<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=395626" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>The Canterbury Tales; The Clerkes Tale (a)</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">THE CLERKES TALE - PROLOGUE</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Heere folweth the Prologe of the clerkes tale of Oxenford.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Sire clerk of Oxenford,' oure Hooste sayde,<br>'Ye ryde as coy and stille as dooth a mayde,<br>Were newe spoused, sittynge at the bord.<br>This day ne herde I of youre tonge a word.<br>I trowe ye studie about som sophyme;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But Salomon seith, `every thyng hath tyme.'<br>For Goddes sake, as beth of bettre cheere;<br>It is no tyme for to studien heere,<br>Telle us som myrie tale, by youre fey.<br>For what man that is entred in a pley,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">He nedes moot unto the pley assente;<br>But precheth nat as freres doon in Lente,<br>To make us for oure olde synnes wepe,<br>Ne that thy tale make us nat to slepe.<br>Telle us som murie thyng of aventures;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Youre termes, youre colours, and youre figures,<br>Keep hem in stoor, til so be that ye endite<br>Heigh style, as whan that men to kynges write.<br>Speketh so pleyn at this tyme, we yow preye,<br>That we may understonde what ye seye.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">This worthy clerk benignely answerde,<br>'Hooste,' quod he, 'I am under youre yerde.<br>Ye han of us as now the governance;<br>And therfore wol I do yow obeisance<br>As fer as resoun axeth, hardily.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">I wol yow telle a tale, which that I <br>Lerned at Padwe of a worthy clerk,<br>As preved by his wordes and his werk.<br>He is now deed, and nayled in his cheste;<br>I prey to God so yeve his soule reste.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Fraunceys Petrark, the lauriat poete,<br>Highte this clerk, whos rethorike sweete<br>Enlumyned al Ytaille of poetrie,<br>As Lynyan dide of philosophie,<br>Or lawe, or oother art particuler.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But deeth, that wol nat suffre us dwellen heer<br>But as it were a twynklyng of an eye,<br>Hem bothe hath slayn, and alle shul we dye.<br>But forth to tellen of this worthy man,<br>That taughte me this tale as I bigan,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">I seye, that first with heigh stile he enditeth<br>Er he the body of his tale writeth,<br>A prohemye in the which discryveth he<br>Pemond, and of Saluces the contree,<br>And speketh of Apennyn, the hilles hye,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That been the boundes of Westlumbardye;<br>And of Mount Vesulus in special,<br>Where as the Poo out of a welle smal<br>Taketh his firste spryngyng and his sours,<br>That estward ay encresseth in his cours</div><div style="margin:10px 0">To Emeleward, to Ferrare, and Venyse;<br>The which a long thyng were to devyse.<br>And trewely, as to my juggement, <br>Me thynketh it a thyng impertinent,<br>Save that he wole convoyen his mateere;<br>But this his tale, which that ye may heere.' </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Part 23</div><div style="margin:10px 0">THE CLERKES TALE</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Heere bigynneth the tale of the Clerk of Oxenford.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ther is, at the west syde of Ytaille,<br>Doun at the roote of Vesulus the colde,<br>A lusty playne, habundant of vitaille,<br>Where many a tour and toun thou mayst biholde<br>That founded were in tyme of fadres olde,<br>And many another delitable sighte,<br>And Saluces this noble contree highte.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">A markys whilom lord was of that lond,<br>As were hise worthy eldres hym bifore,<br>And obeisant and redy to his hond<br>Were alle hise liges, bothe lasse and moore.<br>Thus in delit he lyveth, and hath doon yoore,<br>Biloved and drad thurgh favour of Fortune,<br>Bothe of hise lordes and of his commune.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Therwith he was, to speke as of lynage,<br>The gentilleste yborn of Lumbardye;<br>A fair persone, and strong, and yong of age,<br>And ful of honour and of curteisye,<br>Discreet ynogh his contree for to gye,<br>Save that in somme thynges that he was to blame,<br>And Walter was this yonge lordes name.