The Canterbury Tales · The Clerk’s Tale · The Tale 2435 · Pars Secunda

Pars Secunda

Not far from thilkë2468 palace honouráble,

Where as this marquis shope2469 his marriáge,

There stood a thorp,2470 of sightë délectáble,

In which the poorë folk of that villáge

Haddë their beastës and their harbourage,2471

And of their labour took their sustenance,

After the earthë gave them ábundánce.

Among this poorë folk there dwelt a man

Which that was holden poorest of them all;

But highë God sometimës sendë can

His grace unto a little ox’s stall;

Janicola men of that thorp him call.

A daughter had he, fair enough to sight,

And Griseldis this youngë maiden hight.

But for to speak of virtuous beauty,

Then was she one the fairest under sun:

Full poorëly y-foster’d up was she;

No likerous lust2472 was in her heart y-run;

Well ofter of the well than of the tun2473

She drank, and, for2474 she wouldë virtue please,

She knew well labour, but no idle ease.

But though this maiden tender were of age;

Yet in the breast of her virginity

There was inclos’d a sad and ripe coráge;2475

And in great reverence and charity

Her oldë poorë father foster’d she.

A few sheep, spinning, on the field she kept,

She wouldë not be idle till she slept.

And when she homeward camë, she would bring

Wortës,2476 and other herbës, timës oft,

The which she shred and seeth’d for her livíng,

And made her bed full hard, and nothing soft:

And aye she kept her father’s life on loft2477

With ev’ry obeisánce and diligence,

That child may do to father’s reverence.

Upon Griselda, this poor creatúre,

Full often sithes2478 this marquis set his eye,

As he on hunting rode, paráventure:2479

And when it fell that he might her espy,

He not with wanton looking of follý

His eyen cast on her, but in sad2480 wise

Upon her cheer2481 he would him oft advise;2482

Commending in his heart her womanhead,

And eke her virtue, passing any wight

Of so young age, as well in cheer as deed.

For though the people have no great insight

In virtue, he considered full right

Her bounté,2483 and disposed that he would

Wed only her, if ever wed he should.

The day of wedding came, but no wight can

Tellë what woman that it shouldë be;

For which marvail wonder’d many a man,

And saidë, when they were in privity,

“Will not our lord yet leave his vanity?

Will he not wed? Alas, alas the while!

Why will he thus himself and us beguile?”

But natheless this marquis had done2484 make

Of gemmës, set in gold and in azúre,

Brooches and ringës, for Griselda’s sake,

And of her clothing took he the measúre

Of a maiden like unto her statúre,

And eke of other ornamentës all

That unto such a wedding shouldë fall.2485

The time of undern2486 of the samë day

Approached, that this wedding shouldë be,

And all the palace put was in array,

Both hall and chamber, each in its degree,

Houses of office stuffed with plenty

There may’st thou see of dainteous vitáille,

That may be found, as far as lasts Itále.

This royal marquis, richëly array’d,

Lordës and ladies in his company,

The which unto the feastë werë pray’d,

And of his retinue the bach’lerý,

With many a sound of sundry melody,

Unto the village, of the which I told,

In this array the right way did they hold.

Griseld’ of this (God wot) full innocent,

That for her shapen2487 was all this array,

To fetchë water at a well is went,

And home she came as soon as e’er she may.

For well she had heard say, that on that day

The marquis shouldë wed, and, if she might,

She fain would have seen somewhat of that sight.

She thought, “I will with other maidens stand,

That be my fellows, in our door, and see

The marchioness; and therefore will I fand2488

To do at home, as soon as it may be,

The labour which belongeth unto me,

And then I may at leisure her behold,

If she this way unto the castle hold.”

And as she would over the threshold gon,

The marquis came and gan for her to call,

And she set down her water-pot anon

Beside the threshold, in an ox’s stall,

And down upon her knees she gan to fall,

And with sad2489 countenancë kneeled still,

Till she had heard what was the lordë’s will.

The thoughtful marquis spake unto the maid

Full soberly, and said in this mannére:

“Where is your father, Griseldis?” he said.

And she with reverence, in humble cheer,2490

Answered, “Lord, he is all ready here.”

And in she went withoutë longer let,2491

And to the marquis she her father fet.2492

He by the hand then took the poorë man,

And saidë thus, when he him had aside:

“Janicola, I neither may nor can

Longer the pleasance of mine heartë hide;

If that thou vouchësafe, whatso betide,

Thy daughter will I take, ere that I wend,2493

As for my wife, unto her lifë’s end.

“Thou lovest me, that know I well certáin,

And art my faithful liegëman y-bore,2494

And all that liketh me, I dare well sayn

It liketh thee; and specially therefore

Tell me that point, that I have said before⁠—

If that thou wilt unto this purpose draw,

To takë me as for thy son-in-law.”

This sudden case2495 the man astonied so,

That red he wax’d, abash’d,2496 and all quaking

He stood; unnethës2497 said he wordës mo’,

But only thus; “Lord,” quoth he, “my willing

Is as ye will, nor against your liking

I will no thing, mine owen lord so dear;

Right as you list governë this mattére.”

“Then will I,” quoth the marquis softëly,

“That in thy chamber I, and thou, and she,

Have a collatión;2498 and know’st thou why?

For I will ask her, if her will it be

To be my wife, and rule her after me:

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.