L’Envoy of Chaucer + 

“Griseld’ is dead, and eke her patience, + 

And both at once are buried in Itále: + 

For which I cry in open audience, + 

No wedded man so hardy be t’ assail + 

His wifë’s patience, in trust to find + 

Griselda’s, for in certain he shall fail. + 

“O noble wivës, full of high prudence, + 

Let no humility your tonguës nail: + 

Nor let no clerk have cause or diligence + 

To write of you a story of such marvail, + 

As of Griselda patient and kind, + 

Lest Chichëvache you swallow in her entrail. + 

“Follow Echo, that holdeth no silence, + 

But ever answereth at the countertail; + 

Be not bedaffed for your innocence, + 

But sharply take on you the governail; + 

Imprintë well this lesson in your mind, + 

For common profit, since it may avail. + 

“Ye archiwivës, stand aye at defence, + 

Since ye be strong as is a great camail, + 

Nor suffer not that men do you offence. + 

And slender wivës, feeble in battail, + 

Be eager as a tiger yond in Ind; + 

Aye clapping as a mill, I you counsail. + 

“Nor dread them not, nor do them reverence; + 

For though thine husband armed be in mail, + 

The arrows of thy crabbed eloquence + 

Shall pierce his breast, and eke his aventail; + 

In jealousy I rede eke thou him bind, + 

And thou shalt make him couch as doth a quail. + 

“If thou be fair, where folk be in presénce + 

Shew thou thy visage and thine apparail: + 

If thou be foul, be free of thy dispence; + 

To get thee friendës aye do thy travail: + 

Be aye of cheer as light as leaf on lind, + 

And let him care, and weep, and wring, and wail.” + 