Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 77

He hadde a.s.sayed 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 sit 460 Ta.s.saye a wyf whan that it is no nede, And putten her in anguish and in drede.

457. E. foond; Hn. Cm. fond.

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 n.o.blesse, Ye have nat that forgeten, as I gesse.

465. Cm. sterne; E. stierne. 466, 470. Hl. Grisild; E. Hn. Cm.

Grisilde.

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.

477. E. Hn. Cm. cam; Cp. Pt. come; Ln. com; Hl. comen. 482. E.

subgetz and to; _rest omit_ to.

[404: T. 8360-8394.]

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, G.o.d 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 a.s.sente as in this thing.

Shewe now your pacience in your werking 495 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.

499. E. chiere. 503. E. Cp. Pt. Ln. and; _rest_ or.

Ther may no-thing, G.o.d 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.'

507. E. Hn. Ne I ne; _rest omit_ ne. 508. E. Hn. thee _vel_ yee; Pt.

Hl. [gh]e; Cm. Cp. Ln. thee.

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.

[405: T. 8395-8429.]

A maner sergeant was this privee man, The which that feithful ofte he founden hadde 520 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

524. his] E. the; Cm. this.

'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 l.u.s.t obeye, And so wol I; ther is na-more to seye.

530. E. Cm. and; _rest_ or.

This child I am comanded for to take'-- And spak na-more, but out the child he hente Despitously, and gan a chere make 535 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.

547. E. to speken; _rest omit_ to. 552, 3. E. kisse, blisse; _rest_ blisse, kisse; _see_ 678.

[406: T. 8430-8462.]

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

557. E. Hn. Cm. he; _rest_ thou.

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.

564. E. Cm. Pt. sad and; _rest omit_ and. E. stide-; Pt. Ln. sted-; _rest_ stede-.

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 leste 570 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.

569. E. Pt. And; _rest_ But.

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 circ.u.mstances tendrely, And carie it in a cofre or in a lappe; 585 But, up-on peyne his heed of for to swappe, (530) [407: T. 8463-8492.]

That no man sholde knowe of his entente, Ne whenne he cam, ne whider that he wente;

583. Cp. Pt. Ln. ful; _rest omit._ 588. Hn. Cm. Cp. Pt. Hl. he cam (com); E. Ln. _omit._

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

590. Hl. panik; Cp. Panyke; _rest_ Pavik, Pauyk, Pavie. 594. E. him; _rest_ hire, hir.

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 she 600 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 pa.s.sed been foure yeer 610 Er she with childe was; but, as G.o.d 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, merie 615 Was for this child, and G.o.d they thanke and herie. (560)

612. E. man; _rest_ knaue.

[408: T. 8493-8527.]