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Front Page  Titles (by Subject) GROUP E. - The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 4 (The Canterbury Tales)
GROUP E. - Geoffrey Chaucer, The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 4 (The Canterbury Tales) [1899]Edition used:The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, edited from numerous manuscripts by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat (2nd ed.) (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1899). 7 vols. Vol. 4.
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GROUP E.
THE CLERK’S PROLOGUE.
(T. 7877-7898.)
Here folweth the Prologe of the Clerkes Tale of Oxenford.
- ‘SIR clerk of Oxenford,’ our hoste sayde,
- ‘Ye ryde as coy and stille as dooth a mayde,
- Were newe spoused, sitting at the bord;
- This day ne herde I of your tonge a word.
- I trowe ye studie aboute som sophyme,5
- But Salomon seith, “every thing hath tyme.”
- For goddes sake, as beth of bettre chere,
- It is no tyme for to studien here.
- Telle us som mery tale, by your fey;
- For what man that is entred in a pley,10
- He nedes moot unto the pley assente.
- But precheth nat, as freres doon in Lente,
- To make us for our olde sinnes wepe,
- Ne that thy tale make us nat to slepe.
- Telle us som mery thing of aventures;—15
- Your termes, your colours, and your figures,
- Kepe hem in stoor til so be ye endyte
- Heigh style, as whan that men to kinges wryte.
- Speketh so pleyn at this tyme, I yow preye,
- That we may understonde what ye seye.’20
- This worthy clerk benignely answerde,
- ‘Hoste,’ quod he, ‘I am under your yerde;
- Ye han of us as now the governaunce,
- And therfor wol I do yow obeisaunce,
- As fer as reson axeth, hardily.25
- I wol yow telle a tale which that I
- Lerned at Padowe of a worthy clerk,
- As preved by his wordes and his werk.
- He is now deed and nayled in his cheste,
- I prey to god so yeve his soule reste!30
- Fraunceys Petrark, the laureat poete,
- Highte this clerk, whos rethoryke sweete
- Enlumined al Itaille of poetrye,
- As Linian dide of philosophye
- Or lawe, or other art particuler;35
- But deeth, that wol nat suffre us dwellen heer
- But as it were a twinkling of an yë,
- Hem bothe hath slayn, and alle shul we dyë.
- But forth to tellen of this worthy man,
- That taughte me this tale, as I bigan,40
- I seye that first with heigh style he endyteth,
- Er he the body of his tale wryteth,
- A proheme, in the which discryveth he
- Pemond, and of Saluces the contree,
- And speketh of Apennyn, the hilles hye,45
- That been the boundes of West Lumbardye,
- And of Mount Vesulus in special,
- Where as the Poo, out of a welle smal,
- Taketh his firste springing and his sours,
- That estward ay encresseth in his cours50
- To Emelward, to Ferrare, and Venyse:
- The which a long thing were to devyse.
- And trewely, as to my Iugement,
- Me thinketh it a thing impertinent,
- Save that he wol conveyen his matere:55
- But this his tale, which that ye may here.’
THE CLERKES TALE.
Here biginneth the Tale of the Clerk of Oxenford.
- THER is, at the west syde of Itaille,
- Doun at the rote of Vesulus the colde,
- A lusty playne, habundant of vitaille,
- Wher many a tour and toun thou mayst biholde,60
- That founded were in tyme of fadres olde,
- And many another delitable sighte,
- And Saluces this noble contree highte.
- A markis whylom lord was of that londe,
- As were his worthy eldres him bifore;65
- And obeisant and redy to his honde(10)
- Were alle his liges, bothe lasse and more.
- Thus in delyt he liveth, and hath don yore,
- Biloved and drad, thurgh favour of fortune,
- Bothe of his lordes and of his commune.70
- Therwith he was, to speke as of linage,
- The gentilleste y-born of Lumbardye,
- A fair persone, and strong, and yong of age,
- And ful of honour and of curteisye;
- Discreet y-nogh his contree for to gye,75
- Save in somme thinges that he was to blame,(20)
- And Walter was this yonge lordes name.
- I blame him thus, that he considereth noght
- In tyme cominge what mighte him bityde,
- But on his lust present was al his thoght,80
- As for to hauke and hunte on every syde;
- Wel ny alle othere cures leet he slyde,
- And eek he nolde, and that was worst of alle,
- Wedde no wyf, for noght that may bifalle.
- Only that point his peple bar so sore,85
- That flokmele on a day they to him wente,(30)
- And oon of hem, that wysest was of lore,
- Or elles that the lord best wolde assente
- That he sholde telle him what his peple mente,
- Or elles coude he shewe wel swich matere,90
- He to the markis seyde as ye shul here.
- ‘O noble markis, your humanitee
- Assureth us and yeveth us hardinesse,
- As ofte as tyme is of necessitee
- That we to yow mowe telle our hevinesse;95
- Accepteth, lord, now for your gentillesse,(40)
- That we with pitous herte un-to yow pleyne,
- And lete your eres nat my voys disdeyne.
- Al have I noght to done in this matere
- More than another man hath in this place,100
- Yet for as muche as ye, my lord so dere,
- Han alwey shewed me favour and grace,
- I dar the better aske of yow a space
- Of audience, to shewen our requeste,
- And ye, my lord, to doon right as yow leste.105
- For certes, lord, so wel us lyketh yow(50)
- And al your werk and ever han doon, that we
- Ne coude nat us self devysen how
- We mighte liven in more felicitee,
- Save o thing, lord, if it your wille be,110
- That for to been a wedded man yow leste,
- Than were your peple in sovereyn hertes reste.
- Boweth your nekke under that blisful yok
- Of soveraynetee, noght of servyse,
- Which that men clepeth spousaille or wedlok;115
- And thenketh, lord, among your thoghtes wyse,(60)
- How that our dayes passe in sondry wyse;
- For though we slepe or wake, or rome, or ryde,
- Ay fleeth the tyme, it nil no man abyde.
- And though your grene youthe floure as yit,120
- In crepeth age alwey, as stille as stoon,
- And deeth manaceth every age, and smit
- In ech estaat, for ther escapeth noon:
- And al so certein as we knowe echoon
- That we shul deye, as uncerteyn we alle125
- Been of that day whan deeth shal on us falle.(70)
- Accepteth than of us the trewe entente,
- That never yet refuseden your heste,
- And we wol, lord, if that ye wol assente,
- Chese yow a wyf in short tyme, atte leste,130
- Born of the gentilleste and of the meste
- Of al this lond, so that it oghte seme
- Honour to god and yow, as we can deme.
- Deliver us out of al this bisy drede,
- And tak a wyf, for hye goddes sake;135
- For if it so bifelle, as god forbede,(80)
- That thurgh your deeth your linage sholde slake,
- And that a straunge successour sholde take
- Your heritage, o! wo were us alyve!
- Wherfor we pray you hastily to wyve.’140
- Hir meke preyere and hir pitous chere
- Made the markis herte han pitee.
- ‘Ye wol,’ quod he, ‘myn owene peple dere,
- To that I never erst thoghte streyne me.
- I me reioysed of my libertee,145
- That selde tyme is founde in mariage;(90)
- Ther I was free, I moot been in servage.