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">I blame hym thus, that he considereth noght<br>In tyme comynge what hym myghte bityde,<br>But in his lust present was al his thoght,<br>As for to hauke and hunte on every syde.<br>Wel ny alle othere cures leet he slyde;<br>And eek he nolde,-and that was worst of alle-<br>Wedde no wyf, for noght that may bifalle.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Oonly that point his peple bar so soore,<br>That flokmeele on a day they to hym wente,<br>And oon of hem, that wisest was of loore,<br>Or elles that the lord best wolde assente,<br>That he sholde telle hym what his peple mente,<br>Or elles koude he shewe wel swich mateere,<br>He to the markys seyde as ye shul heere:</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'O noble Markys, youre humanitee<br>Asseureth us, and yeveth us hardinesse,<br>As ofte as tyme is of necessitee<br>That we to yow mowe telle oure hevynesse.<br>Accepteth, lord, now for youre gentillesse<br>That we with pitous herte unto yow pleyne,<br>And lat youre eres nat my voys desdeyne,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Al have I noght to doone in this mateere<br>Moore than another man hath in this place;<br>Yet for as muche as ye, my lord so deere,<br>Han alwey shewed me favour and grace,<br>I dar the bettre aske of yow a space<br>Of audience to shewen oure requeste,<br>And ye, my lord, to doon right as yow leste.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For certes, lord, so wel us liketh yow<br>And al youre werk, and evere han doon that we<br>Ne koude nat us-self devysen how<br>We myghte lyven in moore felicitee,<br>Save o thyng, lord, if it youre wille be,<br>That for to been a wedded man yow leste,<br>Thanne were youre peple in sovereyn hertes reste.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Boweth youre nekke under that blisful yok<br>Of soveraynetee, noght of servyse,<br>Which that men clepeth spousaille or wedlock;<br>And thenketh, lord, among youre thoghtes wyse<br>How that oure dayes passe in sondry wyse,<br>For thogh we slepe, or wake, or rome, or ryde,<br>Ay fleeth the tyme, it nyl no man abyde.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And thogh youre grene youthe floure as yit,<br>In crepeth age alwey, as stille as stoon, <br>And deeth manaceth every age, and smyt<br>In ech estaat, for ther escapeth noon;<br>And al so certein as we knowe echoon<br>That we shul deye, as uncerteyn we alle<br>Been of that day, whan deeth shal on us falle.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Accepteth thanne of us the trewe entente<br>That nevere yet refuseden thyn heeste;<br>And we wol, lord, if that ye wole assente,<br>Chese yow a wyf in short tyme atte leeste,<br>Born of the gentilleste and of the meeste<br>Of al this land, so that it oghte seme<br>Honour to God, and yow, as we kan deeme.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Delivere us out of al this bisy drede,<br>And taak a wyf for hye Goddes sake,<br>For if it so bifelle, as God forbede,<br>That thurgh your deeth your lyne sholde slake,<br>And that a straunge successour sholde take<br>Youre heritage, o wo were us alyve!<br>Wherfore we pray you hastily to wyve.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Hir meeke preyere and hir pitous cheere<br>Made the markys herte han pitee.<br>'Ye wol,' quod he, 'myn owene peple deere,<br>To that I nevere erst thoughte, streyne me.<br>I me rejoysed of my liberte,<br>That seelde tyme is founde in mariage.<br>Ther I was free, I moot been in servage.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But nathelees I se youre trewe entente,<br>And truste upon youre wit, and have doon at;<br>Wherfore of my free wyl I wole assente<br>To wedde me, as soone as evere I may.<br>But ther as ye han profred me this day<br>To chese me a wyf, I yow relesse<br>That choys, and prey yow of that profre cesse.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For God it woot, that children ofte been<br>Unlyk hir worthy eldres hem bifore.<br>Bountee comth al of God, nat of the streen,<br>Of which they been engendred and ybore.<br>I truste in Goddes bontee; and therfore<br>My mariage, and myn estaat and reste,<br>I hym bitake, he may doon as hym leste.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Lat me allone in chesynge of my wyf,<br>That charge upon my bak I wole endure;<br>But I yow preye, and charge upon youre lyf<br>That what wyf that I take, ye me assure<br>To worshipe hir, whil that hir lyf may dure,<br>In word and werk, bothe heere and everywheere,<br>As she an emperoures doghter weere.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And forthermoore, this shal ye swere, that ye<br>Agayn my choys shul neither grucche ne stryve,<br>For sith I shal forgoon my libertee<br>At youre requeste, as evere moot I thryve,<br>Ther as myn herte is set, ther wol I wyve!