Thus with hir fader, for a certeyn space,
Dwelleth this flour of wyfly pacience,
That neither by hir wordes ne hir face 920
Biforn the folk, ne eek in hir absence,
Ne shewed she that hir was doon offence;
[417: T. 8799-8828.]
Ne of hir heigh estaat no remembraunce
Ne hadde she, as by hir countenaunce.
No wonder is, for in hir grete estaat 925
Hir goost was ever in pleyn humylitee; (870)
No tendre mouth, non herte delicaat,
No pompe, no semblant of royaltee,
But ful of pacient benignitee,
Discreet and prydeles, ay honurable, 930
And to hir housbonde ever meke and stable.
Men speke of Iob and most for his humblesse,
As clerkes, whan hem list, can wel endyte,
Namely of men, but as in soothfastnesse,
Thogh clerkes preyse wommen but a lyte, 935
Ther can no man in humblesse him acquyte (880)
As womman can, ne can ben half so trewe
As wommen been, but it be falle of-newe.
933. E. Hn. conne; _rest_ can. 937. Hn. kan; Cp. Ln. Hl. can; _rest
omit (2nd time)_.
[_Pars Sexta._]
Fro Boloigne is this erl of Panik come,
Of which the fame up-sprang to more and lesse, 940
And in the peples eres alle and some
Was couth eek, that a newe markisesse
He with him broghte, in swich pompe and richesse,
That never was ther seyn with mannes yë
So noble array in al West Lumbardye. 945
939. Hl. panik; Cp. Panyke; Pt. Pavie; _rest_ Pavyk, Pauyk. 944. Hl.
ye; _rest_ eye.
The markis, which that shoop and knew al this, (890)
Er that this erl was come, sente his message
For thilke sely povre Grisildis;
And she with humble herte and glad visage,
Nat with no swollen thoght in hir corage, 950
Cam at his heste, and on hir knees hir sette,
And reverently and wysly she him grette.
[418: T. 8829-8863.]
‘Grisild,’ quod he, ‘my wille is outerly,
This mayden, that shal wedded been to me,
Receyved be to-morwe as royally 955
As it possible is in myn hous to be. (900)
And eek that every wight in his degree
Have his estaat in sitting and servyse
And heigh plesaunce, as I can best devyse.