The Hengwrt ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

¶ Lenuoy de Chaucer.

GRisilde is deed / and eek hir pacience And bothe atones / buryed in Ytaille ffor which I crye / in open audience Line 1179 No wedded man / so hardy be tasssaille His wyues pacience / in trust to fynde Grisildis / for in certein he shal faille Line 1182

[6-text p 441] Line 1182

¶ O noble wyues / ful of heigh prudence Lat noon humilitee / youre tonge nayle Ne lat no clerk / haue cause or diligence Line 1185 To write of yow / a storie of swich meruaile As of Grisildis / pacient and kynde Lest Chichyuache / yow swelwe in hir entrayle Line 1188

¶ ffolweth Ekko / that holdeth no silence But euere answereth / at the countretaile Beth nat bidaffed / for youre Innocence Line 1191 But sharply / tak on yow the gouernaile Emprinteth wel / this lesson in youre mynde ffor commune profit/ sith it may auaile Line 1194

¶ Ye Archewyues / stondeth at defense [folio 191a] Syn ye be strong as is a gret Camaile Ne suffreth nat þat men yow doon offense Line 1197 And sklendre wyues / fieble as in bataile Beth egre / as is a tigre yond in Ynde Ay clappeth as a Mille / I yow consaile Line 1200

¶ Ne dreed hem nat dooth hem no reuerence ffor thogh thyn housbond / armed be in maile The arwes / of thy crabbed eloquence Line 1203 Shal perce his brest and eek his auentaile In Ialousie / I rede eek thow hym bynde And thow shalt make hym couche / as dooth a Quaile

¶ If thow be fair / ther folk ben in presence Shewe thow thy visage / and thyn aparaile If thow be foul / be fre of thy dispence Line 1209 To gete thee freendes / ay do thy trauaile Be ay of cheere / as light as leef on lynde And lat hym care and wepe / and wrynge & wayle Line 1212

¶ Explicit.