The Harleian ms. 7334 of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

[6-text p 405]

¶ Incipit narrare

Ther is at þe west / ende of ytaile Line 57 Doun at þe root of vesulus þe colde A lusty playn abundaunt of vitaile wher many a tour and toun þou maist byholde. That foundid were in tyme of fadres olde. Line 61 And many anothir delitable sight And Saluces þis noble contray hight Line 63

A marquys whilom duellid in þat lond Line 64 As were his worþy eldris him bifore And obeisaunt ay redy to his hond were alle his liegis bothe lesse and more [folio 117b] Thus in delyt he lyueth and hath don ȝore Line 68 Biloued and drad þurgh fauour and fortune Boþe of his lordes and of his comune Line 70

Ther with he was as to speke of lynage Line 71 The gentileste born of lumbardye A fair persone . and strong and ȝong of age And ful of honour and of curtesie Discret ynough his contre for to gye Line 75 Sauynge in som þing he was to blame And wautier was þis ȝonge lordes name Line 77

I blame him thus that he considered nought Line 78 In tyme comyng what mighte bityde But on his lust present was al his þought As for to hauke and hunte on euery syde wel neigh al oþir cures let he slyde Line 82 And eek he nolde þat was [ [þe was erased] ] þe worst of al wedde no wyf for no þing þat might bifal Line 84

[6-text p 406] Line 84

Only þat poynt his poeple bar so sore Line 85 That flokmel on a day to him þay went And oon of hem that wisest was of lore Or elles þat þe lord wolde best assent That he schuld telle him what his poeple ment Line 89 Or ellis couþe he schewe wel such matiere he to þe marquys sayd as ȝe schuln hiere Line 91

O noble marquys . ȝoure humanite Line 92 Assureth vs and ȝiueth vs hardynesse As ofte as tyme is of necessite That we to ȝow may telle oure heuynesse Acceptith lord now . of ȝour necessite Line 96 That we with pitous hert vnto ȝow playne And let ȝoure eeris my vois not disdeyne Line 98

And haue I nought to doon in þis matere Line 99 More þan anoþer man haþ in þis place / Ȝit for as moche as ȝe my lord so deere han alway schewed me fauour and grace I dar þe better ask of ȝow a space / Line 103 And audience to asken oure request/ And ȝe my lord to doon right as ȝow lest [folio 118a] Line 105

For certes lord so wel vs likith ȝow Line 106 And al ȝour werk and euer han doon þat we Ne couþen not deuysen how we mighte lyue more in felicite Saue oon þing lord if þat ȝour wille be Line 110 That for to be a weddid man ȝow list/ Than were ȝour peple in souereign hertes rest / Line 112

Bowith ȝour neck . vndir þat blisful ȝok Line 113 Of souereignete . nought of seruise which þat men clepe spousail or wedlok And thenkith lord among ȝour þoughtes wise /

[6-text p 407] how þat our dayes passe in sondry wyse Line 117 For þough we slepe or wake or rome aboute Ay fleth þe tyme it wil no man abyde. Line 119

And though ȝour grene ȝouþe floure as ȝit Line 120 In crepith age alway as stille as stoon And deth manasith euery age and smyt In ech estat for þer ascapith noon And as certeyn as as we knowe euerychon Line 124 That we schuln deye as vncerteyn we alle Ben of þat day þat deþ schal on vs falle Line 126

Acceptith thanne of vs þe trewe entent Line 127 That neuer ȝit/ refusid ȝoure hest And we wil lord if þat ȝe wil assent Chese ȝow a wyf in schort tyme atte lest Born of þe gentilest and þe heighest Line 131 Of al þis lond so þat it oughte seme honour to god . and ȝow as we can deme Line 133

Deliuer vs out of al þis busy drede Line 134 And tak a wyf fo hihe goddes sake / For if it so bifel as god forbede That þurgh ȝour deþ ȝour lygnage schuld aslake And þat a straunge successour schuld take Line 138 Ȝour heritage . O . wo were vs on lyue wherfor we pray ȝow hastily to wyue Line 140

Her meeke prayer . and her pitous chere Line 141 Made þe marquys for to han pite Ȝe wolde quod he . myn owne poeple deere [folio 118b] To þat I neuer erst þought constreigne me. I me reioysid of my liberte Line 145 That selden tyme is founde in mariage Ther I was fre I mot ben in seruage Line 147

[6-text p 408] Line 147

But natheles I se of ȝou þe trewe entent Line 148 And trust vpon ȝour witt and haue doon ay wherfor of my fre wil I wil assent/ To wedde me as soon as euer I may But þer as ȝe haue profred me to day Line 152 To chese me a wyf I wol relese That choys and pray ȝow of þat/ profre cesse / Line 154

For god it woot þat childer ofte been Line 155 vnlik her worthy eldris hem bifore Bounte comeþ al of god nought of þe streen Of which thay ben engendrid and I-bore I trust in goddis bounte and þerfore Line 159 My mariage and myn estat and rest I him bytake . he may doon as him lest Line 161

Let me aloon . in chesyng of my wif Line 162 That charge vpon my bak I wil endure But I ȝow pray and charge vpon ȝour lyf That wyf þat I take ȝe me assure / To worschip / whil . þat hir lif may endure Line 166 In word and werk . boþe heer and euery where / As sche an Emperoures doughter were Line 168

And forthermor þus schul ȝe swer þat ȝe Line 169 Aȝeins my chois schuln neuer grucche ne stryue For sins I schal forgo my liberte At ȝour request as euer mot I þriue Ther as myn hert is set þer wil I wyue Line 173 And but ȝe wil assent in such manere I pray spek no more of þis matiere Line 175

With hertly wil . þay sworen and assentyn Line 176 To al þis þing þer sayde no wight nay Bysechyng him of grace er þat þay wentyn That he wol graunten hem a certeyn day

[6-text p 409] Of his spousail as soone as euer he may Line 180 For ȝit alway þe peple som what dredde [folio 119a] lest that the marquys wolde no wyf wedde Line 182

He graunted hem a day such as him lest Line 183 On which he wolde be weddid sicurly And sayd he dede al þis at her requeste And þay with humble hert ful buxomly knelyng vpon her knees ful reuerently Line 187 him þanken alle and þus þay haue an ende Of her entent . and hom aȝein þay wende Line 189

And her vpon he to his officeris Line 190 Comaundith for the feste to purueye And to his priue knightes and squyeres which charge ȝaf as him list on hem leye And thay to his comaundement obeye / Line 194 And ech of hem doth his diligence To doon vnto þe feste reuerence Line 196

¶ Explicit prima pars. [[No more break in the MS.]]