The Clerk's Tale, First Part, ll. 57-196 (The Canterbury Tales)

From The Canterbury Tales:
The Clerk's Tale

Heere bigynneth the Tale of the Clerk of Oxenford.

	Ther is, at the west syde of Ytaille,
	Doun at the roote of Vesulus the colde,
	A lusty playne, habundant of vitaille,
60	Where many a tour and toun thou mayst biholde
	That founded were in tyme of fadres olde,
	And many another delitable sighte,
	And Saluces this noble contree highte.

A markys whilom lord was of that lond,

65 As were his worthy eldres hym bifore,

And obeisant and redy to his hond

Were alle his liges, bothe lasse and moore.

Thus in delit he lyveth, and hath doon yoore,

Biloved and drad thurgh favour of Fortune,

70 Bothe of his lordes and of his commune.

Therwith he was, to speke as of lynage,

The gentilleste yborn of Lumbardye;

A fair persone, and strong, and yong of age,

And ful of honour and of curteisye,

75 Discreet ynogh his contree for to gye,

Save that in somme thynges that he was to blame,

And Walter was this yonge lordes name.

I blame hym thus, that he considereth noght

In tyme comynge what hym myghte bityde,

80 But in his lust present was al his thoght,

As for to hauke and hunte on every syde.

Wel ny alle othere cures leet he slyde;

And eek he nolde - and that was worst of alle -

Wedde no wyf, for noght that may bifalle.

85 Oonly that point his peple bar so soore,

That flokmeele on a day they to hym wente,

And oon of hem, that wisest was of loore -

Or elles that the lord best wolde assente,

That he sholde telle hym what his peple mente,

90 Or elles koude he shewe wel swich mateere -

He to the markys seyde as ye shul heere:

"O noble Markys, youre humanitee

Asseureth us, and yeveth us hardinesse,

As ofte as tyme is of necessitee

95 That we to yow mowe telle oure hevynesse.

Accepteth, lord, now for youre gentillesse

That we with pitous herte unto yow pleyne,

And lat youre eres nat my voys desdeyne.

Al have I noght to doone in this mateere

100 Moore than another man hath in this place;

Yet for as muche as ye, my lord so deere,

Han alwey shewed me favour and grace,

I dar the bettre aske of yow a space

Of audience to shewen oure requeste,

105 And ye, my lord, to doon right as yow leste.

For certes, lord, so wel us liketh yow

And al youre werk, and evere han doon that we

Ne koude nat us-self devysen how

We myghte lyven in moore felicitee,

110 Save o thyng, lord, if it youre wille be,

That for to been a wedded man yow leste,

Thanne were youre peple in sovereyn hertes reste.

Boweth youre nekke under that blisful yok

Of soveraynetee, noght of servyse,

115 Which that men clepeth spousaille or wedlock;

And thenketh, lord, among youre thoghtes wyse

How that oure dayes passe in sondry wyse,

For thogh we slepe, or wake, or rome, or ryde,

Ay fleeth the tyme, it nyl no man abyde.

120 And thogh youre grene youthe floure as yit,

In crepeth age alwey, as stille as stoon,

And deeth manaceth every age, and smyt

In ech estaat, for ther escapeth noon;

And al so certein as we knowe echoon

125 That we shul deye, as uncerteyn we alle

Been of that day, whan deeth shal on us falle.

Accepteth thanne of us the trewe entente

That nevere yet refuseden thyn heeste;

And we wol, lord, if that ye wole assente,

130 Chese yow a wyf in short tyme atte leeste,

Born of the gentilleste and of the meeste

Of al this land, so that it oghte seme

Honour to God, and yow, as we kan deeme.

Delivere us out of al this bisy drede,

135 And taak a wyf for hye Goddes sake,

For if it so bifelle, as God forbede,

That thurgh your deeth your lyne sholde slake,

And that a straunge successour sholde take

Youre heritage, o wo were us alyve!

140 Wherfore we pray you hastily to wyve."

Hir meeke preyere and hir pitous cheere

Made the markys herte han pitee.

"Ye wol," quod he, "myn owene peple deere,

To that I nevere erst thoughte, streyne me.