- But nathelees I see your trewe entente,
- And truste upon your wit, and have don ay;
- Wherfor of my free wil I wol assente150
- To wedde me, as sone as ever I may.
- But ther-as ye han profred me to-day
- To chese me a wyf, I yow relesse
- That choys, and prey yow of that profre cesse.
- For god it woot, that children ofte been155
- Unlyk her worthy eldres hem bifore;(100)
- Bountee comth al of god, nat of the streen
- Of which they been engendred and y-bore;
- I truste in goddes bountee, and therfore
- My mariage and myn estaat and reste160
- I him bitake; he may don as him leste.
- Lat me alone in chesinge of my wyf,
- That charge up-on my bak I wol endure;
- But I yow preye, and charge up-on your lyf,
- That what wyf that I take, ye me assure165
- To worshipe hir, whyl that hir lyf may dure,(110)
- In word and werk, bothe here and everywhere,
- As she an emperoures doghter were.
- And forthermore, this shal ye swere, that ye
- Agayn my choys shul neither grucche ne stryve;170
- For sith I shal forgoon my libertee
- At your requeste, as ever moot I thryve,
- Ther as myn herte is set, ther wol I wyve;
- And but ye wole assente in swich manere,
- I prey yow, speketh na-more of this matere.’175
- With hertly wil they sworen, and assenten(120)
- To al this thing, ther seyde no wight nay;
- Bisekinge him of grace, er that they wenten,
- That he wolde graunten hem a certein day
- Of his spousaille, as sone as ever he may;180
- For yet alwey the peple som-what dredde
- Lest that this markis no wyf wolde wedde.
- He graunted hem a day, swich as him leste,
- On which he wolde be wedded sikerly,
- And seyde, he dide al this at hir requeste;185
- And they, with humble entente, buxomly,(130)
- Knelinge up-on her knees ful reverently
- Him thanken alle, and thus they han an ende
- Of hir entente, and hoom agayn they wende.
- And heer-up-on he to his officeres190
- Comaundeth for the feste to purveye,
- And to his privee knightes and squyeres
- Swich charge yaf, as him liste on hem leye;
- And they to his comandement obeye,
- And ech of hem doth al his diligence195
- To doon un-to the feste reverence.(140)
Explicit prima pars. Incipit secunda pars.
- Noght fer fro thilke paleys honurable
- Ther-as this markis shoop his mariage,
- Ther stood a throp, of site delitable,
- In which that povre folk of that village200
- Hadden hir bestes and hir herbergage,
- And of hir labour took hir sustenance
- After that the erthe yaf hem habundance.
- Amonges thise povre folk ther dwelte a man
- Which that was holden povrest of hem alle;205
- But hye god som tyme senden can(150)
- His grace in-to a litel oxes stalle:
- Ianicula men of that throp him calle.
- A doghter hadde he, fair y-nogh to sighte,
- And Grisildis this yonge mayden highte.210
- But for to speke of vertuous beautee,
- Than was she oon the faireste under sonne;
- For povreliche y-fostred up was she,
- No likerous lust was thurgh hir herte y-ronne;
- Wel ofter of the welle than of the tonne215
- She drank, and for she wolde vertu plese,(160)
- She knew wel labour, but non ydel ese.
- But thogh this mayde tendre were of age,
- Yet in the brest of hir virginitee
- Ther was enclosed rype and sad corage;220
- And in greet reverence and charitee
- Hir olde povre fader fostred she;
- A fewe sheep spinning on feeld she kepte,
- She wolde noght been ydel til she slepte.
- And whan she hoomward cam, she wolde bringe225
- Wortes or othere herbes tymes ofte,(170)
- The whiche she shredde and seeth for hir livinge,
- And made hir bed ful harde and no-thing softe;
- And ay she kepte hir fadres lyf on-lofte
- With everich obeisaunce and diligence230
- That child may doon to fadres reverence.
- Up-on Grisilde, this povre creature,
- Ful ofte sythe this markis sette his yë
- As he on hunting rood paraventure;
- And whan it fil that he mighte hir espye,235
- He noght with wantoun loking of folye(180)
- His yen caste on hir, but in sad wyse
- Up-on hir chere he wolde him ofte avyse,
- Commending in his herte hir wommanhede,
- And eek hir vertu, passing any wight240
- Of so yong age, as wel in chere as dede.
- For thogh the peple have no greet insight
- In vertu, he considered ful right
- Hir bountee, and disposed that he wolde
- Wedde hir only, if ever he wedde sholde.245
- The day of wedding cam, but no wight can(190)
- Telle what womman that it sholde be;
- For which merveille wondred many a man,
- And seyden, whan they were in privetee,
- ‘Wol nat our lord yet leve his vanitee?250
- Wol he nat wedde? allas, allas the whyle!
- Why wol he thus him-self and us bigyle?’
- But natheles this markis hath don make
- Of gemmes, set in gold and in asure,
- Broches and ringes, for Grisildis sake,255
- And of hir clothing took he the mesure(200)
- By a mayde, lyk to hir stature,
- And eek of othere ornamentes alle
- That un-to swich a wedding sholde falle.
- The tyme of undern of the same day260
- Approcheth, that this wedding sholde be;
- And al the paleys put was in array,
- Bothe halle and chambres, ech in his degree;
- Houses of office stuffed with plentee
- Ther maystow seen of deyntevous vitaille,265
- That may be founde, as fer as last Itaille.(210)
- This royal markis, richely arrayed,
- Lordes and ladyes in his companye,
- The whiche unto the feste were y-prayed,
- And of his retenue the bachelrye,270
- With many a soun of sondry melodye,
- Un-to the village, of the which I tolde,
- In this array the righte wey han holde.
- Grisilde of this, god woot, ful innocent,
- That for hir shapen was al this array,275
- To fecchen water at a welle is went,(220)
- And cometh hoom as sone as ever she may.
- For wel she hadde herd seyd, that thilke day
- The markis sholde wedde, and, if she mighte,
- She wolde fayn han seyn som of that sighte.280
- She thoughte, ‘I wol with othere maydens stonde,
- That been my felawes, in our dore, and see
- The markisesse, and therfor wol I fonde
- To doon at hoom, as sone as it may be,
- The labour which that longeth un-to me;285
- And than I may at leyser hir biholde,(230)
- If she this wey un-to the castel holde.’
- And as she wolde over hir threshfold goon,
- The markis cam and gan hir for to calle;
- And she sette doun hir water-pot anoon290
- Bisyde the threshfold, in an oxes stalle,
- And doun up-on hir knees she gan to falle,
- And with sad contenance kneleth stille
- Til she had herd what was the lordes wille.
- This thoughtful markis spak un-to this mayde295
- Ful sobrely, and seyde in this manere,(240)
- ‘Wher is your fader, Grisildis?’ he sayde,
- And she with reverence, in humble chere,
- Answerde, ‘lord, he is al redy here.’
- And in she gooth with-outen lenger lette,300
- And to the markis she hir fader fette.
- He by the hond than took this olde man,
- And seyde thus, whan he him hadde asyde,
- ‘Ianicula, I neither may ne can
- Lenger the plesance of myn herte hyde.305
- If that thou vouche-sauf, what-so bityde,(250)
- Thy doghter wol I take, er that I wende,
- As for my wyf, un-to hir lyves ende.
