And all this shall be done in thy presénce,
I will not speak out of thine audience.”2499
And in the chamber while they were about
The treaty, which ye shall hereafter hear,
The people came into the house without,
And wonder’d them in how honést mannére
And tenderly she kept her father dear;
But utterly Griseldis wonder might,
For never erst2500 ne saw she such a sight.
No wonder is though that she be astoned,2501
To see so great a guest come in that place,
She never was to no such guestës woned;2502
For which she looked with full palë face.
But shortly forth this matter for to chase,2503
These are the wordës that the marquis said
To this benignë, very,2504 faithful maid.
“Griseld’,” he said, “ye shall well understand,
It liketh to your father and to me
That I you wed, and eke it may so stand,
As I suppose ye will that it so be:
But these demandës ask I first,” quoth he,
“Since that it shall be done in hasty wise;
Will ye assent, or ellës you advise?2505
“I say this, be ye ready with good heart
To all my lust,2506 and that I freely may,
As me best thinketh, do2507 you laugh or smart,
And never ye to grudgë,2508 night nor day,
And eke when I say Yea, ye say not Nay,
Neither by word, nor frowning countenance?
Swear this, and here I swear our álliance.”
Wond’ring upon this word, quaking for dread,
She saidë; “Lord, indigne and unworthy
Am I to this honoúr that ye me bede,2509
But as ye will yourself, right so will I:
And here I swear, that never willingly
In word or thought I will you disobey,
For to be dead; though me were loth to dey.”2510
“This is enough, Griselda mine,” quoth he.
And forth he went with a full sober cheer,
Out at the door, and after then came she,
And to the people he said in this mannére:
“This is my wife,” quoth he, “that standeth here.
Honoúrë her, and love her, I you pray,
Whoso me loves; there is no more to say.”
And, for that nothing of her oldë gear
She shouldë bring into his house, he bade
That women should despoilë2511 her right there;
Of which these ladies werë nothing glad
To handle her clothës wherein she was clad:
But natheless this maiden bright of hue
From foot to head they clothed have all new.
Her hairës have they comb’d that lay untress’d2512
Full rudëly, and with their fingers small
A crown upon her head they havë dress’d,
And set her full of nouches2513 great and small:
Of her array why should I make a tale?
Unneth2514 the people her knew for her fairnéss,
When she transmuted was in such richéss.
The marquis hath her spoused with a ring
Brought for the samë cause, and then her set
Upon a horse snow-white, and well ambling,
And to his palace, ere he longer let2515
With joyful people, that her led and met,
Conveyed her; and thus the day they spend
In revel, till the sunnë gan descend.
And, shortly forth this talë for to chase,
I say, that to this newë marchioness
God hath such favour sent her of his grace,
That it ne seemed not by likeliness
That she was born and fed in rudëness—
As in a cot, or in an ox’s stall—
But nourish’d in an emperorë’s hall.
To every wight she waxen2516 is so dear
And worshipful, that folk where she was born,
That from her birthë knew her year by year,
Unnethës trowed2517 they, but durst have sworn,
That to Janicol’ of whom I spake before,
She was not daughter, for by conjectúre
Them thought she was another creatúre.
For though that ever virtuous was she,
She was increased in such excellence
Of thewës2518 good, y-set in high bounté,
And so discreet, and fair of eloquence,
So benign, and so digne2519 of reverence,
And couldë so the people’s heart embrace,
That each her lov’d that looked on her face.
Not only of Saluces in the town
Published was the bounté of her name,
But eke besides in many a regioún;
If one said well, another said the same:
So spread of herë high bounté the fame,
That men and women, young as well as old,
Went to Saluces, her for to behold.
Thus Walter lowly—nay, but royally—
Wedded with fortunate honesteté,2520
In Goddë’s peace lived full easily
At home, and outward grace enough had he:
And, for he saw that under low degree
Was honest virtue hid, the people him held
A prudent man, and that is seen full seld’.2521
Not only this Griseldis through her wit
Couth all the feat2522 of wifely homeliness,
But eke, when that the case required it,
The common profit couldë she redress:2523
There n’as discord, rancoúr, nor heaviness
In all the land, that she could not appease,
And wisely bring them all in rest and ease.
Though that her husband absent were or non,2524
If gentlemen or other of that country,
Were wroth,2525 she wouldë bringë them at one,
So wise and ripë wordës haddë she,
And judgëment of so great equity,
That she from heaven sent was, as men wend,2526
People to save, and every wrong t’amend
Not longë time after that this Griseld’
Was wedded, she a daughter had y-bore;
All she had lever2527 borne a knavë2528 child,
Glad was the marquis and his folk therefore;
For, though a maiden child came all before,
She may unto a knavë child attain
By likelihood, since she is not barrén.
Pars Tertia
There fell, as falleth many timës mo’,
When that his child had sucked but a throw,2529
This marquis in his heartë longed so
To tempt his wife, her sadness2530 for to know,
That he might not out of his heartë throw
This marvellous desire his wife t’assay;2531
Needless,2532 God wot, he thought her to affray.2533
He had assayed her anough before,
And found her ever good; what needed it
Her for to tempt, and always more and more?
Though