145 I me rejoysed of my liberte,

That seelde tyme is founde in mariage.

Ther I was free, I moot been in servage.

But nathelees I se youre trewe entente,

And truste upon youre wit, and have doon at;

150 Wherfore of my free wyl I wole assente

To wedde me, as soone as evere I may.

But ther as ye han profred me to-day

To chese me a wyf, I yow relesse

That choys, and prey yow of that profre cesse.

155 For God it woot, that children ofte been

Unlyk hir worthy eldres hem bifore.

Bountee comth al of God, nat of the streen,

Of which they been engendred and ybore.

I truste in Goddes bountee; and therfore

160 My mariage, and myn estaat and reste,

I hym bitake, he may doon as hym leste.

Lat me allone in chesynge of my wyf,

That charge upon my bak I wole endure;

But I yow preye, and charge upon youre lyf

165 What wyf that I take, ye me assure

To worshipe hir, whil that hir lyf may dure,

In word and werk, bothe heere and everywheere,

As she an emperoures doghter weere.

And forthermoore, this shal ye swere, that ye

170 Agayn my choys shul neither grucche ne stryve,

For sith I shal forgoon my libertee

At youre requeste, as evere moot I thryve,

Ther as myn herte is set, ther wol I wyve!

And but ye wole assente in this manere,

175 I prey yow, speketh namoore of this matere."

With hertely wyl they sworen and assenten

To al this thyng, ther seyde no wight nay,

Bisekynge hym of grace er that they wenten,

That he wolde graunten hem a certein day

180 Of his spousaille, as soone as evere he may,

For yet alwey the peple somwhat dredde

Lest that this markys no wyf wolde wedde.

He graunted hem a day, swich as hym leste,

On which he wolde be wedded sikerly,

185 And seyde he dide al this at hir requeste;

And they with humble entente, buxomly,

Knelynge upon hir knees ful reverently

Hym thonken alle, and thus they han an ende

Of hir entente, and hoom agayn they wende.

190 And heerupon he to hise officeres

Comaundeth for the feste to purveye,

And to hise privee knyghtes and squieres

Swich charge yaf, as hym liste on hem leye.

And they to his comandement obeye,

195 And ech of hem dooth al his diligence

To doon unto the feeste reverence.

	A markys whilom lord was of that lond,
65	As were his worthy eldres hym bifore,
	And obeisant and redy to his hond
	Were alle his liges, bothe lasse and moore.
	Thus in delit he lyveth, and hath doon yoore,
	Biloved and drad thurgh favour of Fortune,
70	Bothe of his lordes and of his commune.

	Therwith he was, to speke as of lynage,
	The gentilleste yborn of Lumbardye;
	A fair persone, and strong, and yong of age,
	And ful of honour and of curteisye,
75	Discreet ynogh his contree for to gye,
	Save that in somme thynges that he was to blame,
	And Walter was this yonge lordes name.

	I blame hym thus, that he considereth noght
	In tyme comynge what hym myghte bityde,
80	But in his lust present was al his thoght,
	As for to hauke and hunte on every syde.
	Wel ny alle othere cures leet he slyde;
	And eek he nolde - and that was worst of alle -
	Wedde no wyf, for noght that may bifalle.

85	Oonly that point his peple bar so soore,
	That flokmeele on a day they to hym wente,
	And oon of hem, that wisest was of loore -
	Or elles that the lord best wolde assente,
	That he sholde telle hym what his peple mente,
90	Or elles koude he shewe wel swich mateere -
	He to the markys seyde as ye shul heere:

	"O noble Markys, youre humanitee
	Asseureth us, and yeveth us hardinesse,
	As ofte as tyme is of necessitee
95	That we to yow mowe telle oure hevynesse.
	Accepteth, lord, now for youre gentillesse
	That we with pitous herte unto yow pleyne,
	And lat youre eres nat my voys desdeyne.

	Al have I noght to doone in this mateere
100	Moore than another man hath in this place;
	Yet for as muche as ye, my lord so deere,
	Han alwey shewed me favour and grace,
	I dar the bettre aske of yow a space
	Of audience to shewen oure requeste,
105	And ye, my lord, to doon right as yow leste.

