[6-text p 432]
¶ ffor out of doute þis olde pouere man
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þat whan þe lord had fulfilde his corage
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ffor euer it demed siþ it ferst bigan
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him wolde þinke it were disparage
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To wedde oon of so pore a lynage
To his astat so lowe to alighte
And voyde hire as sone as euer he mighte
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¶ Aȝein his doughter hastely goþ he
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ffor he by noyse of folk knew hire comyng
And wiþ hire olde cote as it mighte be
he couered hire ful sorwfully wepynge
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But on hir body might he it not bringe
ffor rude was þe cloþ and more of age
By fele dayes þan was hire mariage
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Thus wiþ hir fader for a certein space
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Dwelleþ þis flour of wyfly pacience
þat neyþer by hir wordes ne hir face
Biforn þe folk ne eek in here absence /
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Ne schewede sche þat hire was don offence
Ne of hire heih astat þe remembrance
Ne hadde sche as by hire contynaunce
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No wonder is for in hire gret astate
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hire gost was euer in plein humilite
No tendre mouþ non herte delicate
No pompe ne semblant of realte
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But ful of pacience and benignite
Discrete and prydeles ay honorable
And to hir housbonde euer meeke and stable
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¶ Men speke of Iob. and most for his humblesse
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As clerkes whan hem liste can endite
Namly of men but as in soþfastnesse
þough clerkes preyse wommen but a lite
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