- Thou lovest me, I woot it wel, certeyn,
- And art my feithful lige man y-bore;310
- And al that lyketh me, I dar wel seyn
- It lyketh thee, and specially therfore
- Tel me that poynt that I have seyd bifore,
- If that thou wolt un-to that purpos drawe,
- To take me as for thy sone-in-lawe?’315
- This sodeyn cas this man astoned so,(260)
- That reed he wex, abayst, and al quaking
- He stood; unnethes seyde he wordes mo,
- But only thus: ‘lord,’ quod he, ‘my willing
- Is as ye wole, ne ayeines your lyking320
- I wol no-thing; ye be my lord so dere;
- Right as yow lust governeth this matere.’
- ‘Yet wol I,’ quod this markis softely,
- ‘That in thy chambre I and thou and she
- Have a collacion, and wostow why?325
- For I wol axe if it hir wille be(270)
- To be my wyf, and reule hir after me;
- And al this shal be doon in thy presence,
- I wol noght speke out of thyn audience.’
- And in the chambre whyl they were aboute330
- Hir tretis, which as ye shal after here,
- The peple cam un-to the hous with-oute,
- And wondred hem in how honest manere
- And tentifly she kepte hir fader dere.
- But outerly Grisildis wondre mighte,335
- For never erst ne saugh she swich a sighte.(280)
- No wonder is thogh that she were astoned
- To seen so greet a gest come in that place;
- She never was to swiche gestes woned,
- For which she loked with ful pale face.340
- But shortly forth this tale for to chace,
- Thise arn the wordes that the markis sayde
- To this benigne verray feithful mayde.
- ‘Grisilde,’ he seyde, ‘ye shul wel understonde
- It lyketh to your fader and to me345
- That I yow wedde, and eek it may so stonde,(290)
- As I suppose, ye wol that it so be.
- But thise demandes axe I first,’ quod he,
- ‘That, sith it shal be doon in hastif wyse,
- Wol ye assente, or elles yow avyse?350
- I seye this, be ye redy with good herte
- To al my lust, and that I frely may,
- As me best thinketh, do yow laughe or smerte,
- And never ye to grucche it, night ne day?
- And eek whan I sey “ye,” ne sey nat “nay,”355
- Neither by word ne frowning contenance;(300)
- Swer this, and here I swere our alliance.’
- Wondring upon this word, quaking for drede,
- She seyde, ‘lord, undigne and unworthy
- Am I to thilke honour that ye me bede;360
- But as ye wol your-self, right so wol I.
- And heer I swere that never willingly
- In werk ne thoght I nil yow disobeye,
- For to be deed, though me were looth to deye.’
- ‘This is y-nogh, Grisilde myn!’ quod he.365
- And forth he gooth with a ful sobre chere(310)
- Out at the dore, and after that cam she,
- And to the peple he seyde in this manere,
- ‘This is my wyf,’ quod he, ‘that standeth here.
- Honoureth hir, and loveth hir, I preye,370
- Who-so me loveth; ther is na-more to seye.’
- And for that no-thing of hir olde gere
- She sholde bringe in-to his hous, he bad
- That wommen sholde dispoilen hir right there;
- Of which thise ladyes were nat right glad375
- To handle hir clothes wher-in she was clad.(320)
- But natheles this mayde bright of hewe
- Fro foot to heed they clothed han al newe.
- Hir heres han they kembd, that lay untressed
- Ful rudely, and with hir fingres smale380
- A corone on hir heed they han y-dressed,
- And sette hir ful of nowches grete and smale;
- Of hir array what sholde I make a tale?
- Unnethe the peple hir knew for hir fairnesse,
- Whan she translated was in swich richesse.385
- This markis hath hir spoused with a ring(330)
- Broght for the same cause, and than hir sette
- Up-on an hors, snow-whyt and wel ambling,
- And to his paleys, er he lenger lette,
- With Ioyful peple that hir ladde and mette,390
- Conveyed hir, and thus the day they spende
- In revel, til the sonne gan descende.
- And shortly forth this tale for to chace,
- I seye that to this newe markisesse
- God hath swich favour sent hir of his grace,395
- That it ne semed nat by lyklinesse(340)
- That she was born and fed in rudenesse,
- As in a cote or in an oxe-stalle,
- But norished in an emperoures halle.
- To every wight she woxen is so dere400
- And worshipful, that folk ther she was bore
- And from hir birthe knewe hir yeer by yere,
- Unnethe trowed they, but dorste han swore
- That to Ianicle, of which I spak bifore,
- She doghter nas, for, as by coniecture,405
- Hem thoughte she was another creature.(350)
- For thogh that ever vertuous was she,
- She was encressed in swich excellence
- Of thewes gode, y-set in heigh bountee,
- And so discreet and fair of eloquence,410
- So benigne and so digne of reverence,
- And coude so the peples herte embrace,
- That ech hir lovede that loked on hir face.
- Noght only of Saluces in the toun
- Publiced was the bountee of hir name,415
- But eek bisyde in many a regioun,(360)
- If oon seyde wel, another seyde the same;
- So spradde of hir heigh bountee the fame,
- That men and wommen, as wel yonge as olde,
- Gon to Saluce, upon hir to biholde.420
- Thus Walter lowly, nay but royally,
- Wedded with fortunat honestetee,
- In goddes pees liveth ful esily
- At hoom, and outward grace y-nogh had he;
- And for he saugh that under low degree425
- Was ofte vertu hid, the peple him helde(370)
- A prudent man, and that is seyn ful selde.
- Nat only this Grisildis thurgh hir wit
- Coude al the feet of wyfly hoomlinesse,
- But eek, whan that the cas requyred it,430
- The commune profit coude she redresse.
- Ther nas discord, rancour, ne hevinesse
- In al that lond, that she ne coude apese,
- And wysly bringe hem alle in reste and ese.
- Though that hir housbonde absent were anoon,435
- If gentil men, or othere of hir contree(380)
- Were wrothe, she wolde bringen hem atoon;
- So wyse and rype wordes hadde she,
- And Iugements of so greet equitee,
- That she from heven sent was, as men wende,440
- Peple to save and every wrong tamende.
- Nat longe tyme after that this Grisild
- Was wedded, she a doughter hath y-bore,
- Al had hir lever have born a knave child.
- Glad was this markis and the folk therfore;445
- For though a mayde child come al bifore,(390)
- She may unto a knave child atteyne
- By lyklihed, sin she nis nat bareyne.
Explicit secunda pars. Incipit tercia pars.
- Ther fil, as it bifalleth tymes mo,
- Whan that this child had souked but a throwe,450
- This markis in his herte longeth so
- To tempte his wyf, hir sadnesse for to knowe,
- That he ne mighte out of his herte throwe
- This merveillous desyr, his wyf tassaye,
- Needless, god woot, he thoughte hir for taffraye.455
- He hadde assayed hir y-nogh bifore,(400)
- And fond hir ever good; what neded it
- Hir for to tempte and alwey more and more?
- Though som men preise it for a subtil wit,
- But as for me, I seye that yvel it sit460
- Tassaye a wyf whan that it is no nede,
- And putten her in anguish and in drede.
