He that me keptë fro the falsë blame He can me kepe from harme and eek fro shame As strong as euer he was, he is yet now. Hir litel child lay weping in hir arm, And in hir arm she lulleth it ful faste, 'Moder,' quod she, Soth is that thurgh and maydë bright, Marye, Mankynd was lorn and damned ay to dye, Thou sey thy child yslayn bifor thyn yën, O litel child, allas! what is thy gilt, rudder. 2 incitement. $ lost. killed. Ther-with she loketh bakward to the londe, And euer she preyeth hir child to holde his pees; Vitailled was the ship, it is no drede, * * * [King Alla and Custance meet at Rome after many years.] Whan Alla sey his wyf, fayre he hir grette, And weep, that it was rewthë for to see. For at the firstë look he on hir sette He knew wel verraily that it was she. Twyës she swowned in his owën syghte; : 'Now God,' quod he, 'and alle his halwes3 bryghte So wisly on my soule as haue mercy, 4 That of your harm as giltelees am I As is Maurice my sone so lyk your face; Ellës the feend me fecche out of this place!' Long was the sobbing and the bitter peyne rises (riseth). 2 praised. $ saints. certainly I may nat telle her wo vn-til tomorwe, But fynally, when that the soth is wist I trowe an hundred tymës been they kist, That, saue the Ioye that lasteth euermo, Ther is noon lyk that any creature Hath seyn or shal, whyl that the world may dure. THE CLERKES TALE. [Chaucer moralises on the story of Patient Grisildis.] Lenuoy de Chaucer. Grisild is deed, and eek hir pacience, O noble wyuës, ful of heigh prudence, Ne lat no clerk haue cause or diligence As of Grisildis pacient and kynde; Lest Chicheuache yow swelwe in hir entraille1! Folweth 2 Ekko, that holdeth no silence, But euere answereth at the countretaille3; An allusion to the old French fable of Chichevache and Bicorne, two monstrous cows, of which the former fed on patient wives and was couse quently thin, the latter on patient husbands and was always fat. 2 follow: eth is the termination of 2nd pers. plural imperative. in return. Beth nat bidaffed' for your innocence, Ye archewyuës 2, stondeth at defence, Ne dreed hem nat, do hem no reuerence; Shal perce his brest, and eek his auentaille'; In Ialousye I rede eek thou him bynde, And thou shalt make him couche as doth a quaille. If thou be fair, ther folk ben in presence And lat him care, and wepe, and wringe, and waille! THE FRANKELEYNES TALE. In Armoryke, that cleped is Briteyne, Ther was a knight, that lovede and dide his peyne To serve a lady in his beste wise; And many a labour, and many a greet emprise under sonne, bcfooled. 2 ruing wives. front of helmet. the linden tree. the one fairest. And eek therto come of so heih kynrede, And namely for his meke obeissance, To take him for hir housbonde and hir lord, Save that the name of sovereynëté, That wolde he han for schame of his degre. Sche thanketh him, and with ful grete humblesse Sche sayde: 'Sire, sith 3 of your gentilnesse Ye profre me to han so large a reyne, Ne wolde never God betwixe us tweyne, As in my gilt, were eyther werre or stryf. Sire, I wil be your humble trewe wijf, Have heer my trouthe, til that myn hertë breste.' Thus be they bothe in quiete and in reste. For o thing, syrës, saufly dar I seye, If they wille longë holden companye Love wol nought ben constreigned by maystrye. |