Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 76

Grisilde of this, G.o.d woot, ful innocent, That for hir shapen was al this array, 275 To fecchen water at a welle is went, (220) And cometh hoom as sone as ever she may.

For wel she hadde herd seyd, that thilke day The markis sholde wedde, and, if she mighte, She wolde fayn han seyn som of that sighte. 280

[398: T. 8157-8191.]

She thoghte, 'I wol with othere maydens stonde, That been my felawes, in our dore, and see The markisesse, and therfor wol I fonde To doon at hoom, as sone as it may be, The labour which that longeth un-to me; 285 And than I may at leyser hir biholde, (230) If she this wey un-to the castel holde.'

And as she wolde over hir threshfold goon, The markis cam and gan hir for to calle; And she sette doun hir water-pot anoon 290 Bisyde the threshfold, in an oxes stalle, And doun up-on hir knees she gan to falle, And with sad contenance kneleth stille Til she had herd what was the lordes wille.

This thoghtful markis spak un-to this mayde 295 Ful sobrely, and seyde in this manere, (240) 'Wher is your fader, Grisildis?' he sayde, And she with reverence, in humble chere, Answerde, 'lord, he is al redy here.'

And in she gooth with-outen lenger lette, 300 And to the markis she hir fader fette.

297. E. Hn. Cm. _insert_ o _after_ fader.

He by the hond than took this olde man, And seyde thus, whan he him hadde asyde, 'Ianicula, I neither may ne can Lenger the plesance of myn herte hyde. 305 If that thou vouche-sauf, what-so bityde, (250) Thy doghter wol I take, er that I wende, As for my wyf, un-to hir lyves ende.

302. E. thanne; Hn, than.

Thou lovest me, I woot it wel, certeyn, And art my feithful lige man y-bore; 310 And al that lyketh me, I dar wel seyn It lyketh thee, and specially therfore Tel me that poynt that I have seyd bifore, If that thou wolt un-to that purpos drawe, To take me as for thy sone-in-lawe?' 315

[399: T. 8192-8226.]

This sodeyn cas this man astoned so, (260) That reed he wex, abayst, and al quaking He stood unnethes seyde he wordes mo, But only thus: 'lord,' quod he, 'my willing Is as ye wole, ne ayeines your lyking 320 I wol no-thing; ye be my lord so dere; Right as yow l.u.s.t governeth this matere.'

317. E. Cp. Hl. wax; Hn. weex; _rest_ wex. 320. E. ayeins; Ln.

a-yeines; see l. 2325 _below_ (Group E).

'Yet wol I,' quod this markis softely, 'That in thy chambre I and thou and she Have a collacion, and wostow why? 325 For I wol axe if it hir wille be (270) To be my wyf, and reule hir after me; And al this shal be doon in thy presence, I wol noght speke out of thyn audience.'

And in the chambre whyl they were aboute 330 Hir tretis, which as ye shal after here, The peple cam un-to the hous with-oute, And wondred hem in how honest manere And tentifly she kepte hir fader dere.

But outerly Grisildis wondre mighte, 335 For never erst ne saugh she swich a sighte. (280)

No wonder is thogh that she were astoned To seen so greet a gest come in that place; She never was to swiche gestes woned, For which she loked with ful pale face. 340 But shortly forth this tale for to chace, Thise arn the wordes that the markis sayde To this benigne verray feithful mayde.

337. E. Pt. _omit_ that.

'Grisilde,' he seyde, 'ye shul wel understonde It lyketh to your fader and to me 345 That I yow wedde, and eek it may so stonde, (290) As I suppose, ye wol that it so be.

But thise demandes axe I first,' quod he, 'That, sith it shal be doon in hastif wyse, Wol ye a.s.sente, or elles yow avyse? 350

[400: T. 8227-8261.]

I seye this, be ye redy with good herte To al my l.u.s.t, and that I frely may, As me best thinketh, do yow laughe or smerte, And never ye to grucche it, night ne day?

And eek whan I sey "ye," ne sey nat "nay," 355 Neither by word ne frowning contenance; (300) Swer this, and here I swere our alliance.'

357. E. yow; _rest_ oure.

Wondring upon this word, quaking for drede, She seyde, 'lord, undigne and unworthy Am I to thilke honour that ye me bede; 360 But as ye wol your-self, right so wol I.

And heer I swere that never willingly In werk ne thoght I nil yow disobeye, For to be deed, though me were looth to deye.'

'This is y-nogh, Grisilde myn!' quod he. 365 And forth he gooth with a ful sobre chere (310) Out at the dore, and after that cam she, And to the peple he seyde in this manere, 'This is my wyf,' quod he, 'that standeth here.