- For which this markis wroghte in this manere;
- He cam alone a-night, ther as she lay,
- With sterne face and with ful trouble chere,465
- And seyde thus, ‘Grisild,’ quod he, ‘that day(410)
- That I yow took out of your povre array,
- And putte yow in estaat of heigh noblesse,
- Ye have nat that forgeten, as I gesse.
- I seye, Grisild, this present dignitee,470
- In which that I have put yow, as I trowe,
- Maketh yow nat foryetful for to be
- That I yow took in povre estaat ful lowe
- For any wele ye moot your-selven knowe.
- Tak hede of every word that I yow seye,475
- Ther is no wight that hereth it but we tweye.(420)
- Ye woot your-self wel, how that ye cam here
- In-to this hous, it is nat longe ago,
- And though to me that ye be lief and dere,
- Un-to my gentils ye be no-thing so;480
- They seyn, to hem it is greet shame and wo
- For to be subgets and ben in servage
- To thee, that born art of a smal village.
- And namely, sith thy doghter was y-bore,
- Thise wordes han they spoken doutelees;485
- But I desyre, as I have doon bifore,(430)
- To live my lyf with hem in reste and pees;
- I may nat in this caas be recchelees.
- I moot don with thy doghter for the beste,
- Nat as I wolde, but as my peple leste.490
- And yet, god wot, this is ful looth to me;
- But nathelees with-oute your witing
- I wol nat doon, but this wol I,’ quod he,
- ‘That ye to me assente as in this thing.
- Shewe now your pacience in your werking495
- That ye me highte and swore in your village(440)
- That day that maked was our mariage.’
- Whan she had herd al this, she noght ameved
- Neither in word, or chere , or countenaunce;
- For, as it semed, she was nat agreved:500
- She seyde, ‘lord, al lyth in your plesaunce,
- My child and I with hertly obeisaunce
- Ben youres al, and ye mowe save or spille
- Your owene thing; werketh after your wille.
- Ther may no-thing, god so my soule save,505
- Lyken to yow that may displese me;(450)
- Ne I desyre no-thing for to have,
- Ne drede for to lese, save only ye;
- This wil is in myn herte and ay shal be.
- No lengthe of tyme or deeth may this deface,510
- Ne chaunge my corage to another place.’
- Glad was this markis of hir answering,
- But yet he feyned as he were nat so;
- Al drery was his chere and his loking
- Whan that he sholde out of the chambre go.515
- Sone after this, a furlong wey or two,(460)
- He prively hath told al his entente
- Un-to a man, and to his wyf him sente.
- A maner sergeant was this privee man,
- The which that feithful ofte he founden hadde520
- In thinges grete, and eek swich folk wel can
- Don execucioun on thinges badde.
- The lord knew wel that he him loved and dradde;
- And whan this sergeant wiste his lordes wille,
- In-to the chambre he stalked him ful stille.525
- ‘Madame,’ he seyde, ‘ye mote foryeve it me,(470)
- Thogh I do thing to which I am constreyned;
- Ye ben so wys that ful wel knowe ye
- That lordes hestes mowe nat been y-feyned;
- They mowe wel been biwailled or compleyned,530
- But men mot nede un-to her lust obeye,
- And so wol I; ther is na-more to seye.
- This child I am comanded for to take’—
- And spak na-more, but out the child he hente
- Despitously, and gan a chere make535
- As though he wolde han slayn it er he wente.(480)
- Grisildis mot al suffren and consente;
- And as a lamb she sitteth meke and stille,
- And leet this cruel sergeant doon his wille.
- Suspecious was the diffame of this man,540
- Suspect his face, suspect his word also;
- Suspect the tyme in which he this bigan.
- Allas! hir doghter that she lovede so
- She wende he wolde han slawen it right tho.
- But natheles she neither weep ne syked,545
- Consenting hir to that the markis lyked.(490)
- But atte laste speken she bigan,
- And mekely she to the sergeant preyde,
- So as he was a worthy gentil man,
- That she moste kisse hir child er that it deyde;550
- And in her barm this litel child she leyde
- With ful sad face, and gan the child to kisse
- And lulled it, and after gan it blisse.
- And thus she seyde in hir benigne voys,
- ‘Far weel, my child; I shal thee never see;555
- But, sith I thee have marked with the croys,(500)
- Of thilke fader blessed mote thou be,
- That for us deyde up-on a croys of tree.
- Thy soule, litel child, I him bitake,
- For this night shaltow dyen for my sake.’560
- I trowe that to a norice in this cas
- It had ben hard this rewthe for to se;
- Wel mighte a mooder than han cryed ‘allas!’
- But nathelees so sad stedfast was she,
- That she endured all adversitee,565
- And to the sergeant mekely she sayde,(510)
- ‘Have heer agayn your litel yonge mayde.
- Goth now,’ quod she, ‘and dooth my lordes heste,
- But o thing wol I preye yow of your grace,
- That, but my lord forbad yow, atte leste570
- Burieth this litel body in som place
- That bestes ne no briddes it to-race.’
- But he no word wol to that purpos seye,
- But took the child and wente upon his weye.
- This sergeant cam un-to his lord ageyn,575
- And of Grisildis wordes and hir chere(520)
- He tolde him point for point, in short and playn,
- And him presenteth with his doghter dere.
- Somwhat this lord hath rewthe in his manere;
- But nathelees his purpos heeld he stille,580
- As lordes doon, whan they wol han hir wille;
- And bad his sergeant that he prively
- Sholde this child ful softe winde and wrappe
- With alle circumstances tendrely,
- And carie it in a cofre or in a lappe;585
- But, up-on peyne his heed of for to swappe,(530)
- That no man sholde knowe of his entente,
- Ne whenne he cam, ne whider that he wente;
- But at Boloigne to his suster dere,
- That thilke tyme of Panik was countesse,590
- He sholde it take, and shewe hir this matere,
- Bisekinge hir to don hir bisinesse
- This child to fostre in alle gentilesse;
- And whos child that it was he bad hir hyde
- From every wight, for oght that may bityde.595
- The sergeant gooth, and hath fulfild this thing;(540)
- But to this markis now retourne we;
- For now goth he ful faste imagining
- If by his wyves chere he mighte see,
- Or by hir word aperceyve that she600
- Were chaunged; but he never hir coude finde
- But ever in oon y-lyke sad and kinde.
- As glad, as humble, as bisy in servyse,
- And eek in love as she was wont to be,
- Was she to him in every maner wyse;605
- Ne of hir doghter noght a word spak she.(550)
- Non accident for noon adversitee
- Was seyn in hir, ne never hir doghter name
- Ne nempned she, in ernest nor in game.
Explicit tercia pars. Sequitur pars quarta.
- In this estaat ther passed been foure yeer610
- Er she with childe was; but, as god wolde,
- A knave child she bar by this Walter,
- Ful gracious and fair for to biholde.
- And whan that folk it to his fader tolde,
- Nat only he, but al his contree, merie615
- Was for this child, and god they thanke and herie.(560)
- Whan it was two yeer old, and fro the brest
- Departed of his norice, on a day
- This markis caughte yet another lest
- To tempte his wyf yet ofter, if he may.620
- O needles was she tempted in assay!
- But wedded men ne knowe no mesure,
- Whan that they finde a pacient creature.