<br>And but ye wole assente in this manere,<br>I prey yow, speketh namoore of this matere.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">With hertely wyl they sworen and assenten<br>To al this thyng, ther seyde no wight nay,<br>Bisekynge hym of grace er that they wenten,<br>That he wolde graunten hem a certein day<br>Of his spousaille, as soone as evere he may,<br>For yet alwey the peple somwhat dredde<br>Lest that this markys no wyf wolde wedde.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">He graunted hem a day, swich as hym leste,<br>On which he wolde be wedded sikerly,<br>And seyde he dide al this at hir requeste;<br>And they with humble entente, buxomly,<br>Knelynge upon hir knees ful reverently<br>Hym thonken alle, and thus they han an ende<br>Of hir entente, and hoom agayn they wende.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And heerupon he to hise officeres<br>Comaundeth for the feste to purveye,<br>And to hise privee knyghtes and squieres<br>Swich charge yaf, as hym liste on hem leye.<br>And they to his comandement obeye,<br>And ech of hem dooth al his diligence<br>To doon unto the feeste reverence:</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Explicit prima pars.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Incipit secunda pars.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Noght fer fro thilke paleys honurable<br>Ther as this markys shoop his mariage,<br>Ther stood a throop, of site delitable,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">In which that povre folk of that village<br>Hadden hir beestes and hir herbergage,<br>And of hir lobour tooke hir sustenance,<br>After that the erthe yaf hem habundance.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Amonges thise povre folk ther dwelte a man<br>Which that was holden povrest of hem alle;<br>(But hye God somtyme senden kan<br>His grace into a litel oxes stalle)<br>Janicula men of that throop hym calle.<br>A doghter hadde he, fair ynogh to sighte,<br>And Grisildis this yonge mayden highte.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But for to speke of vertuous beautee,<br>Thanne was she oon the faireste under sonne,<br>For povreliche yfostred up was she,<br>No likerous lust was thurgh hir herte yronne.<br>Wel ofter of the welle than of the tonne<br>She drank, and for she wolde vertu plese<br>She knew wel labour but noon ydel ese.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But thogh this mayde tendre were of age,<br>Yet in the brest of hire virginitee<br>Ther was enclosed rype and sad corage;<br>And in greet reverence and charitee<br>Hir olde povre fader fostred shee.<br>A fewe sheepe, spynnynge on feeld she kepte,<br>-She wolde noght been ydel, til she slepte.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And whan she homward cam, she wolde brynge<br>Wortes, or othere herbes tymes ofte,<br>The whiche she shredde and seeth for hir lyvynge,<br>And made hir bed ful harde and no thyng softe;<br>And ay she kepte hir fadres lyf on lofte<br>With everich obeisaunce and diligence<br>That child may doon to fadres reverence.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Upon Grisilde, this povre creature,<br>Ful ofte sithe this markys caste his eye,<br>As he on huntyng rood paraventure.<br>And whan it fil that he myghte hire espye,<br>He noght with wantowne lookyng of folye<br>Hise eyen caste on hir, but in sad wyse,<br>Upon hir chiere he wolde hym ofte avyse,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Commendynge in his herte hir wommanhede<br>And eek hir vertu, passynge any wight<br>Of so yong age, as wel in chiere as dede.<br>For thogh the peple hadde no greet insight<br>In vertu, he considered ful right<br>Hir bountee, and disposed that he wolde<br>Wedde hir oonly, if evere he wedde sholde.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">The day of weddyng cam, but no wight kan<br>Telle what womman that it sholde be,<br>For which merveille wondred many a man,<br>And seyden, whan that they were in privetee,<br>'Wol nat oure lord yet leve his vanytee?<br>Wol he nat wedde? allas, allas, the while!<br>Why wole he thus hymself and us bigile?'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But nathelees this markys hath doon make<br>Of gemmes set in gold and in asure<br>Brooches and rynges, for Grisildis sake,<br>And of hir clothyng took he the mesure,<br>By a mayde lyk to hir stature,<br>And eek of othere ornementes alle<br>That unto swich a weddyng sholde falle.