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

[PART II.]

Prima pars fabule

Nowht fer fro þe paleis honurable Line 197 Where as þe Markes schope his mariage The[re] stode a þrope of þe Cite delitable In whiche þat pouer folke of þat vilage Line 200 Hadden her bestes and her herbergage And of here laboure toke here sustinance After þe erþe ȝaf hem abundance Line 203

¶ Amonge þise pouer folke þer dwelled a man Line 204 Whiche was holde pouerest of hem al Bot þe hihe god sum time sende can His grace in-to a lite oxe stal Line 207 Ianicula Men of þat þorpe him cal A douhter had he faire ynouhe to siht An Crisilda þis ȝonge maiden hiht Line 210

[6-text p 410] Line 210

¶ Bot for to speke of vertuouse beute Line 211 Þan was sche one of þe fairest vnder sonne Ful pouerly fosterd was sche No lycourous luste was in hire hert yronne Line 214 Wele ofter of þe wel þan of þe tonne Sche dranke for sche wolde vertuse plese Sche knewe wele laboure bot none ydel ese Line 217

¶ Bot þouhe þis maide tender were of age Line 218 Ȝite in þe breste of hire virginite þere was y-closed ripe and scharpe corage And in a grete reuerence and charite Line 221 Hire olde pouer fader fosterd sche A fewe schepe spynynge on þe felde sche kepped [folio 117a] Sche nolde nouȝt be ydel til þat sche slepped Line 224

¶ And whan sche cam homwarde sche wald bringe Line 225 Wortes or oþer herbes times oft The whiche sche schredde and seþe for here leueinge And maade hire bedde ful harde and noþinge soft Line 228 And ay sche kepped her faders life on loft Wiþe euerye obeissance and dilegence Þat childe myht do to fadere reuerence Line 231

¶ Vpon Crizilda þe pouer creature Line 232 Ful oft siþe þe Markes sett is eye As he on hunteinge rode perauenture And whan it fell þat he myht hire aspye Line 235 He nouht wiþ wanton lokeinge of folye His eyen kast on hire bot in sad wise Vpon hire chere he wolde him of avise Line 238

¶ Commendinge in his ert here wommanhede Line 239 And eke hir vertue passinge any whihte Of so ȝonge age as wele in chere as in dede For þouhe þe peple haue no grete insiht Line 242

[6-text p 411] Line 242 In vertue he considered ful riht Her bounde and disposed þat he wolde Wedde hire onely if euere he wed scholde Line 245

¶ þe daie of weddinge cam bot no whihte can Line 246 Tel what womman þat it scholde be For whiche merveile wondereþ mony man And seiden whan þei were in priuete Line 249 Wil nouht oure lorde leue his vanite Wil he nouht wedde alas alas þe while Whi wil he þus him self and vs be-gile Line 252

¶ Bot naþeles þis Markes haþe done make Line 253 Of gemmes sette in golde. and in asure Broches and ringes for crisild sake And of hir cloþinge toke he þe mesure Line 256 Of a maiden lyke to hire stature And eke of oþer ornamentes al þat vnto suche a wedynge scholde fal Line 259

¶ The time of hundren of þe same daie Line 260 Aprocheþ þat þis weddynge schold be And al þe paleis putt was in araie Boþe hal and chambre iche in his degre Line 263 Houses of officez stoffed wiþ plente Ther mai þou see of daynteuos vitaile [folio 117b] That maie be founde as fer as last ytaile Line 266

¶ This Roial Markes richeli araide Line 267 Lordes and ladies in his compaigne The whiche vnto þe feste were praide And of his retenu þe bachellarie Line 270 Wiþ mony a soune of sundre Melodie Vnto þe vilage of whiche .I. tolde In þis arraie þe riht weie haþe holde Line 273

[6-text p 412] Line 273

¶ Crisid of þis god wote ful innocente Line 274 That for hir schapen al þis arraie was To fecche water atte þe wel is went And comeþ home as sone as euer sche maie Line 277 For wele sche hadde herde saie þat ilke daie Þat Markes scholde wedde and if sche miht Sche wol feine haue seine sum of þat siht Line 280