Honoureth hir, and loveth hir, I preye, 370 Who-so me loveth; ther is na-more to seye.'

And for that no-thing of hir olde gere She sholde bringe in-to his hous, he bad That wommen sholde dispoilen hir right there; Of which thise ladyes were nat right glad 375 To handle hir clothes wher-in she was clad. (320) But natheles this mayde bright of hewe Fro foot to heed they clothed han al newe.

Hir heres han they kembd, that lay untressed Ful rudely, and with hir fingres smale 380 A corone on hir heed they han y-dressed, And sette hir ful of nowches grete and smale; Of hir array what sholde I make a tale?

Unnethe the peple hir knew for hir fairnesse, Whan she translated was in swich richesse. 385

385. translated] Cp. transmewed; Pt. transformed.

[401: T. 8262-8296.]

This markis hath hir spoused with a ring (330) Broght for the same cause, and than hir sette Up-on an hors, snow-whyt and wel ambling, And to his paleys, er he lenger lette, With Ioyful peple that hir ladde and mette, 390 Conveyed hir, and thus the day they spende In revel, til the sonne gan descende.

And shortly forth this tale for to chace, I seye that to this newe markisesse G.o.d hath swich favour sent hir of his grace, 395 That it ne semed nat by lyklinesse (340) That she was born and fed in rudenesse, As in a cote or in an oxe-stalle, But norished in an emperoures halle.

To every wight she woxen is so dere 400 And wors.h.i.+pful, that folk ther she was bore And from hir birthe knewe hir yeer by yere, Unnethe trowed they, but dorste han swore That to Ianicle, of which I spak bifore, She doghter nas, for, as by coniecture, 405 Hem thoughte she was another creature. (350)

404. E. That she; _rest omit_ she. 405. Cp. Ln. nas; E. Hn. Cm. Hl.

were; Pt. ne were.

For thogh that ever vertuous was she, She was encressed in swich excellence Of thewes G.o.de, y-set in heigh bountee, And so discreet and fair of eloquence, 410 So benigne and so digne of reverence, And coude so the peples herte embrace, That ech hir lovede that loked on hir face.

Noght only of Saluces in the toun Publiced was the bountee of hir name, 415 But eek bisyde in many a regioun, (360) If oon seyde wel, another seyde the same; So spradde of hir heigh bountee the fame, That men and wommen, as wel yonge as olde, Gon to Saluce, upon hir to biholde. 420

415. E. Publiced; Pt. Publisshed; Hn. Publissed. E. beautee; _rest_ bountee. 418. E. heighe. E. name; _rest_ fame.

[402: T. 8297-8324.]

Thus Walter lowly, nay but royally, Wedded with fortunat honestetee, In G.o.ddes pees liveth ful esily At hoom, and outward grace y-nogh had he; And for he saugh that under low degree 425 Was ofte vertu hid, the peple him helde (370) A prudent man, and that is seyn ful selde.

425. E. saugh; _see_ B. 810. E. heigh; _the rest_ lowe, low. 426. E _omits_ ofte.

Nat only this Grisildis thurgh hir wit Coude al the feet of wyfly hoomlinesse, But eek, whan that the cas requyred it, 430 The commune profit coude she redresse.

Ther nas discord, rancour, ne hevinesse In al that lond, that she ne coude apese, And wysly bringe hem alle in reste and ese.

429. _So_ Cp. Ln.; Hl. humblesse; _rest_ humblenesse.

Though that hir housbonde absent were anoon, 435 If gentil men, or othere of hir contree (380) Were wrothe, she wolde bringen hem atoon; So wyse and rype wordes hadde she, And Iugements of so greet equitee, That she from heven sent was, as men wende, 440 Peple to save and every wrong tamende.

439. E. Iuggementz.

Nat longe tyme after that this Grisild Was wedded, she a doughter hath y-bore, Al had hir lever have born a knave child.

Glad was this markis and the folk therfore; 445 For though a mayde child come al bifore, (390) She may unto a knave child atteyne By lyklihed, sin she nis nat bareyne.

EXPLICIT SECUNDA PARS. INCIPIT TERCIA PARS.

444. E. man; _rest_ knaue. 447. E. man; _the rest_ knaue. 448. Cm.

liklyhed; E. Hn. liklihede.

[403: T. 8325-8359.]

Ther fil, as it bifalleth tymes mo, Whan that this child had souked but a throwe, 450 This markis in his herte longeth so To tempte his wyf, hir sadnesse for to knowe, That he ne mighte out of his herte throwe This merveillous desyr, his wyf ta.s.saye, Needless, G.o.d woot, he thoughte hir for taffraye. 455