Explicit tercia pars. Sequitur pars quarta. In this estaat ther passed been foure yeer 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 oonly he, but al his contree, merye Was for this child, and God they thanke and herye. Whan it was two yeer old, and fro the brest Departed of his norice, on a day This markys caughte yet another lest To tempte his wyf yet ofter if he may. O, nedelees was she tempted in assay! But wedded men ne knowe no mesure, Whan that they fynde a pacient creature. "Wyf," quod this markys, "ye han herd er this My peple sikly berth oure mariage; And namely sith my sone yboren is, Now is it worse than evere in al oure age. The murmure sleeth myn herte and my corage, For to myne eres comth the voys so smeerte, That it wel ny destroyed hath myn herte. Now sey they thus, `whan Walter is agon, Thanne shal the blood of Janicle succede, And been oure lord, for oother have we noon.' Swiche wordes seith my peple, out of drede, Wel oughte I of swich murmur taken heede, For certeinly I drede swich sentence, Though they nat pleyn speke in myn audience. I wolde lyve in pees, if that I myghte; Wherfore I am disposed outrely As I his suster servede by nyghte, Right so thenke I to serve hym pryvely. This warne I yow, that ye nat sodeynly Out of yourself for no wo sholde outreye. Beth pacient, and therof I yow preye." "I have," quod she, "seyd thus, and evere shal, I wol no thyng, ne nyl no thyng, certayn, But as yow list, naught greveth me at al Though that my doughter and my sone be slayn- At youre comandement, this is to sayn- I have noght had no part of children tweyne But first siknesse, and after wo and peyne. Ye been oure lord, dooth with your owene thyng Right as yow list, axeth no reed at me; For as I lefte at hoom al my clothyng, Whan I first cam to yow, right so," quod she, "Lefte I my wyl and al my libertee, And took youre clothyng, wherfore I yow preye, Dooth youre plesaunce;
I wol youre lust obeye. And certes, if I hadde prescience Youre wyl to knowe, er ye youre lust me tolde, I wolde it doon withouten necligence. But now I woot your lust and what ye wolde, Al your plesance ferme and stable I holde, For wiste I that my deeth wolde do yow ese, Right gladly wolde I dyen yow to plese. Deth may noght make no comparisoun Unto youre love!" and whan this markys say The constance of his wyf, he caste adoun Hise eyen two, and wondreth that she may In pacience suffre al this array; And forth he goth with drery contenance, But ot his herte it was ful greet plesance. This ugly sergeant, in the same wyse That he hir doghter caughte, right so he Or worse, if men worse kan devyse, Hath hent hir sone, that ful was of beautee, And evere in oon so pacient was she, That she no chiere maade of hevynesse, But kiste hir sone, and after gan it blesse. Save this, she preyde hym, that if he myghte, Hir litel sone he wolde in erthe grave His tendre lymes, delicaat to sighte, Fro foweles and fro beestes for to save. But she noon answere of hym myghte have, He wente his wey, as hym nothyng ne roghte, But to Boloigne he tendrely it broghte. This markys wondred evere lenger the moore Upon hir pacience, and if that he Ne hadde soothly knowen therbifoore That parfitly hir children loved she, He wolde have wend that of som subtiltee, And of malice, or for crueel corage, That she hadde suffred this with sad visage. But wel he knew that next hymself, certayn, She loved hir children best in every wyse; But now of wommen wolde I axen fayn, If thise assayes myghte nat suffise, What koude a sturdy housbonde moore devyse To preeve hire wyfhod or hir stedefastnesse, And he continuynge evere in sturdinesse? But ther been folk of swich condicioun, That whan they have a certein purpos take They kan nat stynte of hir entencioun, But right as they were bounden to that stake They wol nat of that firste purpos slake. Right so this markys fulliche hath purposed To tempte his wyf, as he was first disposed. He waiteth, if by word or contenance That she to hym was changed of corage; But nevere koude he fynde variance, She was ay oon in herte and in visage. And ay the forther that she was in age, The moore trewe-if that it were possible- She was to hym in love, and moore penyble. For which it semed thus, that of hem two Ther nas but o wyl; for, as Walter leste, 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 hirself no thing ne sholde Wille in effect, but as hir housbonde wolde. The sclaundre of Walter ofte and wyde spradde, That of a crueel herte he wikkedly, For he a povre womman wedded hadde, Hath mordred bothe his children prively.