Pars + 

Sexta + 

From Bologn’ is the earl of Panic’ come, + 

Of which the fame up sprang to more and less; + 

And to the people’s earës all and some + 

Was know’n eke, that a newë marchioness + 

He with him brought, in such pomp and richéss + 

That never was there seen with mannë’s eye + 

So noble array in all West Lombardy. + 

The marquis, which that shope and knew all this, + 

Ere that the earl was come, sent his messáge + 

For thilkë poorë sely Griseldis; + 

And she, with humble heart and glad viságe, + 

Nor with no swelling thought in her coráge, + 

Came at his hest, and on her knees her set, + 

And rev’rently and wisely she him gret. + 

“Griseld’,” quoth he, “my will is utterly, + 

This maiden, that shall wedded be to me, + 

Received be to-morrow as royally + 

As it possible is in my house to be; + 

And eke that every wight in his degree + 

Have his estate in sitting and servíce, + 

And in high pleasance, as I can devise. + 

“I have no women sufficient, certáin, + 

The chambers to array in ordinance + 

After my lust; and therefore would I fain + 

That thine were all such manner governance: + 

Thou knowest eke of old all my pleasánce; + 

Though thine array be bad, and ill besey, + 

Do thou thy dévoir at the leastë way.” + 

“Not only, Lord, that I am glad,” quoth she, + 

“To do your lust, but I desire also + 

You for to serve and please in my degree, + 

Withoutë fainting, and shall evermo’: + 

Nor ever for no weal, nor for no woe, + 

Ne shall the ghost within mine heartë stent + 

To love you best with all my true intent.” + 

And with that word she gan the house to dight, + 

And tables for to set, and beds to make, + 

And pained her to do all that she might, + 

Praying the chamberéres for Goddë’s sake + 

To hasten them, and fastë sweep and shake, + 

And she the most servíceable of all + 

Hath ev’ry chamber arrayed, and his hall. + 

Abouten undern gan the earl alight, + 

That with him brought these noble children tway; + 

For which the people ran to see the sight + 

Of their array, so richëly besey; + 

And then at erst amongës them they say, + 

That Walter was no fool, though that him lest + 

To change his wife; for it was for the best. + 

For she is fairer, as they deemen all, + 

Than is Griseld’, and more tender of age, + 

And fairer fruit between them shouldë fall, + 

And morë pleasant, for her high lineage: + 

Her brother eke so fair was of viságe, + 

That them to see the people hath caught pleasánce, + 

Commending now the marquis’ governance. + 

“O stormy people, unsad and ev’r untrue, + 

And undiscreet, and changing as a vane, + 

Delighting ev’r in rumour that is new, + 

For like the moon so waxë ye and wane: + 

Aye full of clapping, dear enough a jane, + 

Your doom is false, your constance evil preveth, + 

A full great fool is he that you believeth.” + 

Thus saidë the sad folk in that citý, + 

When that the people gazed up and down; + 

For they were glad, right for the novelty, + 

To have a newë lady of their town. + 

No more of this now make I mentioún, + 

But to Griseld’ again I will me dress, + 

And tell her constancy and business. + 

Full busy was Griseld’ in ev’ry thing + 

That to the feastë was appertinent; + 

Right nought was she abash’d of her clothing, + 

Though it were rude, and somedeal eke to-rent; + 

But with glad cheer unto the gate she went + 

With other folk, to greet the marchioness, + 

And after that did forth her business. + 

With so glad cheer his guestës she receiv’d + 

And so conningly each in his degree, + 

That no defaultë no man apperceiv’d, + 

But aye they wonder’d what she mightë be + 

That in so poor array was for to see, + 

And coudë such honoúr and reverence; + 

And worthily they praisë her prudence. + 

In all this meanë whilë she not stent + 

This maid, and eke her brother, to commend + 

With all her heart in full benign intent, + 

So well, that no man could her praise amend: + 

But at the last, when that these lordës wend + 

To sittë down to meat, he gan to call + 

Griseld’, as she was busy in the hall. + 

“Griseld’,” quoth he, as it were in his play, + 

“How liketh thee my wife, and her beauty?” + 

“Right well, my Lord,” quoth she, “for, in good fay, + 

A fairer saw I never none than she: + 

I pray to God give you prosperity; + 

And so I hope, that he will to you send + 

Pleasance enough unto your livës’ end. + 