- ‘Wyf,’ quod this markis, ‘ye han herd er this,
- My peple sikly berth our mariage,625
- And namely, sith my sone y-boren is,(570)
- Now is it worse than ever in al our age.
- The murmur sleeth myn herte and my corage;
- For to myne eres comth the voys so smerte,
- That it wel ny destroyed hath myn herte.630
- Now sey they thus, “whan Walter is agoon,
- Then shal the blood of Ianicle succede
- And been our lord, for other have we noon;”
- Swiche wordes seith my peple, out of drede.
- Wel oughte I of swich murmur taken hede;635
- For certeinly I drede swich sentence,(580)
- Though they nat pleyn speke in myn audience.
- I wolde live in pees, if that I mighte;
- Wherfor I am disposed outerly,
- As I his suster servede by nighte,640
- Right so thenke I to serve him prively;
- This warne I yow, that ye nat sodeynly
- Out of your-self for no wo sholde outraye;
- Beth pacient, and ther-of I yow preye.’
- ‘I have,’ quod she, ‘seyd thus, and ever shal,645
- I wol no thing, ne nil no thing, certayn,(590)
- But as yow list; noght greveth me at al,
- Thogh that my doghter and my sone by slayn,
- At your comandement, this is to sayn.
- I have noght had no part of children tweyne650
- But first siknesse, and after wo and peyne.
- Ye been our lord, doth with your owene thing
- Right as yow list; axeth no reed at me.
- For, as I lefte at hoom al my clothing,
- Whan I first cam to yow, right so,’ quod she,655
- ‘Left I my wil and al my libertee,(600)
- And took your clothing; wherfor I yow preye,
- Doth your plesaunce, I wol your lust obeye.
- And certes, if I hadde prescience
- Your wil to knowe er ye your lust me tolde,660
- I wolde it doon with-outen necligence;
- But now I woot your lust and what ye wolde,
- Al your plesaunce ferme and stable I holde;
- For wiste I that my deeth wolde do yow ese,
- Right gladly wolde I dyen, yow to plese.665
- Deth may noght make no comparisoun(610)
- Un-to your love:’ and, whan this markis sey
- The constance of his wyf, he caste adoun
- His yen two, and wondreth that she may
- In pacience suffre al this array.670
- And forth he gooth with drery contenaunce,
- But to his herte it was ful greet plesaunce.
- This ugly sergeant, in the same wyse
- That he hir doghter caughte, right so he,
- Or worse, if men worse can devyse,675
- Hath hent hir sone, that ful was of beautee.(620)
- And ever in oon so pacient was she,
- That she no chere made of hevinesse,
- But kiste hir sone, and after gan it blesse;
- Save this; she preyed him that, if he mighte,680
- Hir litel sone he wolde in erthe grave,
- His tendre limes, delicat to sighte,
- Fro foules and fro bestes for to save.
- But she non answer of him mighte have.
- He wente his wey, as him no-thing ne roghte;685
- But to Boloigne he tendrely it broghte.(630)
- This markis wondreth ever lenger the more
- Up-on hir pacience, and if that he
- Ne hadde soothly knowen ther-bifore,
- That parfitly hir children lovede she,690
- He wolde have wend that of som subtiltee,
- And of malice or for cruel corage,
- That she had suffred this with sad visage.
- But wel he knew that next him-self, certayn,
- She loved hir children best in every wyse.695
- But now of wommen wolde I axen fayn,(640)
- If thise assayes mighte nat suffyse?
- What coude a sturdy housbond more devyse
- To preve hir wyfhod and hir stedfastnesse,
- And he continuing ever in sturdinesse?700
- But ther ben folk of swich condicioun,
- That, whan they have a certein purpos take,
- They can nat stinte of hir entencioun,
- But, right as they were bounden to a stake,
- They wol nat of that firste purpos slake.705
- Right so this markis fulliche hath purposed(650)
- To tempte his wyf, as he was first disposed.
- He waiteth, if by word or contenance
- That she to him was changed of corage;
- But never coude he finde variance;710
- She was ay oon in herte and in visage;
- And ay the forther that she was in age,
- The more trewe, if that it were possible,
- She was to him in love, and more penible.
- For which it semed thus, that of hem two715
- Ther nas but o wil; for, as Walter leste,(660)
- The same lust was hir plesance also,
- And, god be thanked, al fil for the beste.
- She shewed wel, for no worldly unreste
- A wyf, as of hir-self, no-thing ne sholde720
- Wille in effect, but as hir housbond wolde.
- The sclaundre of Walter ofte and wyde spradde,
- That of a cruel herte he wikkedly,
- For he a povre womman wedded hadde,
- Hath mordred bothe his children prively.725
- Swich murmur was among hem comunly.(670)
- No wonder is, for to the peples ere
- Ther cam no word but that they mordred were.
- For which, wher-as his peple ther-bifore
- Had loved him wel, the sclaundre of his diffame730
- Made hem that they him hatede therfore;
- To been a mordrer is an hateful name.
- But natheles, for ernest ne for game
- He of his cruel purpos nolde stente;
- To tempte his wyf was set al his entente.735
- Whan that his doghter twelf yeer was of age,(680)
- He to the court of Rome, in subtil wyse
- Enformed of his wil, sente his message,
- Comaunding hem swiche bulles to devyse
- As to his cruel purpos may suffyse,740
- How that the pope, as for his peples reste,
- Bad him to wedde another, if him leste.
- I seye, he bad they sholde countrefete
- The popes bulles, making mencioun
- That he hath leve his firste wyf to lete,745
- As by the popes dispensacioun,(690)
- To stinte rancour and dissencioun
- Bitwixe his peple and him; thus seyde the bulle,
- The which they han publiced atte fulle.
- The rude peple, as it no wonder is,750
- Wenden ful wel that it had been right so;
- But whan thise tydinges cam to Grisildis,
- I deme that hir herte was ful wo.
- But she, y-lyke sad for evermo,
- Disposed was, this humble creature,755
- Thadversitee of fortune al tendure.(700)
- Abyding ever his lust and his plesaunce,
- To whom that she was yeven, herte and al,
- As to hir verray worldly suffisaunce;
- But shortly if this storie I tellen shal,760
- This markis writen hath in special
- A lettre in which he sheweth his entente,
- And secrely he to Boloigne it sente.
- To the erl of Panik, which that hadde tho
- Wedded his suster, preyde he specially765
- To bringen hoom agayn his children two(710)
- In honurable estaat al openly.
- But o thing he him preyede outerly,
- That he to no wight, though men wolde enquere,
- Sholde nat telle, whos children that they were,770
- But seye, the mayden sholde y-wedded be
- Un-to the markis of Saluce anon.
- And as this erl was preyed, so dide he;
- For at day set he on his wey is goon
- Toward Saluce, and lordes many oon,775
- In riche array, this mayden for to gyde;(720)
- Hir yonge brother ryding hir bisyde.
- Arrayed was toward hir mariage
- This fresshe mayde, ful of gemmes clere;
- Hir brother, which that seven yeer was of age,780
- Arrayed eek ful fresh in his manere.
- And thus in greet noblesse and with glad chere,
- Toward Saluces shaping hir Iourney,
- Fro day to day they ryden in hir wey.
