Pars + 

Quarta + 

In this estate there passed be four year + 

Ere she with childë was; but, as God wo’ld, + 

A knavë child she bare by this Waltére, + 

Full gracious and fair for to behold; + 

And when that folk it to his father told, + 

Not only he, but all his country, merry + 

Were for this child, and God they thank and hery. + 

When it was two year old, and from the breast + 

Departed of the norice, on a day + 

This marquis caughtë yet another lest + 

To tempt his wife yet farther, if he may. + 

Oh! needless was she tempted in assay; + 

But wedded men not connen no measúre, + 

When that they find a patient creatúre. + 

“Wife,” quoth the marquis, “ye have heard ere this + 

My people sickly bear our marriáge; + 

And namely since my son y-boren is, + 

Now is it worse than ever in all our age: + 

The murmur slays mine heart and my coráge, + 

For to mine ears cometh the voice so smart, + 

That it well nigh destroyed hath mine heart. + 

“Now say they thus, ‘When Walter is y-gone, + 

Then shall the blood of Janicol’ succeed, + 

And be our lord, for other have we none:’ + 

Such wordës say my people, out of drede. + 

Well ought I of such murmur takë heed, + 

For certainly I dread all such senténce, + 

Though they not plainen in mine audiénce. + 

“I wouldë live in peace, if that I might; + 

Wherefore I am disposed utterly, + 

As I his sister served ere by night, + 

Right so think I to serve him privily. + 

This warn I you, that ye not suddenly + 

Out of yourself for no woe should outraie; + 

Be patient, and thereof I you pray.” + 

“I have,” quoth she, “said thus, and ever shall, + 

I will no thing, nor n’ill no thing, certáin, + 

But as you list; not grieveth me at all + 

Though that my daughter and my son be slain + 

At your commandëment; that is to sayn, + 

I have not had no part of children twain, + 

But first sicknéss, and after woe and pain. + 

“Ye be my lord, do with your owen thing + 

Right as you list, and ask no rede of me: + 

For, as I left at home all my clothing + 

When I came first to you, right so,” quoth she, + 

“Left I my will and all my liberty, + 

And took your clothing: wherefore I you pray, + 

Do your pleasánce, I will your lust obey. + 

“And, certes, if I haddë prescience + 

Your will to know, ere ye your lust me told, + 

I would it do withoutë negligence: + 

But, now I know your lust, and what ye wo’ld, + 

All your pleasancë firm and stable I hold; + 

For, wist I that my death might do you ease, + 

Right gladly would I dien you to please. + 

“Death may not makë no comparisoún + 

Unto your love.” And when this marquis say + 

The constance of his wife, he cast adown + 

His eyen two, and wonder’d how she may + 

In patience suffer all this array; + 

And forth he went with dreary countenance; + 

But to his heart it was full great pleasánce. + 

This ugly sergeant, in the samë wise + 

That he her daughter caught, right so hath he + 

(Or worse, if men can any worse devise,) + 

Y-hent her son, that full was of beauty: + 

And ever-in-one so patient was she, + 

That she no cheerë made of heaviness, + 

But kiss’d her son, and after gan him bless. + 

Save this she prayed him, if that he might, + 

Her little son he would in earthë grave, + 

His tender limbës, delicate to sight, + 

From fowlës and from beastës for to save. + 

But she none answer of him mightë have; + 

He went his way, as him nothing ne raught, + 

But to Bologna tenderly it brought. + 

The marquis wonder’d ever longer more + 

Upon her patience; and, if that he + 

Not haddë soothly knowen therebefore + 

That perfectly her children loved she, + 

He would have ween’d that of some subtilty, + 

And of malíce, or for cruel coráge, + 

She haddë suffer’d this with sad viságe. + 

But well he knew, that, next himself, certáin + 

She lov’d her children best in every wise. + 

But now of women would I askë fain, + 

If these assayës mightë not suffice? + 

What could a sturdy husband more devise + 

To prove her wifehood and her steadfastness, + 

And he continuing ev’r in sturdiness? + 

But there be folk of such conditión, + 

That, when they have a certain purpose take, + 

Thiey cannot stint of their intentión, + 

But, right as they were bound unto a stake, + 

They will not of their firstë purpose slake: + 

Right so this marquis fully hath purpós’d + 

To tempt his wife, as he was first dispos’d. + 

He waited, if by word or countenance + 

That she to him was changed of coráge: + 

But never could he findë variance, + 

She was aye one in heart and in viságe, + 

And aye the farther that she was in age, + 

The morë true (if that it were possíble) + 

She was to him in love, and more penible. + 

For which it seemed thus, that of them two + 

There was but one will; for, as Walter lest, + 

The same pleasáncë was her lust also; + 

And, God be thanked, all fell for the best. + 

She shewed well, for no worldly unrest, + 

A wife as of herself no thingë should + 

Will, in effect, but as her husband would. + 

The sland’r of Walter wondrous widë sprad, + 

That of a cruel heart he wickedly, + 

For he a poorë woman wedded had, + 

Had murder’d both his children privily: + 

Such murmur was among them commonly. + 

No wonder is: for to the people’s ear + 

There came no word, but that they murder’d were. + 

For which, whereas his people therebefore + 

Had lov’d him well, the sland’r of his diffame + 

Made them that they him hated therëfore. + 

To be a murd’rer is a hateful name. + 

But natheless, for earnest or for game, + 

He of his cruel purpose would not stent; + 

To tempt his wife was set all his intent. + 

When that his daughter twelve year was of age, + 

He to the Court of Rome, in subtle wise + 

Informed of his will, sent his messáge, + 

Commanding him such bullës to devise + 

As to his cruel purpose may suffice, + 

How that the Popë, for his people’s rest, + 

Bade him to wed another, if him lest. + 

I say he bade they shouldë counterfeit + 

The Pope’s bullës, making mentión + 

That he had leave his firstë wife to lete, + 

As by the Popë’s dispensatión, + 

To stintë rancour and dissensión + 

Betwixt his people and him: thus spake the bull, + 

The which they havë published at full. + 

The rudë people, as no wonder is, + 

Weened full well that it had been right so: + 

But, when these tidings came to Griseldis. + 

I deemë that her heart was full of woe; + 

But she, alikë sad for evermo’, + 

Disposed was, this humble creatúre, + 

Th’ adversity of fortune all t’ endure; + 

Abiding ever his lust and his pleasánce, + 

To whom that she was given, heart and all, + 

As to her very worldly suffisance. + 

But, shortly if this story tell I shall, + 

The marquis written hath in special + 

A letter, in which he shewed his intent, + 

And secretly it to Bologna sent. + 

To th’ earl of Panico, which haddë tho + 

Wedded his sister, pray’d he specially + 

To bringë home again his children two + 

In honourable estate all openly: + 

But one thing he him prayed utterly, + 

That he to no wight, though men would inquere, + 

Shouldë not tell whose children that they were, + 

But say, the maiden should y-wedded be + 

Unto the marquis of Salúce anon. + 

And as this earl was prayed, so did he, + 

For, at day set, he on his way is gone + 

Toward Salúce, and lordës many a one + 

In rich array, this maiden for to guide⁠— + 

Her youngë brother riding her beside. + 

Arrayed was toward her marriáge + 

This freshë maiden, full of gemmës clear; + 

Her brother, which that seven year was of age, + 

Arrayed eke full fresh in his mannére: + 

And thus, in great nobléss, and with glad cheer, + 

Toward Saluces shaping their journéy, + 

From day to day they rode upon their way. + 