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

96 THE CANTERBURY TALES.
Thy daughter will I take, ere that I wend,l For to be dead; though me were loth to
As for my wife, unto her life's end. dey." 18
"Thou lovest me, that know I well certain, "This is enough, Griselda mine," quoth he.
And art my faithful liegiman y-bore,2 And forth he went with a full sober cheer,
And all that liketh me, I dare well sayn Out at the door, and after then came she,
It liketh thee; and specially therefore And to the people he said in this mann6re:
Tell me that point, that I have said before,- "This is my wife," quoth he, " that standeth
If that thou wilt unto this purpose draw, here.
To tak8 me as for thy son-in-law." Honofre her, and love her, I you pray,
This sudden case s the man astonied so, Whoso me loves; there is no more to say."
That red he wax'd, abash'd,4 and all quaking And, for that nothing of her oldi gear
He stood; unnethes 5 said he wordes mo', She shoulde bring into his house, he bade
But only thus; " Lord," quoth he, " my willing That women should despoile 19 her right there;
Is as ye will, nor against your liking Of which these ladies were nothing glad
I will no thing, mine owen lord so dear; To handle her clothes wherein she was clad:
Right as you list governe this mattere." But natheless this maiden bright of hue
"Then will I," quoth the marquis soft8ly, From foot to head they clothed have all new.
"That in thy chamber I, and thou, and she, Her haires have they comb'd that lay unHave a collati6n; 6 and know'st thou why? tress'd20
For I will ask her, if her will it be Full rudely, and with their fingers small
To be my wife, and rule her after me: A crown upon her head they have dress'd,
And all this shall be done in thy presence, And set her full of nouches 21 great and small:
I will not speak out of thine audience.". Of her array why should I make a tale?
And in the chamber while they were about Unneth5 the people her knew for her fairness,
The treaty, which ye shall hereafter hear, When she transmuted was in such rich6ss.
The people came into the house without, The marquis hath her spoused with a ring
And wonder'd them in how honest mannere Brought for the same cause, and then her set
And tenderly she kept her father dear; Upon a horse snow-white, and well ambling,
But utterly Griseldis wonder might, And to his palace, ere he longer let 22
For never erst 8 ne saw she such a sight. (With joyful people, that her led and met),
No wonder is though that she be astoned,9 Conveyed her; and thus the day they spend
To see so great a guest come in that place, In revel, till the sunne gan descend.
She never was to no such guestes woned;lo And, shortly forth this tale for to chase,
For which she looked with full pale face. I say, that to this newe marchioness
But shortly forth this matter for to chase,ll God hath such favour sent her of his grace,
These are the wordes that the marquis said That it ne seemed not by likeliness
To this benigne, very,,2 faithful maid. That she was born and fed in rudeness,"Griseld'," he said, " ye shall well under- As in a cot, or in an ox's stall,stand, But nourish'd in an emperore's hall.
It liketh to your father and to me To every wight she waxen 23 is so dear
That I you wed, and eke it may so stand, And worshipful, that folk where she was
As I suppose ye will that it so be: born,
But these demandes ask I first," quoth he, That from her birthi knew her year by year,
"Since that it shall be done in hasty wise; Unnethes trowed 24 they, but durst have sworn,
Will ye assent, or elles you advise? 13 That to Janicol' of whom I spake before,
"I say this, be ye ready with good heart She was not daughter, for by conjectUre
To all my lust,14 and that I freely may, Them thought she was another creatfre.
As me best thinketh, do 15 you laugh or smart, For though that ever virtuous was she,
And never ye to grudge,l6 night nor day, She was increased in such excellence
And eke when I say Yea, ye say not Nay, Of thewes 25 good, y-set in high bounte,
Neither by word, nor frowning countenance? And so discreet, and fair of eloquence,
Swear this, and here I swear our alliance." So benign, and so digne 2 of reverence,
Wond'ring upon this word, quaking for And coulde so the people's heart embrace,
dread, That each her lov'd that looked on her face.
She said; " Lord, indigne and unworthy Not only of Saluces in the town
Am I to this honofr that ye me bede,l7 Published was the bounte of her name,
But as ye will yourself, right so will I: But eke besides in many a regiotn;
And here I swear, that never willingly If one said well, another said the same:
In work or thought I will you disobey, So spread of here high bounte the fame,
1 Go. 2 Born. 17 Offer. 18 Die.
3 Event. 4 Amazed. 5 Scarcely. 19 Strip. 20 Loose, unplaited.
6 Conference. 7 Hearing. 21 Ornaments of some kind not precisely known;
8 Before. 9 Astonished. some editions read "ouches," studs, brooches.
0o accustomed, wont. 11 Push on, pursue. 22 Delayed. 23 Groyn.
12 True; French, "vraie." 13 Consider. 24 Scarcely believed. 25 Qualities.
14 Pleasure. 15 Cause. 16 Murmur. 26 Worthy.