The Clerk's Tale
Folio 95r
11 of 35 folios
Grisilde he seyde ye shul wel vnderstonde 78'
345
It liketh to your fadyr and to me
That y yow wedde and ek it may so stonde
As I suppose ye wol that it so be
But this demandes aske I first quod he
That syn it shal be don in hasty wyse
350
Wol ye assente or elles yow auyse
I sey this be ye redy wyth good hert
To al my lust and that y frely may
As me best thinketh do yow laugh or smert
And neuer ye to grucche it nyght ne day
355
And eke whan I sey. ye ne sey nat nay
Nouthir bi worde ne frounyng contenance
Swere this and here y swere our alliance
Wondryng vpon this word quakyng for drede
She seyde lord vndigne and vnworthi
360
Am y to thilke honour that ye me bede
But as ye wol your self ryght so wol. I.
And here I swere that neuer willyngly
In werke ne thought y nil yow disobeye
For to be deed thogh me were loth to dye.
365
This is y now grisilde myn quod he
And forth he goth wyth a ful sobre chere
Out atte dore and thanne cam she
And to the peple he seide in this manere
This is my wif quod he that stondeth here
370
Honureth hir and loueth hir I prey
Who so me loueth ther nys no more to sey
And for that nothing of hir olde gere
She sholde brynge in to his hous he bad
That wommen sholde despoylen hir ryght there
375
Of which this ladyes were no thing glad
To handil hir clothes wher in she was clad
But nathales this mayden bryght of hew
Fro foot to heed thei clothed han al new