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

Ther is riht att þe west side of Itaile Line 57 Doune att þe rote of Vesulus þe colde A lusti pleine aboundaunt of vitaile Where mony a toure and toune þou maiste beholde Þat founden were in time of faders olde And mony anoþer delitable siht And Saluces þe noble contre hiht Line 63

A markes whilome lorde was of þat lande Line 64 [As were his worthi elderes hym be-fore [MS Reg. 18 C 2 folio 131b] [[MS Reg. 18 C 2omits l. 66-7.]] ] And obeissan aie redy to his hande Were al his lieges boþe lesse and more Line 67 Þus in delite he leueþ and haþ done ȝore Beloued and drad þorwhe fauoure of fortune Boþe of his lordes and of his comune Line 70

Þere-wiþ he was as to speke of Lignage Line 71 A faire person and stronge and ȝonge of age Line 73 The gentillest bore of lombardye Line 72 [And ful of honoure and of curtesye [[MS Reg. 18 C 2]] ] Discrete ynouhe his Contre for to Gye Saue in summe þinges he was to blame And Waltier was þis ȝonge lordes name. Line 77

I. blame him þus þat he considerd nouht Line 78 In time comynge what myht him be-tide Botte on his luste present was al his þouht [And for to hauke and hunte on euery syde [MS Reg. 18 C 2 folio 132a] ] Wel nyhe al oþere Cures lete he slide And eke he nolde þat was þe werst of all Wedde no wife for owhte þat maie befall Line 84

[6-text p 406] Line 84

Onely þat poynte his peple bare so sore Line 85 Þat flokingmele on a day to him þei went And of him þat wisest was of lore Or elles þat þe lorde beste wolde assent Line 88 Þat scholde tellen him what his peple ment Or elles couþe schew wele suche matier He to þe Markys seide as ȝe schal here Line 91

O noble Markes ȝoure humanite Line 92 Assuriþe vs and whisse vs hardines As oft as time is of necessite That we to ȝowe maie tell oure Heuinesse [folio 115b] Accept lorde now of ȝoure gentilnesse þat we wiþ petous hert to ȝowe pleine And late ȝoure eres nouht my voice disdeyne Line 98

¶ Al haue .I. nouht to done in þis matiere Line 99 Mor þan anoþere man haþe in þis place Ȝitte as for as muche as ȝe my lorde so dere Haue alweie schewde me fauore and grace Line 102 .I. dare þe better ax of ȝowe a space Off Audience to schewen oure request And ȝe my lorde to do riht as ȝowe liest Line 105

¶ For certes lorde so wele lykeþ vs ȝowe Line 106 And al ȝowre werkes and euer haþe þat we Ne couþe nouht oure seluen deuisen howe We myht leue in more felice Line 109 Saue o þinge lorde if ȝowre wil be þat for to be a wedded man ȝowe list þan were ȝoure peple in Souereigne hertes rest Line 112

¶ Bouþe ȝoure nek vnder þat blisfull ȝok Line 113 Off Souereignete nouht of seruise Whiche þat men clepe spowsal or wedlok And þinkeþ lord amonges ȝoure þouhtes wise Line 116

[6-text p 407] Line 116 [ffor of wedlok/ cometh gret emprise [[Harl. 1758, leaf 115; not in MS Reg. 18 C 2]] ] For þouhe we slepe or wake or roume or ride Ay. flieþ þe time and wil no man abide Line 119

And þouh ȝoure grene ȝouþe floure as ȝite Line 120 ¶ In crepeþ Age al wei as still as stone And deþe manasseþ euery age and smyteþ In eche astate for þer askapeþ none Line 123 And also certeigne as we knowe ichone þat we schal deie. As vncerteigne we all Biene of þat daie þat deþ schal on vs fall Line 126

¶ Accepte þan of vs þe trewe entente Line 127 þat neuer ȝit refuysed ȝoure hest And we lorde ȝif þat ȝe wil asente Chese ȝowe a wif in schort time att þe lest Line 130 Borne of þe gentelest and of the mest Of al þis londe so þat it ouht seme Honour to god and ȝowe as we can deme Line 133

¶ Deliuer vs of al þis besy dede Line 134 And takeþ a wif for hihe goddes sake ffor if it so be-fel as god for-bede þat þoure deþe ȝoure lignage scholde slake Line 137 And þat a stronge successoure scholde take [folio 116a] Ȝoure Heritage woo were vs on lyve Where-for we praie ȝowe hastely to wiue Line 140

¶ Here meke preiere and here pitouse chiere Line 141 Maaked ȝe Markes hert haue pite [Wol ye quod he myn oune peple deere [MS Reg. 18 C 2 folio 132b] ] To þat .y. nerste euer þouht to steyne me Line 144 I. me reIoysed of my lybertie Þat selden time is founden mariage Þere .I. was fre .I. most be in seruage Line 147

[6-text p 408] Line 147

¶ Bot naþeles .I. see ȝoure trewe entente Line 148 And truste vpon ȝoure witte and haue done aye Where-for wiþ all my fre wil .I. wil assente To wedde me als sone as eu[er]e .I. maie Line 151 Bot þere as ȝe haue proferd me to daie To chese me a wif .I. ȝowe relese Þat choise and pray ȝoue of ȝoure profure cese Line 154

¶ For .I. wote þat childern often bien Line 155 Vnlyke here elders hem before Bounte comeþ al of god nouht of þe strene Of whiche þei bue engenderd and y-bore Line 158 .I. truste in godese bounte and þere fore Myn mariage and myne astate and reste .I. him be-take he maie do as him leste Line 161

¶ Lete me alone in cheseinge of my wif Line 162 Þat charge vpon my bak .I. wil endure Bot .I. ȝowe preie and charge vpon ȝowre lif Þat what wife .I. take ȝe me assure Line 165 To worschip hire while þat hire life maie endure In worde and werke boþe here and euerywhere As sche an Emperoure douhter weere Line 168

¶ And ferþer-more þis schal ȝe swere þat ȝe Line 169 Aȝeine my choice schal neuer gruche ne strive ffor seþ .I. schal for-go my liberte Att ȝoure request as euer mot .I. þryve Line 172 þer as my hert is set þer wil .I. wiue [[This line at the side, in a different 15th-cent. hand.]] And bot ȝe wil assente in suche manere .I. praie ȝowe spekeþ no more of þis matiere Line 175

¶ Wiþ hertly wil þei swore and assenten Line 176 To al þis þinge þer seide no whiht naye Besekeinge him of grace or þat þei wenten þat he wold graunten hem a cerceigne daie Line 179

[6-text p 409] Line 179 Of his spowsel as sone as euere he maie For ȝit alweie þe peple sum what drede Lest þat þis Markes no wife wold wedde [folio 116b]

¶ He graunted hem a dai suche as him list Line 183 On whiche he wil be wedded sekurly. And seide He dide al þis att þeire request An þei wiþe humble entent ful buxhumly. Line 186 Kneleynge vpon here knese ful reuerently Him þonkynge all and þus þei haue an ende Of here entente and home aȝeine þei wende Line 189

¶ And here-vpon he to his officiers Line 190 Commaundeþ for þe feste to purveie And to his priue knyhtes and swyers Suche charge ȝaf as him list on hem leye Line 193 And þei to his commandement obeie And yche of hem doþ his diligence To do vn-to þe fest reuerence. Line 196