- Swich murmure was among hem comunly; No wonder is, for to the peples ere Ther cam no word, but that they mordred were. For which, wher as his peple therbifore Hadde loved hym wel, the sclaundre of his diffame Made hem, that they hym hatede therfore. To been a mordrere is an hateful name; But nathelees, for ernest ne for game He of his crueel purpos nolde stente: To tempte his wyf was set al his entente. Whan that his doghter twelf yeer was of age, He to the court of Rome in subtil wyse Enformed of his wyl sente his message, Comaundynge hem swiche bulles to devyse As to his crueel purpos may suffyse, How that the pope as for his peples reste Bad hym to wedde another, if hym leste. I seye, he bad they sholde countrefete The popes bulles, makynge mencioun That he hath leve his firste wyf to lete As by the popes dispensacioun, To stynte rancour and dissencioun Bitwixe his peple and hym, thus seyde the bulle, The which they han publiced atte fulle. The rude peple, as it no wonder is, Wenden ful wel that it hadde be right so; But whan thise tidynges cam to Grisildis, I deeme that hir herte was ful wo. But she, ylike sad for everemo, Disposed was, this humble creature, The adversitee of Fortune al tendure, Abidynge evere his lust and his plesance To whom that she was yeven, herte and al, As to hir verray worldly suffisance. But shortly, if this storie I tellen shal, This markys writen hath in special A lettre, in which he sheweth his entente, And secreely he to Boloigne it sente; To the Erl of Panyk, which that hadde tho Wedded his suster, preyde he specially To bryngen hoom agayn hise children two, In honurable estaat al openly; But o thyng he hym preyede outrely, That he to no wight, though men wolde enquere, Sholde nat telle whos children that they were, But seye, the mayden sholde ywedded be Unto the Markys 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, In riche array this mayden for to gyde, Hir yonge brother ridynge hir bisyde. Arrayed was toward hir mariage This fresshe mayde, ful of gemmes cleere; Hir brother, which that seven yeer was of age, Arrayed eek ful fressh in his manere. And thus in greet noblesse, and with glad cheere, Toward Saluces shapynge hir journey, Fro day to day they ryden in hir wey. Explicit quarta pars. Sequitur pars quinta. Among al this, after his wikke usage, This markys yet his wyf to tempte moore To the outtreste preeve of hir corage, Fully to han experience and loore, If that she were as stidefast as bifoore, He on a day in open audience Ful boistously hath seyd hir this sentence. "Certes,
Grisilde,
I hadde ynogh plesance, To han yow to my wyf for your goodnesse, As for youre trouthe, and for your obeisance- Noght for youre lynage, ne for youre richesse; But now knowe I, in verray soothfastnesse, That in greet lordshipe, if I wel avyse, Ther is greet servitute in sondry wyse. I may nat doon as every plowman may; My peple me constreyneth for to take Another wyf, and crien 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 comynge by the weye. Be strong of herte, and voyde anon hir place, And thilke dower that ye broghten me Taak it agayn,
I graunte it of my grace. Retourneth to youre fadres hous," quod he; "No man may alwey han prosperitee. With evene herte I rede yow tendure This strook of Fortune or of aventure." And she answerde agayn in pacience, "My lord," quod she, "I woot and wiste alway How that bitwixen youre magnificence And my poverte, no wight kan ne may Maken comparisoun, it is no nay. I ne heeld me nevere digne in no manere To be your wyf, no, ne youre chamberere. And in this hous ther ye me lady maade, The heighe God take I for my witnesse, And also wysly he my soule glaade, I nevere heeld me lady ne maistresse, But humble servant to youre worthynesse, And evere shal whil that my lyf may dure Aboven every worldly creature. That ye so longe of youre benignitee Han holden me in honour and nobleye, Wher as I was noght worthy for to bee, That thonke I God and yow, to whom I preye Foryelde it yow; ther is namoore to seye. Unto my fader gladly wol I wende, And with hym dwelle unto my lyves ende. Ther I was fostred of a child ful smal, Til I be deed, my lyf ther wol I lede, A wydwe clene in body, herte, and al, For sith I yaf to yow my maydenhede And am youre trewe wyf, it is no drede, God shilde swich a lordes wyf to take Another man, to housbonde or to make. And of youre 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 bee. For sith it liketh yow my lord," quod shee, "That whilom weren al myn hertes reste, That I shal goon,
