Walter her doth so faithfully pleasánce,
That it was dainty for to see the cheer
Betwixt them two, since they be met in fere.2713
The ladies, when that they their timë sey,2714
Have taken her, and into chamber gone,
And stripped her out of her rude array,
And in a cloth of gold that brightly shone,
And with a crown of many a richë stone
Upon her head, they into hall her brought:
And there she was honoúred as her ought.
Thus had this piteous day a blissful end;
For every man and woman did his might
This day in mirth and revel to dispend,
Till on the welkin2715 shone the starrës bright:
For more solémn in every mannë’s sight
This feastë was, and greater of costage,2716
Than was the revel of her marriáge.
Full many a year in high prosperity
Lived these two in concord and in rest;
And richëly his daughter married he
Unto a lord, one of the worthiest
Of all Itále; and then in peace and rest
His wifë’s father in his court he kept,
Till that the soul out of his body crept.
His son succeeded in his heritage,
In rest and peace, after his father’s day:
And fortunate was eke in marriáge,
All2717 he put not his wife in great assay:
This world is not so strong, it is no nay,2718
As it hath been in oldë timës yore;
And hearken what this author saith, therefore;
This story is said,2719 not for that wivës should
Follow Griselda in humility,
For it were importáble2720 though they would;
But for that every wight in his degree
Shouldë be constant in adversity,
As was Griselda; therefore Petrarch writeth
This story, which with high style he inditeth.
For, since a woman was so patient
Unto a mortal man, well more we ought
Receiven all in gree2721 that God us sent.
For great skill is he proved that he wrought:2722
But he tempteth no man that he hath bought,
As saith Saint James, if ye his ’pistle read;
He proveth folk all day, it is no dread.2723
And suffereth us, for our exercise,
With sharpë scourges of adversity
Full often to be beat in sundry wise;
Not for to know our will, for certes he,
Ere we were born, knew all our fraïlty;
And for our best is all his governance;
Let us then live in virtuous sufferance.
But one word, lordings, hearken, ere I go:
It were full hard to findë now-a-days
In all a town Griseldas three or two:
For, if that they were put to such assays,
The gold of them hath now so bad allays2724
With brass, that though the coin be fair at eye,2725
It wouldë rather break in two than ply.2726
For which here, for the Wifë’s love of Bath—
Whose life and all her sex may God maintain
In high mast’rý, and ellës were it scath—2727
I will, with lusty heartë fresh and green,
Say you a song to gladden you, I ween:
And let us stint of earnestful mattére.
Hearken my song, that saith in this mannére.
L’Envoy of Chaucer
“Griseld’ is dead, and eke her patience,
And both at once are buried in Itále:
For which I cry in open audience,
No wedded man so hardy be t’ assail
His wifë’s patience, in trust to find
Griselda’s, for in certain he shall fail.
“O noble wivës, full of high prudence,
Let no humility your tonguës nail:
Nor let no clerk have cause or diligence
To write of you a story of such marvail,
As of Griselda patient and kind,
Lest Chichëvache2728 you swallow in her entrail.
“Follow Echo, that holdeth no silence,
But ever answereth at the countertail;2729
Be not bedaffed2730 for your innocence,
But sharply take on you the governail;2731
Imprintë well this lesson in your mind,
For common profit, since it may avail.
“Ye archiwivës,2732 stand aye at defence,
Since ye be strong as is a great camail,2733
Nor suffer not that men do you offence.
And slender wivës, feeble in battail,
Be eager as a tiger yond in Ind;
Aye clapping as a mill, I you counsail.
“Nor dread them not, nor do them reverence;
For though thine husband armed be in mail,
The arrows of thy crabbed eloquence
Shall pierce his breast, and eke his aventail;2734
In jealousy I rede2735 eke thou him bind,
And thou shalt make him couch2736 as doth a quail.
“If thou be fair, where folk be in presénce
Shew thou thy visage and thine apparail:
If thou be foul, be free of thy dispence;
To get thee friendës aye do thy travail:
Be aye of cheer as light as leaf on lind,2737
And let him care, and weep, and wring, and wail.”
The Merchant’s Tale
The Prologue2738
“Weeping and wailing, care and other sorrow,
I have enough, on even and on morrow,”
Quoth the Merchánt, “and so have other mo’,
That wedded be; I trow2739 that it be so;
For well I wot it fareth so by me.
I have a wife, the worstë that may be,
For though the fiend to her y-coupled were,
She would him overmatch, I dare well swear:
Why should I you rehearse in speciál
Her high malíce? she is a shrew at all.2740
There is a long and largë difference
Betwixt Griselda’s greatë patience,
And of my wife the passing cruelty.
Were I unbounden, all so may I thé,2741
I wouldë never eft2742 come in the snare.
We wedded men live in sorrow and care;
Assay it whoso will, and he shall find
That I say sooth, by Saint Thomas of Ind,
As for the morë part; I say not all—
God shieldë2743 that it shouldë so befall.
Ah! good Sir Host, I have y-wedded be
These moneths two, and morë not, pardie;
And yet I trow2744 that he that all his life
Wifeless hath been, though that men would him rive
Into the heartë, could in no mannére
Tellë so much sorrów, as I you here
Could tellen of my wifë’s cursedness.”2745
“Now,” quoth our Host, “Merchánt, so God you bless,
Since ye so