Explicit quarta pars. Sequitur quinta pars.
- Among al this, after his wikke usage,785
- This markis, yet his wyf to tempte more(730)
- To the uttereste preve of hir corage,
- Fully to han experience and lore
- If that she were as stedfast as bifore,
- He on a day in open audience790
- Ful boistously hath seyd hir this sentence:
- ‘Certes, Grisilde, I hadde y-nough plesaunce
- To han yow to my wyf for your goodnesse,
- As for your trouthe and for your obeisaunce,
- Nought for your linage ne for your richesse;795
- But now knowe I in verray soothfastnesse(740)
- That in gret lordshipe, if I wel avyse,
- Ther is gret servitute in sondry wyse.
- I may nat don as every plowman may;
- My peple me constreyneth for to take800
- Another wyf, and cryen day by day;
- And eek the pope, rancour for to slake,
- Consenteth it, that dar I undertake;
- And treweliche thus muche I wol yow seye,
- My newe wyf is coming by the weye.805
- Be strong of herte, and voyde anon hir place,(750)
- And thilke dower that ye broghten me
- Tak it agayn, I graunte it of my grace;
- Retourneth to your fadres hous,’ quod he;
- ‘No man may alwey han prosperitee;810
- With evene herte I rede yow tendure
- The strook of fortune or of aventure.’
- And she answerde agayn in pacience,
- ‘My lord,’ quod she, ‘I woot, and wiste alway
- How that bitwixen your magnificence815
- And my poverte no wight can ne may(760)
- Maken comparison; it is no nay.
- I ne heeld me never digne in no manere
- To be your wyf, no, ne your chamberere.
- And in this hous, ther ye me lady made—820
- The heighe god take I for my witnesse,
- And also wisly he my soule glade—
- I never heeld me lady ne maistresse,
- But humble servant to your worthinesse,
- And ever shal, whyl that my lyf may dure,825
- Aboven every worldly creature.(770)
- That ye so longe of your benignitee
- Han holden me in honour and nobleye,
- Wher-as I was noght worthy for to be,
- That thonke I god and yow, to whom I preye830
- Foryelde it yow; there is na-more to seye.
- Un-to my fader gladly wol I wende,
- And with him dwelle un-to my lyves ende.
- Ther I was fostred of a child ful smal,
- Til I be deed, my lyf ther wol I lede835
- A widwe clene, in body, herte, and al.(780)
- For sith I yaf to yow my maydenhede,
- And am your trewe wyf, it is no drede,
- God shilde swich a lordes wyf to take
- Another man to housbonde or to make.840
- And of your newe wyf, god of his grace
- So graunte yow wele and prosperitee:
- For I wol gladly yelden hir my place,
- In which that I was blisful wont to be,
- For sith it lyketh yow, my lord,’ quod she,845
- ‘That whylom weren al myn hertes reste,(790)
- That I shal goon, I wol gon whan yow leste.
- But ther-as ye me profre swich dowaire
- As I first broghte, it is wel in my minde
- It were my wrecched clothes, no-thing faire,850
- The which to me were hard now for to finde.
- O gode god! how gentil and how kinde
- Ye semed by your speche and your visage
- The day that maked was our mariage!
- But sooth is seyd, algate I finde it trewe—855
- For in effect it preved is on me—(800)
- Love is noght old as whan that it is newe.
- But certes, lord, for noon adversitee,
- To dyen in the cas, it shal nat be
- That ever in word or werk I shal repente860
- That I yow yaf myn herte in hool entente.
- My lord, ye woot that, in my fadres place,
- Ye dede me strepe out of my povre wede,
- And richely me cladden, of your grace.
- To yow broghte I noght elles, out of drede,865
- But feyth and nakednesse and maydenhede.(810)
- And here agayn my clothing I restore,
- And eek my wedding-ring, for evermore.
- The remenant of your Iewels redy be
- In-with your chambre, dar I saufly sayn;870
- Naked out of my fadres hous,’ quod she,
- ‘I cam, and naked moot I turne agayn.
- Al your plesaunce wol I folwen fayn;
- But yet I hope it be nat your entente
- That I smoklees out of your paleys wente.875
- Ye coude nat doon so dishoneste a thing,(820)
- That thilke wombe in which your children leye
- Sholde, biforn the peple, in my walking,
- Be seyn al bare; wherfor I yow preye,
- Lat me nat lyk a worm go by the weye.880
- Remembre yow, myn owene lord so dere,
- I was your wyf, thogh I unworthy were.
- Wherfor, in guerdon of my maydenhede,
- Which that I broghte, and noght agayn I bere,
- As voucheth sauf to yeve me, to my mede,885
- But swich a smok as I was wont to were,(830)
- That I therwith may wrye the wombe of here
- That was your wyf; and heer take I my leve
- Of yow, myn owene lord, lest I yow greve.’
- ‘The smok,’ quod he, ‘that thou hast on thy bak,890
- Lat it be stille, and ber it forth with thee.’
- But wel unnethes thilke word he spak,
- But wente his wey for rewthe and for pitee.
- Biforn the folk hir-selven strepeth she,
- And in hir smok, with heed and foot al bare,895
- Toward hir fader hous forth is she fare(840)
- The folk hir folwe wepinge in hir weye,
- And fortune ay they cursen as they goon;
- But she fro weping kepte hir yën dreye,
- Ne in this tyme word ne spak she noon.900
- Hir fader, that this tyding herde anoon,
- Curseth the day and tyme that nature
- Shoop him to been a lyves creature.
- For out of doute this olde povre man
- Was ever in suspect of hir mariage;905
- For ever he demed, sith that it bigan,(850)
- That whan the lord fulfild had his corage,
- Him wolde thinke it were a disparage
- To his estaat so lowe for talighte,
- And voyden hir as sone as ever he mighte.910
- Agayns his doghter hastilich goth he,
- For he by noyse of folk knew hir cominge,
- And with hir olde cote, as it mighte be,
- He covered hir, ful sorwefully wepinge;
- But on hir body mighte he it nat bringe.915
- For rude was the cloth, and more of age(860)
- By dayes fele than at hir mariage.
- Thus with hir fader, for a certeyn space,
- Dwelleth this flour of wyfly pacience,
- That neither by hir wordes ne hir face920
- Biforn the folk, ne eek in hir absence,
- Ne shewed she that hir was doon offence;
- Ne of hir heigh estaat no remembraunce
- Ne hadde she, as by hir countenaunce.
- No wonder is, for in hir grete estaat925
- Hir goost was ever in pleyn humylitee;(870)
- No tendre mouth, non herte delicaat,
- No pompe, no semblant of royaltee,
- But ful of pacient benignitee,
- Discreet and prydeles, ay honurable,930
- And to hir housbonde ever meke and stable.
- Men speke of Iob and most for his humblesse,
- As clerkes, whan hem list, can wel endyte,
- Namely of men, but as in soothfastnesse,
- Thogh clerkes preyse wommen but a lyte,935
- Ther can no man in humblesse him acquyte(880)
- As womman can, ne can ben half so trewe
- As wommen been, but it be falle of-newe.