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">The time of undren of the same day<br>Approcheth, that this weddyng sholde be;<br>And al the paleys put was in array,<br>Bothe halle and chambres, ech in his degree;<br>Houses of office stuffed with plentee<br>Ther maystow seen, of deyntevous vitaille,<br>That may be founde as fer as last Ytaille.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">This roial markys, richely arrayed,<br>Lordes and ladyes in his compaignye,<br>The whiche that to the feeste weren yprayed,<br>And of his retenue the bachelrye,<br>With many a soun of sondry melodye<br>Unto the village, of the which I tolde,<br>In this array the righte wey han holde.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Grisilde (of this, God woot, ful innocent,<br>That for hir shapen was al this array)<br>To fecchen water at a welle is went,<br>And cometh hoom as soone as ever she may;<br>For wel she hadde herd seyd, that thilke day<br>The markys sholde wedde, and if she myghte,<br>She wolde fayn han seyn som of that sighte.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">She thoghte, 'I wole with othere maydens stonde,<br>That been my felawes, in oure dore, and se<br>The markysesse, and therfore wol I fonde<br>To doon at hoom as soone as it may be<br>The labour, which that longeth unto me, <br>And thanne I may at leyser hir biholde,<br>If she this wey unto the castel holde.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And as she wolde over hir thresshfold gon<br>The markys cam and gan hire for to calle,<br>And she set doun hir water pot anon<br>Biside the thresshfold in an oxes stalle,<br>And doun up-on hir knes she gan to falle,<br>And with sad contenance kneleth stille,<br>Til she had herd what was the lordes will.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">This thoghtful markys spak unto this mayde<br>Ful sobrely, and seyde in this manere,<br>'Where is youre fader, O Grisildis?' he sayde,<br>And she with reverence in humble cheere<br>Answerde, 'Lord, he is al redy heere.'<br>And in she gooth, withouten lenger lette,<br>And to the markys she hir fader fette.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">He by the hand thanne took this olde man,<br>And seyde thus, whan he hym hadde asyde,<br>'Janicula, I neither may ne kan<br>Lenger the plesance of myn herte hyde;<br>If that thou vouchsauf, what so bityde,<br>Thy doghter wol I take, er that I wende,<br>As for my wyf unto hir lyves ende.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thou lovest me, I woot it wel certeyn,<br>And art my feithful lige man ybore,<br>And all that liketh me, I dar wel seyn,<br>It liketh thee; and specially therfore<br>Tel me that poynt that I have seyd bifore,<br>If that thou wolt unto that purpos drawe,<br>To take me as for thy sone-in-lawe.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">This sodeyn cas this man astonyed so, <br>That reed he wax abayst and al quakyng<br>He stood, unnethes seyde he wordes mo,<br>But oonly thus, 'Lord,' quod he, 'my willynge<br>Is as ye wole, ne ayeyns youre likynge<br>I wol no thyng, ye be my lord so deere;<br>Right as yow lust governeth this mateere.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Yet wol I,' quod this markys softely,<br>'That in thy chambre I and thou and she<br>Have a collacioun, and wostow why?<br>For I wol axe, if it hir wille be<br>To be my wyf, and reule hir after me;<br>And al this shal be doon in thy presence,<br>I wol noght speke out of thyn audience.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And in the chambre whil they were aboute<br>Hir tretys which as ye shal after heere,<br>The peple cam unto the hous withoute,<br>And wondred hem in how honeste manere<br>And tentifly she kepte hir fader deere.<br>But outrely Grisildis wondre myghte<br>For nevere erst ne saugh she swich a sighte.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">No wonder is thogh that she were astoned<br>To seen so greet a grest come in that place;<br>She nevere was to swiche gestes woned,<br>For which she looked with ful pale face-<br>But shortly forth this tale for to chace,<br>Thise arn the wordes that the markys sayde<br>To this benigne verray feithful mayde.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Grisilde,' he seyde, 'ye shal wel understonde<br>It liketh to youre fader and to me<br>That I yow wedde, and eek it may so stonde,<br>As, I suppose, ye wol that it so be.<br>But thise demandes axe I first,' quod he,<br>'That sith it shal be doon in hastif wyse,<br>Wol ye assente, or elles yow avyse?