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THE day of weddyng cam, but no wight can
Telle what womman it schulde be;
For which mervayle wondrith many a man,
And sayden, whan they were in privite,
"Wol nought our lord yit leve his vanite?
Wol he not wedde? allas, allas the while!
Why wol he thus himself and us bigyle?"

GEOFFREY CHAUCER.

But natheles this marquys hath doon make
Of gemmes, set in gold and in asure,
Broches and rynges, for Grisildes sake,
And of hir clothing took he the mesure,
By a mayde y-lik to hir of stature,
And eek of other ornamentes alle
That unto such a weddyng schulde falle.

The tyme of undern of the same day
Approchith, that this weddyng schulde be,
And al the palys put was in array,
Bothe halle and chambur, y-lik here degre,
Houses of office stuffid with plente;
Ther maystow se of deyntevous vitayle,
That may be founde, as fer as lastith Itaile.
This real marquys, really arrayd,
Lordes and ladyes in his compaignye,
The which unto the feste were prayed,
And of his retenu the bachelerie.
With many a soun of sondry melodye,
Unto the vilage, of which I tolde,

In this array the right way han they holde.
Grysild of this (God wot) ful innocent,
That for hir schapen was al this array,
To fecche water at a welle is went,
And cometh hom as soone as sche may,
For wel sche had herd say, that ilke day
The marquys schulde wedde, and, if sche might,
Sche wold have seyen somwhat of that sight.

Sche sayd, "I wol with other maydenes stonde,
That ben my felawes, in oure dore, and see
The marquysesse, and therfore wol I fonde
To don at hom, as soone as it may be,
The labour which that longeth unto me,
And thanne may I at leysir hir byholde,

THE MARRIAGE OF PATIENT GRISSEL.

And sche the way into the castel holde."

And as sche wold over the threisshfold goon, The marquys cam and gan hir for to calle. And sche set doun her water-pot anoon Bisides the threisshfold of this oxe stalle, And doun upon hir knees sche gan falle, And with sad countenaunce sche knelith stille, Til sche had herd what was the lordes wille.

This thoughtful marquys spak unto this mayde Ful soberly, and sayd in this manere:

"Wher is your fader, Grisildes?" he sayde.
And sche with reverence in humble cheere
Answerd, "Lord, he is al redy heere."
And in sche goth withouten lenger let,
And to the marquys sche hir fader fet.

He by the hond than takith this olde man,
And sayde thus, whan he him had on syde:
"Janicula, I neither may ne can

Lenger the plesauns of myn herte hyde;
If that ye vouchesauf, what so betyde,
Thy doughter wil I take er that I wende
As for my wyf, unto hir lyves ende.

"Thow lovest me, I wot it wel certeyn,
And art my faithful leige-man i-bore,
And al that likith me, I dar wel sayn,
It likith the, and specially therfore
Tel me that poynt, as ye have herd bifore,
If that thou wolt unto that purpos drawe,
To take me as for thy sone-in-lawe."

The sodeyn caas the man astoneyd tho,
That reed he wax, abaischt, and al quakyng
He stood, unnethe sayd he wordes mo,

But oonly this: "Lord," quod he, "my willyng
Is as ye wol, agenst youre likyng

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