From Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", The Clerk's Tale, lines 862-896

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From The Clerk's Tale, lines 813-861:
Griselda consents once again and shows the ultimate submissiveness

From The Canterbury Tales:
The Clerk's Tale
lines 862-896: Griselda asks Walter not to send her away naked

	My lord, ye woot that in my fadres place
	Ye dide me streepe out of my povre weede,
	And richely me cladden of youre grace.
865	To yow broghte I noght elles, out of drede,
	But feith, and nakednesse, and maydenhede.
	And heere agayn my clothyng I restoore,
	And eek my weddyng ryng for everemore.

	My lord, you know that, in my father's place,
	You stripped from me my poor and humble weed
	And clothed me richly, of your noble grace.
865	I brought you nothing else at all indeed,
	Than faith and nakedness and maidenhead.
	And here again my clothing I restore,
	And, too, my wedding-ring, for evermore.

The remenant of youre jueles redy be

870 In-with youre chambre, dar I saufly sayn.

Naked out of my fadres hous," quod she,

"I cam, and naked moot I turne agayn.

Al your plesance wol I folwen fayn,

But yet I hope it be nat your entente

875 That I smoklees out of your paleys wente.

The rest of all your jewels, they will be

870 Within your chamber, as I dare maintain;

Naked out of my father's house," said she,

"I came, and naked I return again.

To follow aye your pleasure I am fain,

But yet I hope it is not your intent

875 That smockless from your palace I be sent.

Ye koude nat doon so dishonest a thyng,

That thilke wombe in which your children leye,

Sholde biforn the peple in my walkyng

Be seyn al bare; wherfore I yow preye,

880 Lat me nat lyk a worm go by the weye!

Remembre yow, myn owene lord so deere,

I was your wyf, though I unworthy weere.

You could not do so base and shameful thing

That the same womb in which your children lay

Should, before all the folk, in my walking,

Be seen all bare; and therefore do I pray

880 Let me not like a worm go on my way.

Remember that, my own lord, always dear,

I was your wife, though I unworthy were.

Wherfore, in gerdoun of my maydenhede

Which that I broghte, and noght agayn I bere,

885 As voucheth sauf to yeve me to my meede

But swich a smok as I was wont to were,

That I therwith may wrye the wombe of here

That was your wyf. And heer take I my leeve

Of yow, myn owene lord, lest I yow greve."

Wherefore, as reward for my maidenhead,

The which I brought, but shall not with me bear,

885 Let them but give me, for my only meed,

Such a poor smock as I was wont to wear,

That I therewith may hide the womb of her

Who was your wife; and here I take my leave

Of you, my own dear lord, lest you should grieve."

890 "The smok," quod he, "that thou hast on thy bak,

Lat it be stille, and bere it forth with thee."

But wel unnethes thilke word he spak,

But wente his wey for routhe and for pitee.

Biforn the folk hirselven strepeth she,

895 And in hir smok, with heed and foot al bare,

Toward hir fader hous forth is she fare.

890 "The smock," said he, "that you have on your back,

Let it stay there and wear it forth," said he.

But firmness in so saying the man did lack;

But went his way for ruth and for pity.

Before the folk her body then stripped she

895 And in her smock, with head and feet all bare,

Toward her father's hovel did she fare.

Next:
From The Clerk's Tale, lines 897-917:
Griselda returns to her father's house