I wol goon whan yow leste. But ther as ye me profre swich dowaire As I first broghte, it is wel in my mynde It were my wrecched clothes, no thyng faire, The whiche to me were hard now for to fynde. O goode God! how gentil and how kynde Ye semed by youre speche and youre visage The day that maked was oure mariage! But sooth is seyd, algate I fynde it trewe, (For in effect it preeved is on me) Love is noght oold, as whan that it is newe, But certes, lord, for noon adversitee, To dyen in the cas it shal nat bee That evere in word or werk I shal repente That I yow yaf myn herte in hool entente. My lord, ye woot that in my fadres place Ye dide me streepe out of my povre weede, And richely me cladden of youre grace. To yow broghte I noght elles, out of drede, But feith, and nakednesse, and maydenhede. And heere agayn my clothyng I restoore, And eek my weddyng ryng for everemo. The remenant of youre jueles redy be In-with youre chambre, dar I saufly sayn. Naked out of my fadres hous," quod she, "I cam, and naked moot I turne agayn. Al your plesance wol I folwen fayn, But yet I hope it be nat your entente That I smoklees out of your paleys wente. Ye koude nat doon so dishoneste a thyng, That thilke wombe in which your children leye, Sholde biforn the peple in my walkyng Be seyn al bare; wherfore I yow preye, Lat me nat lyk a worm go by the weye! Remembre yow, myn owene lord so deere, I was your wyf, though I unworthy weere. Wherfore, in gerdoun of my maydenhede Which that I broghte, and noght agayn I bere, As voucheth sauf to yeve me to my meede But swich a smok as I was wont to were, That I therwith may wrye the wombe of here That was your wyf, and heer take I my leeve Of yow, myn owene lord, lest I yow greve." "The smok," quod he, "that thou hast on thy bak, Lat it be stille, and bere it forth with thee." But wel unnethes thilke word he spak, But wente his wey for routhe and for pitee. Biforn the folk hirselven strepeth she, And in hir smok, with heed and foot al bare, Toward hir fader hous forth is she fare. The folk hir folwe, wepynge in hir weye, And Fortune ay they cursen, as they goon. But she fro wepyng kepte hir eyen dreye, Ne in this tyme word ne spak she noon. Hir fader, that this tidynge herde anoon, Curseth the day and tyme that nature Shoop hym to been a lyves creature. For out of doute this olde povre man Was evere in suspect of hir mariage, For evere he demed, sith that it bigan, That whan the lord fulfild hadde his corage, Hym wolde thynke it were a disparage To his estaat, so lowe for talighte, And voyden hir as soone as ever he myghte. Agayns his doghter hastiliche goth he, For he by noyse of folk knew hir comynge, And with hir olde coote, as it myghte be, He covered hir, ful sorwefully wepynge, But on hir body myghte he it nat brynge. For rude was the clooth, and moore of age 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 face, Biforn the folk ne eek in hir absence, Ne shewed she that hir was doon offence, Ne of hir heighe estaat no remembraunce Ne hadde she, as by hir contenaunce. No wonder is, for in hir grete estaat Hir goost was evere in pleyn humylitee. No tendre mouth, noon herte delicaat, No pompe, no semblant of roialtee, But ful of pacient benyngnytee, Discreet and pridelees, ay honurable, And to hir housbonde evere meke and stable. Men speke of Job, and moost for his humblesse, As clerkes whan hem list konne wel endite, Namely of men; but as in soothfastnesse, Though clerkes preise wommen but a lite, Ther kan no man in humblesse hym acquite, As womman kan, ne kan been half so trewe As wommen been, but it be falle of newe. (Pars sexta.) Fro Boloigne is this Erl of Panyk come, Of which the fame up sprang to moore and lesse, And in the peples eres, alle and some, Was kouth eek that a newe markysesse He with hym broghte, in swich pompe and richesse, That nevere was ther seyn with mannes eye So noble array in al Westlumbardye. The markys, which that shoop and knew al this, Er that thise 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 hire corage Cam at his heste, and on hir knees hire sette, And reverently and wysely she hym grette. "Grisilde," quod he, "my wyl is outrely This mayden, that shal wedded been to me, Received be to morwe as roially As it possible is in myn hous to be; And eek that every wight in his degree Have hsi estaat in sittyng and servyse And heigh plesaunce, as I kan best devyse. I have no wommen, suffisaunt, certayn, The chambres for tarraye in ordinaunce After my lust, and therfore wolde I fayn That thyn were al swich manere governaunce; Thou knowest eek of olde al my plesaunce, Thogh thyn array be badde and yvel biseye, Do thou thy devoir at the leeste weye." "Nat oonly lord, that I am glad," quod she, "To doon your lust, but I desire also Yow for to serve and plese in my degree Withouten feyntyng, and shal everemo. Ne nevere, for no wele ne no wo, Ne shal the goost withinne 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, And peyned hir to doon al that she myghte, Preyynge