[Pars Sexta.]- Fro Boloigne is this erl of Panik come,
- Of which the fame up-sprang to more and lesse,940
- And in the peples eres alle and some
- Was couth eek, that a newe markisesse
- He with him broghte, in swich pompe and richesse,
- That never was ther seyn with mannes ye
- So noble array in al West Lumbardye.945
- The markis, which that shoop and knew al this,(890)
- Er that this erl was come, sente his message
- For thilke sely povre Grisildis;
- And she with humble herte and glad visage,
- Nat with no swollen thoght in hir corage,950
- Cam at his heste, and on hir knees hir sette,
- And reverently and wysly she him grette.
- ‘Grisild,’ quod he, ‘my wille is outerly,
- This mayden, that shal wedded been to me,
- Receyved be to-morwe as royally955
- As it possible is in myn hous to be.(900)
- And eek that every wight in his degree
- Have his estaat in sitting and servyse
- And heigh plesaunce, as I can best devyse.
- I have no wommen suffisaunt certayn960
- The chambres for tarraye in ordinaunce
- After my lust, and therfor wolde I fayn
- That thyn were al swich maner governaunce;
- Thou knowest eek of old al my plesaunce;
- Though thyn array be badde and yvel biseye,965
- Do thou thy devoir at the leeste weye.’(910)
- ‘Nat only, lord, that I am glad,’ quod she,
- ‘To doon your lust, but I desyre also
- Yow for to serve and plese in my degree
- With-outen feynting, and shal evermo.970
- Ne never, for no wele ne no wo,
- Ne shal the gost with-in myn herte stente
- To love yow best with al my trewe entente.’
- And with that word she gan the hous to dighte,
- And tables for to sette and beddes make;975
- And peyned hir to doon al that she mighte,(920)
- Preying the chambereres, for goddes sake,
- To hasten hem, and faste swepe and shake;
- And she, the moste servisable of alle,
- Hath every chambre arrayed and his halle.980
- Abouten undern gan this erl alighte,
- That with him broghte thise noble children tweye,
- For which the peple ran to seen the sighte
- Of hir array, so richely biseye;
- And than at erst amonges hem they seye,985
- That Walter was no fool, thogh that him leste(930)
- To chaunge his wyf, for it was for the beste.
- For she is fairer, as they demen alle,
- Than is Grisild, and more tendre of age,
- And fairer fruit bitwene hem sholde falle,990
- And more plesant, for hir heigh linage;
- Hir brother eek so fair was of visage,
- That hem to seen the peple hath caught plesaunce,
- Commending now the markis gouernaunce.—
- Auctor. ‘O stormy peple! unsad and ever untrewe!995
- Ay undiscreet and chaunging as a vane,(940)
- Delyting ever in rumbel that is newe,
- For lyk the mone ay wexe ye and wane;
- Ay ful of clapping, dere y-nogh a Iane;
- Your doom is fals, your constance yvel preveth,1000
- A ful greet fool is he that on yow leveth!’
- Thus seyden sadde folk in that citee,
- Whan that the peple gazed up and doun,
- For they were glad, right for the noveltee,
- To han a newe lady of hir toun.1005
- Na-more of this make I now mencioun;(950)
- But to Grisilde agayn wol I me dresse,
- And telle hir constance and hir bisinesse.—
- Ful bisy was Grisilde in every thing
- That to the feste was apertinent;1010
- Right noght was she abayst of hir clothing,
- Though it were rude and somdel eek to-rent.
- But with glad chere to the yate is went,
- With other folk, to grete the markisesse,
- And after that doth forth hir bisinesse.1015
- With so glad chere his gestes she receyveth,(960)
- And conningly, everich in his degree,
- That no defaute no man aperceyveth;
- But ay they wondren what she mighte be
- That in so povre array was for to see,1020
- And coude swich honour and reverence;
- And worthily they preisen hir prudence.
- In al this mene whyle she ne stente
- This mayde and eek hir brother to commende
- With al hir herte, in ful benigne entente,1025
- So wel, that no man coude hir prys amende.(970)
- But atte laste, whan that thise lordes wende
- To sitten doun to mete, he gan to calle
- Grisilde, as she was bisy in his halle.
- ‘Grisilde,’ quod he, as it were in his pley,1030
- ‘How lyketh thee my wyf and hir beautee?’
- ‘Right wel,’ quod she, ‘my lord; for, in good fey,
- A fairer say I never noon than she.
- I prey to god yeve hir prosperitee;
- And so hope I that he wol to yow sende1035
- Plesance y-nogh un-to your lyves ende.(980)
- O thing biseke I yow and warne also,
- That ye ne prikke with no tormentinge
- This tendre mayden, as ye han don mo;
- For she is fostred in hir norishinge1040
- More tendrely, and, to my supposinge,
- She coude nat adversitee endure
- As coude a povre fostred creature.’
- And whan this Walter say hir pacience,
- Hir glade chere and no malice at al,1045
- And he so ofte had doon to hir offence,(990)
- And she ay sad and constant as a wal,
- Continuing ever hir innocence overal,
- This sturdy markis gan his herte dresse
- To rewen up-on hir wyfly stedfastnesse.1050
- ‘This is y-nogh, Grisilde myn,’ quod he,
- ‘Be now na-more agast ne yvel apayed;
- I have thy feith and thy benignitee,
- As wel as ever womman was, assayed,
- In greet estaat, and povreliche arrayed.1055
- Now knowe I, dere wyf, thy stedfastnesse,’—(1000)
- And hir in armes took and gan hir kesse.
- And she for wonder took of it no keep;
- She herde nat what thing he to hir seyde;
- She ferde as she had stert out of a sleep,1060
- Til she out of hir masednesse abreyde.
- ‘Grisilde,’ quod he, ‘by god that for us deyde,
- Thou art my wyf, ne noon other I have,
- Ne never hadde, as god my soule save!
- This is thy doghter which thou hast supposed1065
- To be my wyf; that other feithfully(1010)
- Shal be myn heir, as I have ay purposed;
- Thou bare him in thy body trewely.
- At Boloigne have I kept hem prively;
- Tak hem agayn, for now maystow nat seye1070
- That thou hast lorn non of thy children tweye.
- And folk that otherweyes han seyd of me,
- I warne hem wel that I have doon this dede
- For no malice ne for no crueltee,
- But for tassaye in thee thy wommanhede,1075
- And nat to sleen my children, god forbede!(1020)
- But for to kepe hem prively and stille,
- Til I thy purpos knewe and al thy wille.’
- Whan she this herde, aswowne doun she falleth
- For pitous Ioye, and after hir swowninge1080
- She bothe hir yonge children un-to hir calleth,
- And in hir armes, pitously wepinge,
- Embraceth hem, and tendrely kissinge
- Ful lyk a mooder, with hir salte teres
- She batheth bothe hir visage and hir heres.1085
- O, which a pitous thing it was to see(1030)
- Hir swowning, and hir humble voys to here!
- ‘Grauntmercy, lord, that thanke I yow,’ quod she,
- ‘That ye han saved me my children dere!
- Now rekke I never to ben deed right here;1090
- Sith I stonde in your love and in your grace,
- No fors of deeth, ne whan my spirit pace!
- O tendre, o dere, o yonge children myne,
- Your woful mooder wende stedfastly
- That cruel houndes or som foul vermyne1095
- Hadde eten yow; but god, of his mercy,(1040)
- And your benigne fader tendrely
- Hath doon yow kept;’ and in that same stounde
- Al sodeynly she swapte adoun to grounde.
