The Clerk's Tale
Folio 95v
12 of 35 folios
The heris han thei kempt that lay vntressed
380
Ful rudely and wyth hir fyngers smale
A corone on hir hed thei han y dressed
And sette it ful of nouches grete and smale
Of hir array what sholde I make a tale
Vnneth the peple hir knew for hir fairnesse
385
Whan she transmewed was in swich richesse
This Marquys hath hir spoused wyth a rynge
Brought for the same cause and than hir sette
Vpon an hors snow white and wel amblynge
And to his paleys or he lenger lette
390
Wyth ioyful peple that hir lad and mette
Conueyde hir and thus the day thei spende
In reuel til the sonne gan descende
And shortely forth this Matere for to chase
I sey to this new Marquysesse
395
God hath swich fauour sent hir of his gace
That it ne semed nat by liklynesse
That she was born and fed in rudenesse
As in a cote or in oxes stalle
But norissed in an Emperours halle
400
To euery wyght she woxen is so dere
And worshipful that folk there she was bore
And from hir byrthe knew hir yeer bi yeer
Vnneth trowed thei but durst han swore
That to Ianycle of which I spake bifore
405
She doughter was for as bi coniecture
Hem thought she was a nothe creature
For though that euer vertuous was she
She was encresid in swich excellence
Of thewes goode / yset in hie bounte
410
And so discret and fair of elloquence
So benygne and so digne of reuerence
And coude so the peples herte embrace
That eche hir loueth that loketh on hir face