Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 75

93. Hn. Pt. and yeueth; Hl. and yiueth; E. to yeue; Ln. and whisse.

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 s.p.a.ce Of audience, to shewen our requeste, And ye, my lord, to doon right as yow leste. 105

103. E. Hn. bettre; _rest_ better.

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.

108. Pt. Ln. oure; E. Hn. Cp. vs. 110. E. Ln. _omit_ it.

[393: T. 7989-8023.]

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 pa.s.se 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 alle 125 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 a.s.sente, 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 G.o.d and yow, as we can deme.

128. Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. your; E. Hn. Cm. thyn. 128, 130, 131. E. heeste, leeste, meeste; Cm. heste, leste, meste.

Deliver us out of al this bisy drede, And tak a wyf, for hye G.o.ddes sake; 135 For if it so bifelle, as G.o.d 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

137. Cp. Pt. lynage; Ln. Hl. lignage; E. lyne; Hn. ligne; Cm. lyf.

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.

144. E. thoughte; Hn. thoghte.

[394: T. 8024-8058.]

But nathelees I see your trewe entente, And truste upon your wit, and have don ay; Wherfor of my free wil I wol a.s.sente 150 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.

152. to-] E. this. 154. E. (_only_) _omits_ yow.

For G.o.d it woot, that children ofte been 155 Unlyk her worthy eldres hem bifore; (100) Bountee comth al of G.o.d, nat of the streen Of which they been engendred and y-bore; I truste in G.o.ddes bountee, and therfore My mariage and myn estaat and reste 160 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 a.s.sure 165 To wors.h.i.+pe hir, whyl that hir lyf may dure, (110) In word and werk, bothe here and everywhere, As she an emperoures doghter were.

165. So Hn. Cp. Ln.; E. Cm. _omit_ That; Pt. _om._ what.

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 a.s.sente in swich manere, I prey yow, speketh na-more of this matere.' 175

174. E. this; _rest_ swich, such.

With hertly wil they sworen, and a.s.senten (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.

[395: T. 8059-8089.]

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 officeres 190 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 diligence 195 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 village 200 Hadden hir bestes and hir herbergage, And of hir labour took hir sustenance After that the erthe yaf hem habundance.

199. Hl. throp; E. Hn. Cp. throop.

Amonges thise povre folk ther dwelte a man Which that was holden povrest of hem alle; 205 But hye G.o.d 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

208. Pt. throp; E. Hn. Cp. throop; Cm. thorp; Ln. thorpe.

But for to speke of vertuous beautee, Than was she oon the faireste under sonne; For povreliche y-fostred up was she, [396: T. 8090-8121.]

No likerous l.u.s.t was thurgh hir herte y-ronne; Wel ofter of the welle than of the tonne 215 She drank, and for she wolde vertu plese, (160) She knew wel labour, but non ydel ese.

211. E. bountee; _rest_ beautee, beute.

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 bringe 225 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 diligence 230 That child may doon to fadres reverence.

Up-on Grisilde, this povre creature, Ful ofte sythe this markis sette his ye 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,

233. E. caste; _rest_ sette (set). 235. E. that it; _rest omit_ that. 238. E. gan; _rest_ wolde. 238. E. chiere.

Commending in his herte hir wommanhede, And eek hir vertu, pa.s.sing any wight 240 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

241. E. chiere. 242. E. hadde; Hn. Cm. hath; Cp. Pt. Ln. Hl. haue.

[397: T. 8122-8156.]

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?'

249. E. Cm. that they; _rest omit_ that.

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.

257. Hl. y-lik to hir of stature.

The tyme of undern of the same day 360 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.

269. Cp. Ln. Hl. vnto; Cm. Pt. to; E. Hn. that to. E. weren.