The Canterbury tales and Faerie queene &c., &c., &c., ed. for popular perusal with current illustrations and explanatory notes, by D. Laing Purves.

94 THE CANTERBURY TALES.
In time coming what might him betide, That through your death your lineage should
But on his present lust 1 was all his thought, slake,l2
And for to hawk and hunt on every side; And that a strange successor should8 take
Well nigh all other cares let he slide, Your heritage, oh! woe were us on live:13
And eke he would (that was the worst of all) Wherefore we pray you hastily to wive."
Wedde no wife for aught that might befall. Their meeke prayer and their piteous cheer
Only that point his people bare so sore, Made the marquis for to have pity.
That flockmel 2 on a day to him they went, " Ye will," quoth he, " mine owen people dear,
And one of them, that wisest was of lore To that I ne'er ere 14 thought constraine me.
(Or elles that the lord would best assent I me rejoiced of my liberty,
That he should tell him what the people meant, That seldom time is found in marriage;
Or ells could he well shew such matt6re), Where I was free, I must be in servage! 15
He to the marquis said as ye shall hear. "But natheless I see your true intent,
" noble Marquis! your humanity And trust upon your wit, and have done aye:
Assureth us and gives us hardiness, Wherefore of my free will I will assent
As oft as time is of necessity, To wedde me, as soon as e'er I may.
That we to you may tell our heaviness: But whereas ye have proffer'd me to-day
Accepte, Lord, now of your gentleness, To choosP me a wife, I you release
What we with piteous heart unto you plain, That choice, and pray you of that proffer cease.
And let your ears my voice not disdain. "For God it wot, that children often been
" All4 have I nought to do in this mattere Unlike their worthy elders them before,
More than another man hath in this place, Bounte 6 comes all of God, not of the strene 17
Yet forasmuch as ye, my Lord so dear, Of which they be engender'd and y-bore:
Have always shewed me favour and grace, I trust in Godde's bounte, and therefore
I dare the better ask of you a space My marriage, and mine estate and rest,
Of audience, to shewen our request, I him betake; 18 he may do as him lest.
And ye, my Lord, to do right as you lest.' "Let me alone in choosing of my wife;
" For certes, Lord, so well us liki you That charge upon my back I will endure:
And all your work, and ev'r have done, that we But I you pray, and charge upon your life,
Ne coulde not ourselves devise how That what wife that I take, ye me assure
We mighte live in more felicity: To worship 9 her, while that her life may dure,
Save one thing, Lord, if that your will it be, In word and work both here and elliswhere,
That for to be a wedded man you lest; As she an emperorb's daughter were.
Then were your people in sovereign heart's rest.6 "And farthermore this shall ye swear, that
"Bowe your neck under the blissful yoke ye
Of sovereignty, and not of service, Against my choice shall never grudge20 nor
Which that men call espousal or wedl6ck: strive.
And thinkS, Lord, among your thoughtes wise, For since I shall forego my liberty
How that our dayes pass in sundry wise; At your request, as ever may I thrive,
For though we sleep, or wake, or roam, or ride, Where as mine heart is set, there will I wive
Aye fleeth time, it will no man abide. And but 21 ye will assent in such mannire,
"And though your greene youthe flow'r as I pray you speak no more of this matt6re."
yet, With heartly will they sworen and assent'
In creepeth age always as still as stone, To all this thing, there said not one wight nay:
And death meniceth every ago, and smit 7 Beseeching him of grace, ere that they went,
In each estate, for there escapeth none: That he would grante them a certain day
And all so certain as we know each one Of his espousal, soon as e'er he may,
That we shall die, as uncertain we all For yet always the people somewhat dread 22
Be of that day when death shall on us fall. Lest that the marquis woulde no wife wed.
"Accepte then of us the true intent,8 He granted them a day, such as him lest,
That never yet refused youre hest,9. On which he would be wedded sickerly,23
And we will, Lord, if that ye will assent, And said he did all this at their request;
Choose you a wife, in short time at the lest,0 And they with humble heart full buxomly,24
Born of the gentilest and of the best Kneeling upon their knees full reverently,
Of all this land, so that it ought to seem Him thanked all; and thus they have an end
Honour to God and you, as we can deem. Of their intent, and home again they wend.
"Deliver us out of all this busy dread, And hereupon he to his officers
And take a wife, for highe Godde's sake: Commanded for the feastP to purvey.25
For if it so befell, as God forbid, And to his privy knightes and squiers
1 Pleasure. 16 Goodness. 17 Stock, race.
2 All in a flock or body. 3 Complain of. 18 Commend to him. 19 Honour.
4 Although. 5 As pleaseth you. 20 Murmur. 21 Unless.
6 Completely satisfied, at ease. 7 Smiteth. 22 Were in fear or doubt. 23 Certainly.
8 Mind, desire. 9 Command. 10 Least. 24 Obediently; Anglo-Saxon, "bogsom," old English,
11 Doubt. 12 Cease, become extinct. " boughsome," that can be easily bent or bowed; Ger13 Alive. 14 Before. 15 Servitude, man, "biegsam," pliant, obedient. 25 Provide.