¶ Sche þout .I. wil wiþ oþer maidens stonde Line 281 Þat bien my felaues in owre dore and see The Markes and þarfore wil .I. fonde To done att home as sone as it mai be Line 284 The laboure þat longeþ vnto me And þan .I. maie att leiser hire be-holde If sche þis waie in-to þe castel holde Line 287

¶ And as sche wolde ouer þe þresshewolde gone Line 288 The Markes came and ganne hire for to call And sche sett doune hire water pott a-none Be-side þe þresshewold of þis ox. stall Line 291 And doune vpon hir knesse sche gan to fall Wiþ sadde Countenance kneleþ still Til sche hadd herde what was þe lordes will Line 294

¶ This þouhtful Marquys spake vnto þis maide Line 295 Ful soburly and seide in þis manere Where es ȝowre fader Crizild he seide And sche wiþ reuerence and humble chiere Line 298 Ansewerd lorde he is all redie here And in sche goþe wiþ-oute langer lette And to þe Markys hir fader sche fette Line 301

¶ He be þe honde þan toke þis olde man Line 302 And seide þus whan he had him a side Ianicula .I. neyþere maie ne kan lenger þe plesance of myne herte hide Line 305

[6-text p 413] Line 305 If þat þou vouche-saf what so be-tide Þi douhter .I. wil take ar þat .I. wende [folio 118a] As for my wif vnto hire liues ende Line 308

¶ Thowe louest me .I. wote it wele certeine Line 309 And arte my feiþeful liege Maifaie y-bore And al þat likeþ me .I. dar wel seine It likeþ þe and specialische þere-fore Line 312 Tel me þat point as .I. haue seide be-fore If þat þou wilte vnto þat purpose drawe To take me as for þi son in lawe Line 315

¶ The sodeyne caas þe man a-stoned so Line 316 þat rede he wex a-bassched and al qwakynge He stoode vnneþ he seide worde no moo Bot only þus lorde quod he my willynge Line 319 Is as ȝe will nouht a-ȝeines ȝoure lykeynge .I. wil noþinge ȝe be my lorde so dere Bot as ȝow luste gouerneþ þis matier Line 322

¶ Ȝit wil .I. quod þis Markes softlye Line 323 Þat in þi chamber .I. and þowe and sche Haue a collacione and wost þu whie For .I. wil ax if þat hire wil bee Line 326 To be my wif and reule hire aftere me And al þis schal be done in þi presence .I. wil nouht speke owte of þine Audience Line 329

¶ And in hire Chambre while þei were aboute Line 330 Here treteis whiche þat ȝe schal after here The peple cam in to þe hous wiþ-oute And wondred hem in here honest manere Line 333 And tentifly sche kepped hir fadere dere Bot vtterly Crizilda wonder myht For neuer eft sauhe sche suche a siht Line 336

[6-text p 414] Line 336

¶ No wonder is þouhe þat sche were a-stoned Line 337 To se so grete a geste in þat place Sche neuer was to suche gestez woned For which sche lokede wiþ ful pale face Line 340 Bot schortly forþe þis matie[r] for to chace Thes aren þe wordes þat Markes seide To his benigne feiþ-ful maide Line 343

¶ Crizild he seide ȝe schal wele vnderstonde Line 344 It likeþ to ȝoure fader and to me Þat .I. ȝowe wedde and eke it maie so stonde As .I. suppose ȝe wil þat it so be Line 347 Bot þis demandes ax .I. first quod he. That seþen it schal be done in hastie wise [folio 118b] Wil ȝe assent or elles ȝowe avise Line 350

¶ I seie þis be redye wiþ goode herte Line 351 To al my lust and þat I. frely maie As me best þenkeþ do ȝowe knowe ore smerte And neuer þe to grucche it nyht ne daie Line 354 And eke whan .I. seie ȝe ne saie nouht naie Neyþer be worde ne be frounynge contenance Swere þis and here .I. swere oure alliance Line 357

¶ Weddinge vpon þis worde whakeinge for drede Line 358 Sche seide lorde vndigne or vnworþi Am .I. to þat ilke honor þat ȝe me bede Bot as ȝe wil ȝoure self riht so wil .I. Line 361 And here .I. swere þat neuer wilingely In werke ne þouhte .I. nyl ȝowe disobeie For to be dede þouhe me were loþe to deie Line 364