- And in her swough so sadly holdeth she1100
- Hir children two, whan she gan hem tembrace,
- That with greet sleighte and greet difficultee
- The children from hir arm they gonne arace.
- O many a teer on many a pitous face
- Doun ran of hem that stoden hir bisyde;1105
- Unnethe abouten hir mighte they abyde.(1050)
- Walter hir gladeth, and hir sorwe slaketh;
- She ryseth up, abaysed, from hir traunce,
- And every wight hir Ioye and feste maketh,
- Til she hath caught agayn hir contenaunce.1110
- Walter hir dooth so feithfully plesaunce,
- That it was deyntee for to seen the chere
- Bitwixe hem two, now they ben met y-fere.
- Thise ladyes, whan that they hir tyme say,
- Han taken hir, and in-to chambre goon,1115
- And strepen hir out of hir rude array,(1060)
- And in a cloth of gold that brighte shoon,
- With a coroune of many a riche stoon
- Up-on hir heed, they in-to halle hir broghte,
- And ther she was honoured as hir oghte.1120
- Thus hath this pitous day a blisful ende,
- For every man and womman dooth his might
- This day in murthe and revel to dispende
- Til on the welkne shoon the sterres light.
- For more solempne in every mannes sight1125
- This feste was, and gretter of costage,(1070)
- Than was the revel of hir mariage.
- Ful many a yeer in heigh prosperitee
- Liven thise two in concord and in reste,
- And richely his doghter maried he1130
- Un-to a lord, oon of the worthieste
- Of al Itaille; and than in pees and reste
- His wyves fader in his court he kepeth,
- Til that the soule out of his body crepeth.
- His sone succedeth in his heritage1135
- In reste and pees, after his fader day;(1080)
- And fortunat was eek in mariage,
- Al putte he nat his wyf in greet assay.
- This world is nat so strong, it is no nay,
- As it hath been in olde tymes yore,1140
- And herkneth what this auctour seith therfore.
- This storie is seyd, nat for that wyves sholde
- Folwen Grisilde as in humilitee,
- For it were importable, though they wolde;
- But for that every wight, in his degree,1145
- Sholde be constant in adversitee(1090)
- As was Grisilde; therfor Petrark wryteth
- This storie, which with heigh style he endyteth.
- For, sith a womman was so pacient
- Un-to a mortal man, wel more us oghte1150
- Receyven al in gree that god us sent;
- For greet skile is, he preve that he wroghte.
- But he ne tempteth no man that he boghte,
- As seith seint Iame, if ye his pistel rede;
- He preveth folk al day, it is no drede,1155
- And suffreth us, as for our excercyse,(1100)
- With sharpe scourges of adversitee
- Ful ofte to be bete in sondry wyse;
- Nat for to knowe our wil, for certes he,
- Er we were born, knew al our freletee;1160
- And for our beste is al his governaunce;
- Lat us than live in vertuous suffraunce.
- But o word, lordinges, herkneth er I go:—
- It were ful hard to finde now a dayes
- In al a toun Grisildes three or two;1165
- For, if that they were put to swiche assayes,(1110)
- The gold of hem hath now so badde alayes
- With bras, that thogh the coyne be fair at ye,
- It wolde rather breste a-two than plye.
- For which heer, for the wyves love of Bathe,1170
- Whos lyf and al hir secte god mayntene
- In heigh maistrye, and elles were it scathe,
- I wol with lusty herte fresshe and grene
- Seyn yow a song to glade yow, I wene,
- And lat us stinte of ernestful matere:—1175
- Herkneth my song, that seith in this manere.(1120)
Lenvoy de Chaucer.- Grisilde is deed, and eek hir pacience,
- And bothe atones buried in Itaille;
- For which I crye in open audience,
- No wedded man so hardy be tassaille1180
- His wyves pacience, in hope to finde
- Grisildes, for in certein he shall faille!
- O noble wyves, ful of heigh prudence,
- Lat noon humilitee your tonge naille,
- Ne lat no clerk have cause or diligence1185
- To wryte of yow a storie of swich mervaille(1130)
- As of Grisildis pacient and kinde;
- Lest Chichevache yow swelwe in hir entraille!
- Folweth Ekko, that holdeth no silence,
- But evere answereth at the countretaille;1190
- Beth nat bidaffed for your innocence,
- But sharply tak on yow the governaille.
- Emprinteth wel this lesson in your minde
- For commune profit, sith it may availle.
- Ye archewyves, stondeth at defence,1195
- Sin ye be stronge as is a greet camaille;(1140)
- Ne suffreth nat that men yow doon offence.
- And sclendre wyves, feble as in bataille,
- Beth egre as is a tygre yond in Inde;
- Ay clappeth as a mille, I yow consaille.1200
- Ne dreed hem nat, do hem no reverence;
- For though thyn housbonde armed be in maille,
- The arwes of thy crabbed eloquence
- Shal perce his brest, and eek his aventaille;
- In Ialousye I rede eek thou him binde,1205
- And thou shalt make him couche as dooth a quaille.
- If thou be fair, ther folk ben in presence(1151)
- Shew thou thy visage and thyn apparaille;
- If thou be foul, be free of thy dispence,
- To gete thee freendes ay do thy travaille;1210
- Be ay of chere as light as leef on linde,
- And lat him care, and wepe, and wringe, and waille!
Here endeth the Clerk of Oxonford his Tale.
THE MERCHANT’S PROLOGUE.
(T. 9089-9120).
The Prologe of the Marchantes Tale.
- ‘WEPING and wayling, care, and other sorwe
- I know y-nogh, on even and a-morwe,’
- Quod the Marchaunt, ‘and so don othere mo1215
- That wedded been, I trowe that it be so.
- For, wel I woot, it fareth so with me.
- I have a wyf, the worste that may be;
- For thogh the feend to hir y-coupled were,
- She wolde him overmacche, I dar wel swere.1220
- What sholde I yow reherce in special
- Hir hye malice? she is a shrewe at al.(10)
- Ther is a long and large difference
- Bitwix Grisildis grete pacience
- And of my wyf the passing crueltee.1225
- Were I unbounden, al-so moot I thee!
- I wolde never eft comen in the snare.
- We wedded men live in sorwe and care;
- Assaye who-so wol, and he shal finde
- I seye sooth, by seint Thomas of Inde,1230
- As for the more part, I sey nat alle.
- God shilde that it sholde so bifalle!(20)
- A! good sir hoost! I have y-wedded be
- Thise monthes two, and more nat, pardee;
- And yet, I trowe, he that all his lyve1235
- Wyflees hath been, though that men wolde him ryve
- Un-to the herte, ne coude in no manere
- Tellen so muchel sorwe, as I now here
- Coude tellen of my wyves cursednesse!’
- ‘Now,’ quod our hoost, ‘Marchaunt, so god yow blesse,1240
- Sin ye so muchel knowen of that art,
- Ful hertely I pray yow telle us part.’(30)
- ‘Gladly,’ quod he, ‘but of myn owene sore,
- For sory herte, I telle may na-more.’
THE MARCHANTES TALE.
Here biginneth the Marchantes Tale.
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