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

¶ Lenuoy de Chaucer.

Grisilde is deed / and eek hire pacience And bothe atones / buryed in Ytaille ffor which I crie / in open audience Line 1179 No wedded man / so hardy be tassaille His wyues pacience / in hope 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 humylitee / youre tonge naill Ne lat no clerk/ haue cause or diligence Line 1185 To write of yow / a storie of swich meruaille As of Grisildis / pacient and kynde Lest Chichiuache / yow swelwe in hire entraille Line 1188

ffolweth Ekko / that holdeth no silence [folio 106a] But euere answereth / at the countretaille Beth nat bidaffed for youre Innocence Line 1191 But sharply / taak on yow the gouernaille Emprenteth wel this lesson in youre mynde ffor commune profit sith it may auaille Line 1194

Ye Archiwyues / stondeth at defense Syn ye be strong as is a greet Camaille Ne suffreth nat/ þat men yow doon offense Line 1197 And sklendre wyues / fieble as in bataille Beth egre / as is a Tygre yond in Ynde Ay clappeth as a Mille / I yow consaille Line 1200

Ne dreed hem nat doth hem no reuerence ffor though thyn housbonde / armed be in maille The arwes / of thy crabbed eloquence Line 1203 Shal perce his brest/ and eek his Auentaille In Ialousie / I rede eek thou hym bynde And thou shalt make hym couche as doth a quaille Line 1206

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 Line 1209 To gete thee freendes / ay do thy trauaille Be ay of chiere / as light as leef on lynde And lat hym care and wepe / and wryng and waille Line 1212

[6-text p 402] Line 1212

[6-text p 402] Line 1212