¶ This is ynouhe Crizilda myne quod he Line 365 And forþe he goþe wiþe a ful sobre chiere Oute atte þe dore and after þat cam sche And to þe peple he seide in þis maniere Line 368

[6-text p 415] Line 368 This is my wife quod he þat stondeþ hiere Honoureþ hir and loueþ hire eke .I. preie Who so me loueþe þare is no more to seie Line 371

¶ And for þat noþinge of hire olde gere Line 372 Sche scholde bringe in to his house he badde Þat wemmen scholde dispoylen [hire] riht þere Of whiche þe ladies weren noþinge gladde Line 375 To handel hire cloþes where in sche was cladde Bot naþeles þis maiden briht of hewe Fro þe fote to þe hede þei cloþed hane al newe Line 378

¶ Her here ha þei kembed þat laie vntressed Line 379 Thei tirede hir hede þat longe rudely laie dressed Line 381 Ful roodely. and wiþ hire fingers smale Line 380 Of hire araye what scholde .I. maake a tale Line 382 Sche is nowe faire of hewe þat arst was pale Vnneþ þe peple hire knewe for hire fairenesse Whan sche transemute was in suche rechesse Line 385

¶ This Markes haþ her wed wiþ a ringe Line 386 Brouht for þe same cause and hire sette Vpon an hors snowe white and wele Amblynge And to þe paleis ar he langer lette Line 389 Wiþ Ioyful peple þat hire ladde and mette Conueyde hire and þus þe daie þei spende [folio 119a] In reuele til þe sonne gan descende Line 392

¶ And schortly forþe þis tale for to chace Line 393 .I. seie þat to þis new Marquysesse God haþe suche fauore sent hire of his grace Þat it ne semed nouht be liknesse Line 396 Þat sche was borne and fedde in rudesse As in a Cote or in an ox stall Bot norissched in an Emperours hall Line 399

[6-text p 416] Line 399

¶ To euery whight sche waxen is so dere Line 400 And worschipful þat folke þere sche was bore And frome hire birþe knewe hire ȝere be ȝere Vnneþ trowed þei bot dorst han swore Line 403 That to Ianicul of whiche .I. spak before Sche douhter nas for as be couertore Hem þouht sche was a noþer creature Line 406

¶ For þouhe euere vertuous was sche Line 407 Sche was encresed in suche excellence Of þewes goode sette in hihe bounte And so discrete and faire of eloquence Line 410 So benigne and digne of reuerence And couþe so þe peple hertes so enbrace That iche hire loueþe þat lokeþ in hire face Line 413

¶ Nouȝt only of Saluces in þe toune Line 414 Purplyste was þe bounte of hire name Bote eke be-side in mony a Regioune If one seide wele a noþer seide þe same Line 417 So spredeþe of hire hihe bounte and fame That men and wemmen also wele ȝonge as olde Gone to Saluce vpon hire to be-holde Line 420

¶ Thus Walter lowly. nouȝt. but royalye Line 421 Wedded wiþ fortunate honeste In goddes pes leueþ ful esilye Att home and outewarde grace. ynowhe had he Line 424 And for he sauhe þat vnder lowe degre Was oft vertue hidde þe peple him helde A prudent man and þat is seene ful selde Line 427

¶ Nouht only þis Crisilde þourhe hire witte Line 428 Couþe al þe feiþe of wifly homlynesse Bot eke whan þat þe caas required it The comune profit couþe sche redresse Line 431

[6-text p 417] Line 431 Ther nas discorde rancor ne heuinesse In al þat londe þat sche couþe apese [folio 119b] An wisely bringe hem al in hertes ese Line 434

¶ Thouhe þat hir husbonde absent were anone Line 435 If gentil men or oþere of here contre Weere wroþe sche wolde bringe hem att one So wise and ripe wordes had sche Line 438 And Iuggement of so grete equite That from heuen ysente was as men wende The peple to plese and euery wronge to amende Line 441

¶ Nouht longe time after þat þis Crisilde Line 442 Was wedded sche a douhter haþ .I.-bore Al had hire leuer haue borne a knaue childe Gladd was þis markes and his folk þer fore Line 445 For þouhe a mayden childe cam al before Sche maie vnto a knaue childe atteigne Belikned seþ sche is nouht bareine Line 448

[Explicit] Secunda pars ffabule.