The Franklin's Tale
Folio 135r
14 of 18 folios
For whicħ illusions / and swicħ meschaunces
585
As hethen folk vseden / in thilke dayes
For whicħ no lengere / maketħ he delayes
But thurgħ his Magyk / for a weke or tweye
It semed / that alle the Rokkes / were a weye
¶ Aurelius / whicħ that ȝet / despayred is
590
Wheither he shal han his lyf
/ or fare amys
Cross in ink in the right margin. ODR
A waytetħ nygħt and day / on this myracle
And whan he knew / that there was noon obstacle
That voided were theise Rokkes / euerychoū
Doun to his maistres feet / he fel a noon
595
And seide / I wooful wrecched Aurelius
Thank ȝow lord / and lady myn / Venus
That me han holpen / for my cares colde
And to the Temple / his weye / fortħ hatħ he holde
Where as he knew / he shulde his lady se
600
And whan he saugħ his tyme / a noon rigħt he
Witħ dredful herte / and witħ humble chere
Salued hatħ / his souerayn lady dere
¶ My rigħtful lady / quod this wooful man
Whom I moost drede and loue / as I best can
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And lothest were / of al this world / displese
Nere it that I / for ȝow haue swicħ dissese
That I must deyen heere / at ȝoure foot a noon
Nougħt wolde I telle / how me is woo bygon
But certes / either must I dye or pleyne
610
Ȝe sleen me giltlees / for verray peyne
But of my detħ / thougħ that ȝe haue no routhe
A vysetħ ȝow / er that ȝe breke ȝoure trouthe
Repentetħ ȝow / for thilke god a boue
Or ȝe me sleen / by cause that I ȝow loue
615
For Madame wel ȝe woot / what ȝe han higħt
Nat that I chalenge / any thyng of rigħt
Of ȝow / my souerayn lady / but ȝoure grace
But in a gardeyn ȝonder / at swicħ a place
Ȝe wot rigħt wel / what ȝe behigħten me
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And in myn hond / ȝoure treuthe pligħt ȝe
To loue me best / god wot ȝe seide so
Al be / that I vnworthy am ther to
Madame / I speke it for the honour of ȝow
More than to saue / myn hertes lyf rigħt now
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I haue do so / as ȝe comaunded me
And if ȝe vouchesaf / ȝe may go se