	For certes, lord, so wel us liketh yow
	And al youre werk, and evere han doon that we
	Ne koude nat us-self devysen how
	We myghte lyven in moore felicitee,
110	Save o thyng, lord, if it youre wille be,
	That for to been a wedded man yow leste,
	Thanne were youre peple in sovereyn hertes reste.

	Boweth youre nekke under that blisful yok
	Of soveraynetee, noght of servyse,
115	Which that men clepeth spousaille or wedlock;
	And thenketh, lord, among youre thoghtes wyse
	How that oure dayes passe in sondry wyse,
	For thogh we slepe, or wake, or rome, or ryde,
	Ay fleeth the tyme, it nyl no man abyde.

120	And thogh youre grene youthe floure as yit,
	In crepeth age alwey, as stille as stoon,
	And deeth manaceth every age, and smyt
	In ech estaat, for ther escapeth noon;
	And al so certein as we knowe echoon
125	That we shul deye, as uncerteyn we alle
	Been of that day, whan deeth shal on us falle.

	Accepteth thanne of us the trewe entente
	That nevere yet refuseden thyn heeste;
	And we wol, lord, if that ye wole assente,
130	Chese yow a wyf in short tyme atte leeste,
	Born of the gentilleste and of the meeste
	Of al this land, so that it oghte seme
	Honour to God, and yow, as we kan deeme.

	Delivere us out of al this bisy drede,
135	And taak a wyf for hye Goddes sake,
	For if it so bifelle, as God forbede,
	That thurgh your deeth your lyne sholde slake,
	And that a straunge successour sholde take
	Youre heritage, o wo were us alyve!
140	Wherfore we pray you hastily to wyve."

	Hir meeke preyere and hir pitous cheere
	Made the markys herte han pitee.
	"Ye wol," quod he, "myn owene peple deere,
	To that I nevere erst thoughte, streyne me.
145	I me rejoysed of my liberte,
	That seelde tyme is founde in mariage.
	Ther I was free, I moot been in servage.

	But nathelees I se youre trewe entente,
	And truste upon youre wit, and have doon at;
150	Wherfore of my free wyl I wole assente
	To wedde me, as soone as evere I may.
	But ther as ye han profred me to-day
	To chese me a wyf, I yow relesse
	That choys, and prey yow of that profre cesse.

155	For God it woot, that children ofte been
	Unlyk hir worthy eldres hem bifore.
	Bountee comth al of God, nat of the streen,
	Of which they been engendred and ybore.
	I truste in Goddes bountee; and therfore
160	My mariage, and myn estaat and reste,
	I hym bitake, he may doon as hym leste.

	Lat me allone in chesynge of my wyf,
	That charge upon my bak I wole endure;
	But I yow preye, and charge upon youre lyf
165	What wyf that I take, ye me assure
	To worshipe hir, whil that hir lyf may dure,
	In word and werk, bothe heere and everywheere,
	As she an emperoures doghter weere.

	And forthermoore, this shal ye swere, that ye
170	Agayn my choys shul neither grucche ne stryve,
	For sith I shal forgoon my libertee
	At youre requeste, as evere moot I thryve,
	Ther as myn herte is set, ther wol I wyve!
	And but ye wole assente in this manere,
175	I prey yow, speketh namoore of this matere."

	With hertely wyl they sworen and assenten
	To al this thyng, ther seyde no wight nay,
	Bisekynge hym of grace er that they wenten,
	That he wolde graunten hem a certein day
180	Of his spousaille, as soone as evere he may,
	For yet alwey the peple somwhat dredde
	Lest that this markys no wyf wolde wedde.

	He graunted hem a day, swich as hym leste,
	On which he wolde be wedded sikerly,
185	And seyde he dide al this at hir requeste;
	And they with humble entente, buxomly,
	Knelynge upon hir knees ful reverently
	Hym thonken alle, and thus they han an ende
	Of hir entente, and hoom agayn they wende.

190	And heerupon he to hise officeres
	Comaundeth for the feste to purveye,
	And to hise privee knyghtes and squieres
	Swich charge yaf, as hym liste on hem leye.
	And they to his comandement obeye,
195	And ech of hem dooth al his diligence
	To doon unto the feeste reverence.