the chambereres for Goddes sake To hasten hem, and faste swepe and shake, And she, the mooste servysable of alle, Hath every chambre arrayed, and his halle. Abouten undren gan this Erl alighte, That with hym broghte thise noble children tweye, For which the peple ran to seen the sighte Of hir array, so richely biseye; And thanne at erst amonges hem they seye, That Walter was no fool, thogh that hym leste To chaunge his wyf, for it was for the beste. "For she is fairer," as they deemen alle, "Than is Grisilde, and moore tendre of age, And fairer fruyt bitwene hem sholde falle, And moore plesant for hir heigh lynage." Hir brother eek so faire was of visage, That hem to seen the peple hath caught plesaunce, Commendynge now the markys governaunce. O stormy peple, unsad and evere untrewe! Ay undiscreet and chaungynge as a vane, Delitynge evere in rumbul that is newe; For lyk the moone ay wexe ye and wane, Ay ful of clappyng, deere ynogh a jane, Youre doom is fals, youre constance yvele preeveth, A ful greet fool is he that on yow leeveth! 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. Namoore of this make I now mencioun, But to Grisilde agayn wol I me dresse, And telle hir constance and hir bisynesse. Ful bisy was Grisilde in every thyng That to the feeste was apertinent. Right noght was she abayst of hir clothyng, Thogh it were rude and somdeel eek torent, But with glad cheere to the yate is went With oother folk to greete the markysesse, And after that dooth forth hir bisynesse. With so glad chiere hise gestes she receyveth, And konnyngly everich in his degree, That no defaute no man aperceyveth, But ay they wondren what she myghte bee That in so povre array was for to see, And koude swich honour and reverence; And worhtily they preisen hire prudence. In al this meenewhile she ne stente This mayde and eek hir brother to commende With al hir herte, in ful benyngne entente, So wel that no man koude hir pris amende 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, "How liketh thee my wyf and hir beautee?" "Right wel," quod she, "my lord, for in good fey A fairer saugh I nevere noon than she. I prey to God yeve hir prosperitee, And so hope I that he wol to yow sende Plesance ynogh unto youre lyves ende. O thyng biseke I yow, and warne also That ye ne prikke with no tormentynge This tendre mayden, as ye han doon mo; For she is fostred in hir norissynge Moore tendrely, and to my supposynge She koude nat adversitee endure, As koude a povre fostred creature." And whan this Walter saugh hir pacience, Hir glade chiere, and no malice at al, And he so ofte had doon to hir offence And she ay sad and constant as a wal, Continuynge evere hir innocence overal, This sturdy markys gan his herte dresse To rewen upon hir wyfly stedfastnesse. "This is ynogh Grisilde myn," quod he, "Be now namoore agast, ne yvele apayed. I have thy feith and thy benyngnytee As wel as evere womman was, assayed In greet estaat, and povreliche arrayed; Now knowe I, goode wyf, thy stedfastnesse!" And hir in armes took, and gan hir kesse. And she for wonder took of it no keep. She herde nat, what thyng he to hir seyde. She ferde as she had stert out of a sleep, Til she out of hire mazednesse abreyde. "Grisilde," quod he, "by God that for us deyde, Thou art my wyf, ne noon oother I have, Ne nevere hadde, as God my soule save. This is thy doghter which thou hast supposed To be my wyf; that oother feithfully Shal be myn heir, as I have ay purposed; Thou bare hym in thy body trewely. At Boloigne have I kept hem prively. Taak hem agayn, for now maystow nat seye That thou hast lorn noon of thy children tweye. And folk that ootherweys han seyd of me, I warne hem wel that I have doon this deede For no malice, ne for no crueltee, But for tassaye in thee thy wommanheede, And not to sleen my clildren,
God forbeede! But for to kepe hem pryvely and stille, Til I thy purpos knewe and al thy wille." Whan she this herde, aswowne doun she falleth For pitous joye, and after hir swownynge She bothe hir yonge children unto hir calleth, And in hir armes pitously wepynge Embraceth hem, and tendrely kissynge Ful lyk a mooder, with hir salte teeres She bathed bothe hir visage and hir heeres. O, which a pitous thyng it was to se Hir swownyng, and hir humble voys to heere! "Grauntmercy, lord, that thanke I yow," quod she, "That ye han saved me my children deere. Now rekke I nevere to been deed right heere. Sith I stonde in your love and in your grace, No fors of deeth, ne whan my spirit pace! O tendre,
O deere,
