[401: T. 8262-8296.]
This markis hath hir spoused with a ring (330)
Broght for the same cause, and than hir sette
Up-on an hors, snow-whyt and wel ambling,
And to his paleys, er he lenger lette,
With Ioyful peple that hir ladde and mette, 390
Conveyed hir, and thus the day they spende
In revel, til the sonne gan descende.
And shortly forth this tale for to chace,
I seye that to this newe markisesse
God hath swich favour sent hir of his grace, 395
That it ne semed nat by lyklinesse (340)
That she was born and fed in rudenesse,
As in a cote or in an oxe-stalle,
But norished in an emperoures halle.
To every wight she woxen is so dere 400
And worshipful, that folk ther she was bore
And from hir birthe knewe hir yeer by yere,
Unnethe trowed they, but dorste han swore
That to Ianicle, of which I spak bifore,
She doghter nas, for, as by coniecture, 405
Hem thoughte she was another creature. (350)
404. E. That she; _rest omit_ she. 405. Cp. Ln. nas; E. Hn. Cm. Hl.
were; Pt. ne were.
For thogh that ever vertuous was she,
She was encressed in swich excellence
Of thewes gode, y-set in heigh bountee,
And so discreet and fair of eloquence, 410
So benigne and so digne of reverence,
And coude so the peples herte embrace,
That ech hir lovede that loked on hir face.
Noght only of Saluces in the toun
Publiced was the bountee of hir name, 415
But eek bisyde in many a regioun, (360)
If oon seyde wel, another seyde the same;
So spradde of hir heigh bountee the fame,
That men and wommen, as wel yonge as olde,
Gon to Saluce, upon hir to biholde. 420
415. E. Publiced; Pt. Publisshed; Hn. Publissed. E. beautee; _rest_
bountee. 418. E. heighe. E. name; _rest_ fame.
[402: T. 8297-8324.]
Thus Walter lowly, nay but royally,
Wedded with fortunat honestetee,
In goddes pees liveth ful esily
At hoom, and outward grace y-nogh had he;
And for he saugh that under low degree 425
Was ofte vertu hid, the peple him helde (370)
A prudent man, and that is seyn ful selde.
425. E. saugh; _see_ B. 810. E. heigh; _the rest_ lowe, low. 426. E
_omits_ ofte.
Nat only this Grisildis thurgh hir wit
Coude al the feet of wyfly hoomlinesse,
But eek, whan that the cas requyred it, 430
The commune profit coude she redresse.
Ther nas discord, rancour, ne hevinesse
In al that lond, that she ne coude apese,
And wysly bringe hem alle in reste and ese.