</div><div style="margin:10px 0">I seye this, be ye redy with good herte<br>To al my lust, and that I frely may,<br>As me best thynketh, do yow laughe or smerte,<br>And nevere ye to grucche it nyght ne day,<br>And eek whan I sey ye, ne sey nat nay,<br>Neither by word, ne frownyng contenance?<br>Swere this, and heere I swere yow alliance.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Wondrynge upon this word, quakynge for drede,<br>She seyde, 'Lord, undigne and unworthy<br>Am I to thilke honour, that ye me beede,<br>But as ye wole yourself, right so wol I.<br>And heere I swere, that nevere willyngly<br>In werk ne thoght I nyl yow disobeye,<br>For to be deed, though me were looth to deye.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'This is ynogh, Grisilde myn,' quod he,<br>And forth he gooth with a ful sobre cheere<br>Out at the dore, and after that cam she;<br>And to the peple he seyde in this manere,<br>'This is my wyf,' quod he, 'that standeth heere;<br>Honoureth hir, and loveth hir, I preye,<br>Whoso me loveth; ther is namoore to seye.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And for that nothyng of hir olde geere<br>She sholde brynge into his hous, he bad<br>That wommen sholde dispoillen hir right theere;-<br>Of which thise ladyes were nat right glad<br>To handle hir clothes, wherinne she was clad-<br>But nathelees, this mayde bright of hewe<br>Fro foot to heed they clothed han al newe.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Hir heris han they kembd, that lay untressed<br>Ful rudely, and with hir fyngres smale<br>A corone on hir heed they han ydressed,<br>And sette hir ful of nowches grete and smale.<br>Of hir array what sholde I make a tale?<br>Unnethe the peple hire knew for hir fairnesse<br>Whan she translated was in swich richesse.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">This markys hath hir spoused with a ryng<br>Broght for the same cause, and thanne hir sette<br>Upon an hors, snow-whit and wel amblyng,<br>And to his paleys, er he lenger lette,<br>With joyful peple that hir ladde and mette<br>Convoyed hir; and thus the day they spende<br>In revel, til the sonne gan descende.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And shortly forth this tale for to chace,<br>I seye, that to this newe markysesse<br>God hath swich favour sent hir of his grace,<br>That it ne semed nat by liklynesse<br>That she was born and fed in rudenesse<br>As in a cote or in an oxe-stalle,<br>But norissed in an emperoures halle.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">To every wight she woxen is so deere<br>And worshipful, that folk ther she was bore<br>And from hir birthe knewe hir yeer by yeere,<br>Unnethe trowed they, but dorste han swore<br>That she to Janicle, of which I spak bifore,<br>She doghter nere, for as by conjecture,<br>Hem thoughte she was another creature.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For though that evere vertuous was she,<br>She was encressed in swich excellence,<br>Of thewes goode, yset in heigh bountee,<br>And so discreet and fair of eloquence,<br>So benigne, and so digne of reverence,<br>And koude so the peples herte embrace,<br>That ech hir lovede, that looked on hir face.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Noght oonly of Saluces in the toun<br>Publiced was the bountee of hir name,<br>But eek biside in many a regioun,<br>If oon seide wel, another seyde the same;<br>So spradde of hir heighe bountee the fame<br>That men and wommen, as wel yonge as olde,<br>Goon to Saluce upon hir to biholde.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thus Walter lowely, nay! but roially<br>Wedded with fortunat honestetee,<br>In Goddes pees lyveth ful esily<br>At hoom, and outward grace ynogh had he,<br>And for he saugh that under low degree<br>Was ofte vertu hid, the peple hym heelde<br>A prudent man, and that is seyn ful seelde.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Nat oonly this Grisildis thurgh hir wit<br>Koude al the feet of wyfly humblenesse,<br>But eek, whan that the cas required it,<br>The commune profit koude she redresse.<br>Ther nas discord, rancour, ne hevynesse<br>In al that land, that she ne koude apese,<br>And wisely brynge hem alle in reste and ese.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Though that hir housbonde absent were anon<br>If gentil men, or othere of hir contree<br>Were wrothe, she wolde bryngen hem aton.<br>So wise and rype wordes hadde she,<br>And juggementz of so greet equitee,<br>That she from hevene sent was, as men wende,<br>Peple to save and every wrong tamende.