / and in what wyse
¶ Ȝoure blisful Suster/ lucyna the shene
lucyna : ".i. luna" interlinear gloss.ODR
That of the See / is chief goddes and quene
Thougħ Neptunë / haue deitee in the See
340
Ȝet emperesse a bouen hī / is she
Ȝe knowen wel lord / that rigħt as hire desire
Is to be quyked and ligħted / of ȝoure fyre
For whicħ she folwetħ ȝow / ful besily
Rigħt to the See / desiretħ naturely
345
To folwen hire / as she that is goddesse
Bothe in the See / and Ryuers more and lesse
Wherfore lord Phebus / this is my requeste
Do this myracle / or do myn herte breste
That now next / at this appossiciouñ
350
Whicħ in the signe shal be / of the leoun
As preietħ hire / so gret a flood to brynge
That fyue fadme at the leste / it ouer spinge
The heieste Rokke / in armoryk Brytayne
And late this flode / endure ȝeres tweyne
355
Thanne certes to my lady / may I seye
Haldetħ ȝoure heste / the Rokkes ben a weye
¶ Lord Phebus
/ do this myracle for me
¶ Janus biceps