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

[PART III.]

There fel att befalleþ times mo [or ino] Line 449 Whan þat þis childe hadde sowked bot a þrowe This Markes in his hert langeþ so To tempt his wif hire saddenesse for to knowe Line 452 That he ne myht oute of his hert þrowe This meruelous desire his wif to assaie Nedeles god wote he þouht hire to affraie Line 455

¶ He hadde assaide hire ynouhe before Line 456 And fonde hire euere goode what nededeþe Hire for to tempte and alweie more and more Bot as for me .I. seie þat yuel it sitte Line 459 Þouhe sume men it preise for a subtile witte To assaie a wif whan þat it is no nede And to putten hire in angwysse and in drede Line 462

[6-text p 418] Line 462

¶ ffor whiche þis markys wrouht in þis manere Line 463 He cam a nyht alone þere as sche leye Wiþ steren face and wiþ trouble chiere And seide þus Cr[i]ȝilde quod he þat deye Line 466 Þat .I. ȝoue toke oute of ȝoure poure aray And putt ȝowe in astate of hihe noblesse Ȝe haue nouht for-geten as .I. gesse Line 469

¶ .I. seie Criselde þis present dignite Line 470 In whiche .I. haue put ȝowe as. I trowe Makeþ ȝowe nouht for-ȝeteful for to be Þat .I ȝowe toke in poure astate ful lowe Line 473 For any wele ȝe moste ȝoure selue knowe [folio 120a] Take hede of euery worde þat .I. ȝowe seie Þere is no whight þat hereþ it bot we tweye Line 476

¶ Ȝe wote ȝoure self wele howe þat ȝe com here Line 477 In to þis house þat is nouht longe a go And þouhe to me ȝe be riht leue and dere Vn-to my gentils ȝe be noþinge so Line 480 Thei seie to hem it is grete schame and woo For to be soubgetes and be in seruage To þe þat art borne of a smale vilage Line 483

¶ And namely seþþe þi douhter was bore Line 484 Þis wordes haue þei spoken doutelese Bot .I. desire as .I. haue done be-fore To lede my lyue wiþ hem in rest and pese Line 487 .I. maie nouht in þis caas be recheles .I. mote do wiþ þi douhter for þe best Nat as .I. wolde bot as my genteles leste. Line 490

¶ And ȝite god wote þis is ful loþe to me Line 491 Bot naþeles wiþ owten ȝoure witeinge .I. wil nouht do bot þis will .I. quod he Þat ȝe to me assent as in þis þinge Line 494

[6-text p 419] Line 494 Schewe nowe ȝoure pacience as in werkynge Þat me ȝe hiht and swore in ȝoure vilage Þat daie þat maked was oure Mariage Line 497

¶ Whan sche hadde herde al þis sche nat ameued Line 498 Neiþere in worde ne chiere ne countenance For as it semede sche was nouht agreued Sche saide lorde al liþe in ȝoure plesance Line 501 My childe and .I. wiþ hertly obeissance Bene ȝoures all. and ȝe mowe saue and spille Ȝoure owen þinge workeþ after ȝoure wille Line 504

¶ There maie no þinge so god my soule saue Line 505 Likeinge to ȝowe þat maie displesen me Ne .I. desire no þinge for to haue Ne drede for to leese saue onlye þe Line 508 Þis wil is in myne hert and aie schal be Ne lengeþ of time or deþe maie þis deface Ne chaunge myne corage to anoþer place Line 511

¶ Glad was þis Marquys for hir ansewaringe Line 512 Bot ȝit he feyned. as it wer nouht soo Al drery was his chier as his lokeinge Whan þat he scholde oute of þe chambre goo. Line 515 Sone after þis a furlonge waie or tuo [folio 120b] He priuely haþ tolde al his entent Vnto a man of his assent Line 518

¶ A maner seriant was þis priue man Line 519 Þe whiche he feiþeful often fonden hadd In þinge grete. and eke suche folke wele can. Done execucione of þinges badde Line 522 The lorde knewe wele þat he him loued and dradde And whan þis Sereiant knewe his lordes wille In-to þe chambure he stalked him ful stille Line 525

