“The remnant of your jewels ready be Within your chamber, I can safely say. With nothing from my father’s house,” quoth she, “I came, with nothing I shall go away. In all things as you bid I will obey; But yet I hope you will not let me go Quite as bereft as when I came to you.” A faint sparkle of human spirit comes into her entreaty--“Ye could not do so dishonest (shameful) a thing:”-- Remembre yow, myn oughne lord so deere, own I was your wyf, though I unworthy were. Wherfor, in guerdoun of my maydenhede, girlhood Which that I brought, and not agayn I bere, carry away As vouchethsauf as yeve me to my meede vouchsafe, reward But such a smok as I was wont to were. smock, wear “Remember yet, my lord and husband dear, I was your wife, though I unworthy were! “Thus, in requital of the youth I brought, But never can take back, nor have it more, Give me, I pray, a garment of such sort As in those days of poverty I wore.” Walter accepts this humble claim; mark the calm dignity with which she refrains from giving way before her ‘folk.’ The smok,[154] quod he, that thou hast on thy bak, smock Let it be stille, and ber it forth with the. But wel unnethes thilke word he spak, scarcely, this But went his way for routhe and for pité. compassion Byforn the folk hirselven strippith sche, herself And in hir smok, with heed and foot al bare, head and feet Toward hir fader house forth is she fare. went The folk hir folwen wepyng in hir weye, follow her And fortune ay thay cursen as thay goon; curse But she fro wepyng kept hir eyen dreye, dry Ne in this tyme word ne spak sche noon. none Hir fader, that this tyding herd anoon, Cursede the day and tyme that nature Schoop him to ben a lyves creäture. formed, living For oute of doute this olde pore man Was ever in suspect of hir mariage; suspicion For ever he deemede, sith that it bigan, believed That whan the lord fulfilled had his corrage, impulse Him wolde thinke that it were disparage disparagement To his estate, so lowe for to lighte, And voyden hire as sone as ever he mighte. put her away Agayns his doughter hastily goth he goeth (For he by noyse of folk knew hir comyng), And with hir olde cote, as it might be, coat He covered hir, ful sorwfully wepynge, sorrowfully But on hir body might he it nought bringe, For rude was the cloth, and mor of age, coarse, more By dayes fele than at hir mariage. many (_viel_)