O yonge children myne! Your woful mooder wende stedfastly That crueel houndes, or som foul vermyne Hadde eten yow; but God of his mercy And youre benyngne fader tendrely Hath doon yow kept," and in that same stounde Al sodeynly she swapte adoun to grounde. And in hir swough so sadly holdeth she 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 teere on many a pitous face Doun ran, of hem that stooden hir bisyde; Unnethe abouten hir myghte they abyde. Walter hir gladeth, and hir sorwe slaketh, She riseth up abaysed from hir traunce, And every wight hir joye and feeste maketh, Til she hath caught agayn hir contenaunce. Walter hir dooth so feithfully plesaunce, That it was deyntee for to seen the cheere. Bitwixe hem two, now they been met yfeere. Thise ladyes, whan that they hir tyme say, Han taken hir and into chambre gon, And strepen hir out of hir rude array And in a clooth of gold that brighte shoon, With a coroune of many a riche stoon Upon hir heed, they into halle hir broghte, And ther she was honured as hir oghte. Thus hath this pitous day a blisful ende, For every man and womman dooth his myght This day in murthe and revel to dispende, Til on the welkne shoon the sterres lyght. For moore solempne in every mannes syght This feste was, and gretter of costage, Than was the revel of hire mariage. Ful many a yeer in heigh prosperitee Lyven thise two in concord and in reste. And richely his doghter maryed he Unto a lord, oon of the worthieste Of al Ytaille, and thanne 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 heritage In reste and pees, after his fader day, 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 of olde tymes yoore. And herkneth what this auctour seith therfore. This storie is seyd, nat for that wyves sholde Folwen Grisilde as in humylitee, For it were inportable though they wolde, But for that every wight in his degree Sholde be constant in adversitee As was Grisilde. Therfore Petrark writeth This storie, which with heigh stile he enditeth. For sith a womman was so pacient Unto a mortal man, wel moore us oghte Receyven al in gree that God us sent. For greet skile is, he preeve that he wroghte. But he ne tempteth no man that he boghte, As seith Seint Jame, if ye his pistel rede; He preeveth folk al day, it is no drede, And suffreth us, as for oure excercise, With sharpe scourges of adversitee Ful ofte to be bete in sondry wise, Nat for to knowe oure wyl, for certes he Er we were born knew al oure freletee, And for oure beste is al his governaunce. Lat us thanne lyve in vertuous suffraunce. But o word, lordynges, herkneth er I go, It were ful hard to fynde nowadayes In al a toun Grisildis thre or two, For it that they were put to swiche assayes, The gold of hem hath now so badde alayes With bras, that thogh the coyne be fair at eye, It wolde rather breste atwo than plye. For which, heere for the Wyves love of Bathe, Whos lyf and al hir seete God mayntene In heigh maistrie, and elles were it scathe, I wol with lusty herte fressh and grene Seyn yow a song, to glade yow,
I wene, And lat us stynte of ernestful matere. Herkneth my song, that seith in this manere. Lenvoy de Chaucer. Grisilde is deed, and eek hir pacience, And bothe atones buryed in Ytaille, For which I crie in open audience No wedded man so hardy be tassaille His wyves pacience, in hope to fynde Grisildis, for in certein he shal faille. O noble wyves, ful of heigh prudence, Lat noon humylitee youre tonge naille, Ne lat no clerk have cause or diligence To write of yow a storie of swich mervaille As of Grisildis, pacient and kynde, Lest Chichivache yow swelwe in hire entraille. Folweth Ekko, that holdeth no silence, But evere answereth at the countretaille; Beth nat bidaffed for youre innocence, But sharply taak on yow the governaille. Emprenteth wel this lessoun in youre mynde For commune profit, sith it may availle. Ye archiwyves, stondeth at defense, Syn ye be strong as is a greet camaille. Ne suffreth nat that men yow doon offense, And sklendre wyves, fieble as in bataille, Beth egre as is a tygre yond in Ynde, Ay clappeth as a mille,
I yow consaille. Ne dreed hem nat, doth 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 jalousie I rede eek thou hym bynde, And thou shalt make hym couche as doth a quaille. If thou be fair, ther folk been in presence Shewe thou thy visage and thyn apparaille; If thou be foul, be fre of thy dispence, To gete thee freendes ay do thy travaille, Be ay of chiere as light as leef on lynde, And lat hym care, and wepe, and wryng, and waille. Here endeth the Clerk of Oxenford his Tale. (This stanza, perhaps made up by a scribe from other lines in Chaucer, is inserted in Ellesmere MS. and elsewhere as a link between the Clerk's Tale and the Envoy, ascribed to Chaucer. The Envoy, however, belongs to the Clerk, and the stanza seems both spurious and
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