[6-text p 420] Line 525

¶ Madame He seide ȝe mot for-ȝiue it me Line 526 Þouhe .I. do þinge whiche .I. am constreeyned Ȝe bue so wise þat ful wele knowen ȝe Þat lordes hestes mow nouȝt be feyned Line 529 Þay may wele be weiled or compleyned Bot most nede to here luste obeie. And so wil .I. þer is no more to seie Line 532

¶ This childe am .I. commaunded for to take Line 533 And spak no more bot owte þe childe he hent Dispytously and gan a chere make As þouhe he wolde haue sleyne it ar he went Line 536 Crisilde most al suffur and consent And as a lombe sche sitteþ meke and still And lete þis seriant haue al his will Line 539

¶ Suspecious was þe fame of þis manne Line 540 Suspecte his face suspecte his worde also Suspecte þe time in whiche he þis be-ganne Alas his douhter þat sche loued so Line 543 Sche wende he wolde haue sleyne it riht þo Bot naþeles sche neyþer wepped ne siked Confemeinge hir to þat þat markes lyked Line 546

¶ Bot att þe last speke sche began Line 547 And mekely to þe seriant praiede So as he was a worþi gentil man Þat sche mot kisse hir childe ar þat it deide Line 550 And in hire barme þis litel childe sche leide Wiþ ful sadde face and gan þis childe to blisse And lulled it and affter gan it kisse Line 553

¶ And þus sche seide in hire benigne voice Line 554 Fare wele my childe .I. schal þe neuer se Bot seþe .I. haue þe merked wiþ þe croyse Of þilke fader blissed mot þou be. Line 557

[6-text p 421] Line 557 Þat for vs deide vpon a cros of tre [folio 121a] Thi soule litel childe .I. him be-take For þis nyht schalt þou deie for my saake Line 560

¶ I trowe to a norice in þis caas Line 561 It hadde bien harde þis reuþe for to see Wele myht a moder þan haue cride alas Bott naþeles so sadde stedfast was sche Line 564 Þat sche endureþ al aduersite And to þe Seriaunte mekely sche seide Haue here aȝeine ȝoure litel ȝonge maide Line 567

¶ Goþe nowe quod sche and doþe my lordes heste Line 568 Bott o þinge wolde .I. praie ȝoue of ȝoure grace Þat but my lorde for-badde ȝowe att þe leste Beriþe þis litel body in sum place Line 571 Þat bestes ne birdes it to-race Bot he ne wolde no worde to þe pupos seie Bot toke þe childe and wente vpon his weie Line 574

¶ This seriaunt came vnto þis lorde aȝeine Line 575 And of Crisilde wordes and hir chiere He tolde him worde for worde in schorte and pleine And him presenteþ wiþ his douhter dere Line 578 Somwhat þis lorde had reuþe in his manere Bot naþeles his purpos helde he still As lordes done whan þei wil haue here will Line 581

¶ And badde þis sergeant þat he priuely Line 582 Scholde þis childe ful oft wynde and wrappe Wiþ al circumstance tenderly And Carie it in a cofer or in a lappe Line 585 Bott vppon peine his hede of for to swappe Þat no man scholde knowe of his entente Ne whene ne whedere þat he wente Line 588

[6-text p 422] Line 588

¶ Bot att þe Boloigne it to his suster dere Line 589 þat ilke time of Pauyke was Countesse He scholde it take and schewe hir þis matiere Be-secheinge hire to tone hir besinesse Line 592 This childe to fostre in al gentillesse And whos childe þat it was he bad hire hide Frome euery whiht for ouhte þat maie be-tide Line 595

¶ Þis sergeant goþe and haþe fulfilled þis þinge Line 596 Bot nowe to þis ma[r]kes retorne wee For nowe goþe he ful oft ymagyneinge ȝif be his wyues chiere he myht see Line 599 Or be hir worde perceyue þat sche [folio 121b] Were chaunged bot he neuer couþe hir finde Bot euere in one ylike sadde and kynde Line 602

¶ As gladde as besy as humble in seruise Line 603 And eke in loue as sche was wont to be Was sche to him in euery manere wise Ne of hir douhter nouht a worde spak sche Line 606 Accident for none aduersite Was seine in hire ne neuer hir douhter name Ne nemend sche in ernest ne in game Line 609

[Explicit] Tercia pars fabule.