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Nat longe tyme after that this Grisild<br>Was wedded, she a doghter hath ybore-<br>Al had hir levere have born a man child;<br>Glad was this markys and the folk therfore,<br>For though a mayde child coome al bifore,<br>She may unto a knave child atteyne<br>By liklihede, syn she nys nat bareyne.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Explicit secunda pars.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Incipit tercia pars.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ther fil, as it bifalleth tymes mo,<br>Whan that this child had souked but a throwe,<br>This markys in his herte longeth so<br>To tempte his wyf, hir sadnesse for to knowe,<br>That he ne myghte out of his herte throwe<br>This merveillous desir his wyf tassaye.<br>Nedelees, God woot, he thoghte hir for taffraye.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">He hadde assayed hir ynogh bifore,<br>And foond hir evere good; what neded it<br>Hir for to tempte and alwey moore and moore?<br>Though som men preise it for a subtil wit,<br>But as for me, I seye that yvele it sit<br>To assaye a wyf, whan that it is no nede,<br>And putten hir in angwyssh and in drede.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For which this markys wroghte in this manere;<br>He cam allone a nyght, ther as she lay,<br>With stierne face and with ful trouble cheere,<br>And seyde thus, 'Grisilde,' quod he, 'that day<br>That I yow took out of your povere array,<br>And putte yow in estaat of heigh noblesse,<br>Ye have nat that forgeten, as I gesse.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">I seye, Grisilde, this present dignitee<br>In which that I have put yow, as I trowe<br>Maketh yow nat foryetful for to be<br>That I yow took in povre estaat ful lowe<br>For any wele ye moot youreselven knowe.<br>Taak heede of every word that y yow seye,<br>Ther is no wight that hereth it but we tweye.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ye woot yourself wel how that ye cam heere<br>Into this hous, it is nat longe ago.<br>And though to me that ye be lief and deere,<br>Unto my gentils ye be no thyng so.<br>They seyn, to hem it is greet shame and wo<br>For to be subgetz, and to been in servage,<br>To thee that born art of a smal village.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And namely, sith thy doghter was ybore,<br>Thise wordes han they spoken, doutelees;<br>But I desire, as I have doon bifore,<br>To lyve my lyf with hem in reste and pees.<br>I may nat in this caas be recchelees,<br>I moot doon with thy doghter for the beste,<br>Nat as I wolde, but as my peple leste.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And yet God woot, this is ful looth to me!<br>But nathelees, withoute youre wityng<br>I wol nat doon, but this wol I,' quod he,<br>'That ye to me assente as in this thyng.<br>Shewe now youre pacience in youre werkyng,<br>That ye me highte and swore in youre village,<br>That day that maked was oure mariage.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Whan she had herd al this, she noght ameved<br>Neither in word, or chiere, or countenaunce;<br>For as it semed she was nat agreved.<br>She seyde, 'Lord, al lyth in youre plesaunce,<br>My child, and I, with hertely obeisaunce<br>Been youres al, and ye mowe save and spille<br>Your owene thyng, werketh after youre wille.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ther may no thyng, God so my soule save,<br>Liken to yow, that may displese me,<br>Ne I ne desire no thyng for to have,<br>Ne drede for to leese save oonly yee;<br>This wyl is in myn herte, and ay shal be;<br>No lengthe of tyme or deeth may this deface,<br>Ne chaunge my corage to another place.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Glad was this markys of hir answeryng,<br>But yet he feyned as he were nat so.<br>Al drery was his cheere and his lookyng,<br>Whan that he sholde out of the chambre go.<br>Soone after this, a furlong wey or two,<br>He prively hath toold al his entente<br>Unto a man, and to his wyf hym sente.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">A maner sergeant was this privee man,<br>The which that feithful ofte he founden hadde<br>In thynges grete, and eek swich folk wel kan<br>Doon execucioun on thynges badde.<br>The lord knew wel that he hym loved and dradde;-<br>And whan this sergeant wiste the lordes wille,<br>Into the chambre he stalked hym ful stille.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Madame,' he seyde, 'ye moote foryeve it me<br>Though I do thyng to which I am constreyned,<br>Ye been so wys, that ful wel knowe ye<br>That lordes heestes mowe nat been yfeyned,<br>They mowe wel been biwailled and compleyned,<br>But men moote nede unto hir lust obeye;<br>And so wol I, ther is namoore to seye.