“One thing beseech I you, and warn also, + 

That ye not prickë with no tórmentíng + 

This tender maiden, as ye have done mo: + 

For she is foster’d in her nourishing + 

More tenderly, and, to my supposing, + 

She mightë not adversity endure + 

As could a poorë foster’d creatúre.” + 

And when this Walter saw her patience, + 

Her gladdë cheer, and no malíce at all, + 

And he so often had her done offence, + 

And she aye sad and constant as a wall, + 

Continuing ev’r her innocence o’er all, + 

The sturdy marquis gan his heartë dress + 

To rue upon her wifely steadfastness. + 

“This is enough, Griselda mine,” quoth he, + 

“Be now no more aghast, nor evil paid, + 

I have thy faith and thy benignity + 

As well as ever woman was, assay’d, + 

In great estate and poorëly array’d: + 

Now know I, dearë wife, thy steadfastness;” + 

And her in arms he took, and gan to kiss. + 

And she for wonder took of it no keep; + 

She heardë not what thing he to her said: + 

She far’d as she had start out of a sleep, + 

Till she out of her mazedness abraid. + 

“Griseld’,” quoth he, “by God that for us died, + 

Thou art my wifë, none other I have, + 

Nor ever had, as God my soulë save. + 

“This is thy daughter, which thou hast suppos’d + 

To be my wife; that other faithfully + 

Shall be mine heir, as I have aye dispos’d; + 

Thou bare them of thy body truëly: + 

At Bologna kept I them privily: + 

Take them again, for now may’st thou not say + 

That thou hast lorn none of thy children tway. + 

“And folk, that otherwise have said of me, + 

I warn them well, that I have done this deed + 

For no malíce, nor for no cruelty, + 

But to assay in thee thy womanhead: + 

And not to slay my children (God forbid), + 

But for to keep them privily and still, + 

Till I thy purpose knew, and all thy will.” + 

When she this heard, in swoon adown she falleth + 

For piteous joy; and after her swooning, + 

She both her youngë children to her calleth, + 

And in her armës piteously weeping + 

Embraced them, and tenderly kissing, + 

Full like a mother, with her saltë tears + 

She bathed both their visage and their hairs. + 

O, what a piteous thing it was to see + 

Her swooning, and her humble voice to hear! + 

“Grand mercy, Lord, God thank it you,” quoth she, + 

That ye have saved me my children dear; + 

Now reck I never to be dead right here; + 

Since I stand in your love, and in your grace, + 

No force of death, nor when my spirit pace. + 

“O tender, O dear, O young children mine, + 

Your woeful mother weened steadfastly + 

That cruel houndës, or some foul vermíne, + 

Had eaten you; but God of his mercy, + 

And your benignë father tenderly + 

Have done you keep:” and in that samë stound, + 

All suddenly she swapt down to the ground. + 

And in her swoon so sadly holdeth she + 

Her children two, when she gan them embrace, + 

That with great sleight and great difficulty + 

The children from her arm they can arace, + 

O! many a tear on many a piteous face + 

Down ran of them that stoodë her beside, + 

Unneth aboutë her might they abide. + 

Walter her gladdeth, and her sorrow slaketh: + 

She riseth up abashed from her trance, + 

And every wight her joy and feastë maketh, + 

Till she hath caught again her countenance. + 

Walter her doth so faithfully pleasánce, + 

That it was dainty for to see the cheer + 

Betwixt them two, since they be met in fere. + 

The ladies, when that they their timë sey, + 

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 welkin shone the starrës bright: + 

For more solémn in every mannë’s sight + 

This feastë was, and greater of costage, + 

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, + 

All he put not his wife in great assay: + 

This world is not so strong, it is no nay, + 

As it hath been in oldë timës yore; + 

And hearken what this author saith, therefore; + 

This story is said, not for that wivës should + 

Follow Griselda in humility, + 

For it were importáble 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 gree that God us sent. + 

For great skill is he proved that he wrought: + 

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. + 

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 allays + 

With brass, that though the coin be fair at eye, + 

It wouldë rather break in two than ply. + 

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— + 

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. + 