That been the boundes of West Lumbardye,
And of Mount Vesulus in special,

Where as the Poo out of a welle smal
Taketh his firste spryngyng and his sours,
That estward ay encresseth in his cours
To Emeleward,2 to Ferrare and Venyse, -
The which a longe thyng were to devyse,
And trewely, as to my juggement,

Me thynketh it a thyng impertinent, 12,390
Save that he wole convoyen his mateere ;*
But this his tale which that ye may heere."

Heere bigynneth The Tale of the Clerk of Oxen ford.

FIRST PART.

Ther is, at the West syde of Ytaille, Doun at the roote of Vesulus the colde,

A lusty playne, habundant of vitaille,

Where many a tour and toun thou mayst biholde

That founded were in tyme of fadres olde,
And many another delitable sighte,

And Saluces this noble contree highte.

1 Monte Viso; Virgil's "pine-clad Vesulus." (Eneid, x. 708.) Towards the Emilian road in Northern Italy. 8 Give the infor mation. The story was an old one, that Boccaccio had inserted in the Decamerone, as a happy conclusion of the series. Petrarch earned it by heart to repeat it to his friends, and he may have told it to Chaucer. In 1373, he made a Latin version for the benefit of hose who did not read Italian, and this is the one that Chaucer fol owed

YOUNG LORD WALTER.

511

A markys whilom lord was of that lond, 12,400 As were hise worthy eldres hym bifore,

And obeisant and redy to his hond

Were alle hise liges, bothe lasse and moore.
Thus in delit he lyveth, and hath doon yoore,
Biloved and drad, thurgh favour of Fortune,
Bothe of hise lordes and of his commune.1
Therwith he was, to speke as of lynage,
The gentilleste yborn of Lumbardye;
A faire persone, and strong, and yong of age,
And ful of honour and of curteisye;

12,410

Discreet ynogh his contree for to gye,2-
Save in somme thynges that he was to blame,
And Walter was this yonge lordes name.

8

I blame him thus, that he considereth noght In tyme comynge what hym myghte bityde; But in his lust present was al his thoght, As for to hauke and hunte on every syde, Wel alle othere cures leet he slyde; ny And eek he nolde, and that was worst of alle, Wedde no wyf for noght that may bifalle. 12,420 Oonly that point his peple bar so soore (7961 T.) That flokmeele on a day they to hym wente, And oon of hem that wisest was of loore, Or elles that the lord best wolde assente That he sholde telle hym what his peple mente, Or elles koude he showe wel swich mateere, He to the markys seyde as ye shul heere:

-

1 Commons. Guide. An "Americanism." Together, the posite of piecemeal.

66

12,430

"O noble markys, youre humanitee Asseureth us and geveth us 1 hardinesse As ofte as tyme is of necessitee That we to yow mowe telle oure hevynesse. Accepteth, lord, now for youre gentillesse, That we with pitous herte un-to yow pleyne, And lat youre eres nat my voys desdeyne, Al2 have I noght to doone in this mateere Moore than another man hath in this place, Yet for as muche as ye, my lord so deere, Han alwey shewed me favour and grace, I dar the bettre aske of yow a space Of audience, to shewen oure requeste, And ye, my lord, to doon right as yow leste; For certes, lord, so wel us liketh yow

12,440

And al youre werk, and evere han doon, that we

Ne koude nat us-self devysen how

We myghte lyven in moore felicitee,

Save o thyng, lord, if it youre wille be,
That for to been a wedded man yow leste,

Thanne were youre peple in sovereyn hertes

reste.

12,450

Boweth youre nekke under that blisful yok
Of soveraynetee, noght of servyse,
Which that men clepeth spousaille or wedlok,
And thenketh, lord, among youre thoghtes wyse,
How that oure dayes passe in sondry wyse,
For thogh we slepe, or wake, or rome, or ryde
Ay fleeth the tyme, it nyl no man abyde ;

1 Elles. MS. has "to geve us." Although.

"TAAK A WYF."

And thogh youre grene youthe floure as yit,
In crepeth age alwey, as stille as stoon,
And Deeth manaceth every age and smyt
In ech estaat, for ther escapeth noon;

513

And al so certein as we knowe echoon 12,46c
That we shul deye, as uncerteyn we alle
Been of that day whan deeth shal on us falle.

66

Accepteth thanne of us the trewe entente That nevere yet refuseden thyn heeste,1 And we wol, lord, if that ye wole assente, Chese yow a wyf in a short tyme atte leeste, Born of the gentilleste and of the meeste2 Of al this land, so that it oghte seme (8008 T.) Honour to God and yow, as we kan deeme. Delivere us out of al this bisy drede, And taak a wyf, for hye Goddes sake, For if it so bifelle, as God forbede !

12,470

That thurgh youre deeth youre lyne sholde

slake,

And that a straunge successour sholde take
Youre heritage, O, wo, were us alyve!
Wherfore we pray you hastily to wyve."

Hir meeke preyere, and hir pitous cheere,
Made the markys herte han pitee.

"Ye wol," quod he, "myn owene peple deere,
To that I nevere erst thoughte streyne3 me.
I me rejoysed of my libertee,

That seelde tyme is founde in mariage;
Ther I was free, I moot been in servage;

1 Bidding. 2 Most, i. e., highest. 3 Constrain.

12,481

But nathelees, I se youre trewe entente,

And trust upon youre wit, and have doon ay ;
Wherfore, of my free wyl, I wole assente
To wedde me as soone as evere I may.
But ther as ye han profred me this day
To chese me a wyf, I yow relesse
That choys, and prey you of that profre cesse,
For, God it woot, that children ofte been

Unlyk hir worthy eldres hem bifore;

12,489

Bountee1 comth al of God, nat of the streen❜
Of which they been engendred and ybore.
I truste in Goddes bontee,1 and therfore
My mariage, and myn estaat and reste,
I hym bitake, he may doon as hym leste.
Lat me allone in chesynge of my wyf.
That charge up-on my bak I wole endure;
But I yow preye, and charge up-on youre lyf,
That' what wyf that I take, ye me assure 12,501
To worshipe hire, whil that hir lyf may dure,
In word and werk, bothe heere and every.
wheere,

As she an emperoures doghter weere ;

And forthermoore, this shal ye swere, that ye Agayn my choys shul neither grucche ne stryve; For sith I shal forgoon my libertee (8047 T.) At youre requeste, as evere moot I thryve! Ther as myn herte is set, ther wol I wyve; And, but ye wole assente in this manere, 12,516 I prey yow speketh namoore of this matere."

1 Goodness. Strain, stock. Commit. Not in Elles. MS.