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">This child I am comanded for to take.'<br>And spak namoore, but out the child he hente<br>Despitously, and gan a cheere make<br>As though he wolde han slayn it er he wente.<br>Grisildis moot al suffren and consente,<br>And as a lamb she sitteth meke and stille,<br>And leet this crueel sergeant doon his wille.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Suspecious was the diffame of this man,<br>Suspect his face, suspect his word also,<br>Suspect the tyme in which he this bigan.<br>Allas, hir doghter that she loved so!<br>She wende he wolde han slawen it right tho;<br>But nathelees she neither weep ne syked,<br>Consentynge hir to that the markys lyked.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But atte laste speken she bigan,<br>And mekely she to the sergeant preyde,<br>So as he was a worthy gentil man,<br>That she moste kisse hire child, er that it deyde,<br>And in hir barm this litel child she leyde,<br>With ful sad face, and gan the child to kisse,<br>And lulled it, and after gan it blisse.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And thus she seyde in hir benigne voys,<br>'Fareweel, my child, I shal thee nevere see,<br>But sith I thee have marked with the croys<br>Of thilke fader blessed moote thou be,<br>That for us deyde upon a croys of tree.<br>Thy soule, litel child, I hym bitake,<br>For this nyght shaltow dyen for my sake.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">I trowe, that to a norice in this cas<br>It had been hard this reuthe for to se;<br>Wel myghte a mooder thanne han cryd `allas!'<br>But nathelees so sad and stidefast was she,<br>That she endured al adversitee,<br>And to the sergeant mekely she sayde,<br>'Have heer agayn your litel yonge mayde.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Gooth now,' quod she, 'and dooth my lordes heeste;<br>But o thyng wol I prey yow of youre grace,<br>That, but my lord forbad yow atte leeste,<br>Burieth this litel body in son place<br>That beestes ne no briddes it torace.'<br>But he no word wol to that purpos seye,<br>But took the child, and wente upon his weye.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">This sergeant cam unto his lord ageyn,<br>And of Grisildis wordes and hir cheere<br>He tolde hym point for point, in short and pleyn,<br>And hym presenteth with his doghter deere.<br>Somwhat this lord hath routhe in his manere,<br>But nathelees his purpos heeld he stille,<br>As lordes doon whan they wol han hir wille;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And bad his sergeant, that he pryvely<br>Sholde this child ful softe wynde and wrappe,<br>With alle circumstances tendrely,<br>And carie it in a cofre or in a lappe,<br>But upon peyne his heed of for to swappe<br>That no man sholde knowe of his entente,<br>Ne whenne he cam, ne whider that he wente.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But at Boloigne to his suster deere,<br>That thilke tyme of Panik was Countesse,<br>He sholde it take, and shewe hir this mateere,<br>Bisekynge hir to doon hir bisynesse<br>This child to fostre in alle gentillesse,<br>And whos child that it was, he bad hire hyde<br>From every wight, for oght that may bityde.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">The sergeant gooth, and hath fulfild this thyng,<br>But to this markys now retourne we,<br>For now gooth he ful faste ymaginyng,<br>If by his wyves cheere he myghte se<br>Or by hir word aperceyve that she<br>Were chaunged, but he nevere hir koude fynde,<br>But evere in oon ylike sad and kynde.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">As glad, as humble, as bisy in servyse,<br>And eek in love, as she was wont to be,<br>Was she to hym in every maner wyse,<br>Ne of hir doghter noght a word spak she.<br>Noon accident for noon adversitee<br>Was seyn in hir, ne nevere hir doghter name<br>Ne nempned she, in ernest nor in game.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=Geoffrey+Chaucer">Geoffrey Chaucer</a><div class=q> <img src="https://www.citatepedia.ro/g/32share.png" style="float:left" alt="Share"> <script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=395626" data-title="The Canterbury Tales; The Clerkes Tale (a) de Geoffrey Chaucer" data-description="THE CLERKES TALE - PROLOGUE/Heere folweth the Prologe of the clerkes tale of Oxenford./'Sire clerk of Oxenford,' oure Hooste sayde,/'Ye ryde as coy and stille as dooth a mayde,/Were newe spoused, sittynge at the bord./This day ne herde I of youre ..."></div> </div> </div>

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