58.

59.

60.

61.

When that this child had souked * but a throw,
This marquis in his herte longeth so

To tempt his wife, her sadness for to know,
That he ne might out of his herte throw
This marvellous desire his wife to assay:
Needless, God wot, he thought her to affray.
He had assayed her enough before,
And found her ever good. What needeth it
Her for to tempt, and alway more and more?
Though some men praise it for a subtle wit;
But as for me, I say that evil it sit

To assay a wife, when that it is no need,
And putten her in anguish and in dread.

For which this marquis wrought in this mannere;
He came alone anight, there as she lay,

With sterne face, and with full trouble cheer,
And saide thus: "Griseld," quoth he, "that day
That I you took out of your poor array
And put you in estate of high noblesse-
Ye have not that forgotten, as I guess.
"I say, Griseld, this present dignity,
In which that I have put you, as I trowe,
Maketh you not forgetful for to be
That I you took in poor estate full low,
For any weal you mote yourselve know,
Take heed of every word that I you say,
There is no wight that heareth it but we tway.
"Ye wot yourself how that ye comen here,

Into this house; it is not long ago;

And though to me that ye be lefe and dear,

Unto my gentils ye be nothing so.

They say, to them it is great shame and wo,

* Souked (A. S. sûgan, sûcan; Ger. saugen; Lat. sugere, to suck), sucked.-Throw (A. S. thrag, a period of time; or from A. S. thrâwan, to turn, twist, throw), a little while.-Tempt (Lat. tentare), try, test.-Sadness, steadiness, constancy-Assay (Lat. exigere, to drive out, as dross; It. assagiare; Fr. essayer), to try.-Needless, needlessly.-Thought, purposed.—Affray, frighten. See fray, Index.-Sit, becomes. Evil it sit it ill becomes or suits.-Anight, at night. -There as, where.--Trouble (Lat. turbare, to disturb; Fr. troubler; O. Fr. tourbler), troubled.— Cheer, countenance, aspect.—Array, apparel.-Noblesse (Fr.), distinction, nobility. —Mote (A. S. mót, ought; mought; Ger. müssen), must.—Yourselve, yourself.-For any weal, etc., as to any goods that you possessed in your own right.-Tway (Lat. duo, which, by Grimm's law, becomes two; Gr. dvw; A. S. twegen, twâ; Ger. zwei, by Grimm's law), two.--Lefe (A. S. leof, dear), loved. See lever, st. 56.-Gentils (Lat. gentilis), persons of good birth, gentle-folk. See gentilesse, Index.

When that this child had souked but a throw. Thr, as in throw, requiring much effort to articulate, indicates violent motion; as thrush, throb, thrill, thrust, throng. Other instances?

They say to them it is great shame and wo. The sound of sh, at the beginning of a word, being uttered with a forcible expulsion of the breath, and with the teeth set, sometimes expresses great aversion; as in shame, pshaw. Other illustrations?

62.

63.

64.

65.

66.

*

For to ben subject and ben in servage
To thee, that born art of a small linage.

“And, namely, sin thy daughter was ybore,
These wordes han they spoken, doubteless.
But I desire, as I have done before,

To live my life with them in rest and peace;

I may not in this case be reccheles;

I mote do with thy daughter for the best,
Not as I would, but as my people lest.

"And yet, God wot, this is full loth to me;
But, natheless, withouten your wityng
Will I not do; but this will I,” quoth he,
"That ye to me assent as in this thing.
Show now your patience, in your working,
That ye me hight and swore in your village,
That day that maked was our marriage.'

When she had heard all this, she, nought ameeved,
Neither in word, in cheer, or countenance,

(For as it seemed she was nought aggrieved,)
She saide, "Lord, all lieth in your pleasance,
My child and I, with hertly obeisance,

Ben youres all, and ye may save or spill
Your owen thing. Worketh after your will.
"There may no thing, so God my soule save!
Liken to you, that may displeasen me.

Ne I desire nothing for to have,

Ne dreade for to lese, save only ye.

This will is in mine heart, and aye shall be.
No length of time or death may this deface,
Ne change my courage to another place."

Glad was this marquis for her answering,
But yet he feigned as he were not so.
All dreary was his cheer and his looking,

When that he should out of the chamber go.

* Servage, servitude. The ending -age is said to be the Lat. -atium.-Linage (Lat. linum, flax; linea, linen thread, line; Fr. ligne), family. — Sin, since.-Namely, particularly.— Reccheles (A. S. rêcan, to care for; A. S. leas, Ger. los, destitute of; akin to Eng. loose, and lose), without care, reckless.-Lest, please.-Loth, odious, disagreeable.-Witynge, knowledge. See wost, Index.-Patience. Trisyl.-Hight, promised.-Maked (A. S. macian, to make), made. -Marriage. Trisyl.-Ameeved (Lat. movere; Fr. mouvoir, to move), moved. The a prefixed has a strengthening or intensive force. Hertly, hearty. See Index.-Owen (A. S. agan, to possess; Ger. eigen; O. Eng. owen, to possess), possessed, own.-Courage (Fr. courage; Lat. cor, the heart), heart, inclination.-Marquis (Fr. marquis; O. Fr. markis; fr. Ger. mark, a bound, border. Orig. the marquis was an officer appointed to guard the marches or frontiers).

Ben youres all, and ye may save or spill. The sound of sp, as in spill, at the beginning of a word, being made by a forcible puffing out of breath, naturally expresses expulsion; as spit, spout, sputter, speak, spell, spew, spatter. Give other examples.

67.

68.

69.

71.

Soon after this, a furlong way or two,
He privily hath told all his intent
Unto a man, and to his wife him sent.

A manner-sergeant * was this prive man,
The which he faithful often founden had
In thinges great, and eke such folk well can
Don execution in thinges bad.

The lord well knew that he him loved and drad.
And when this sergeant wist his lordes will,
Into the chamber he stalked him full still.

"Madam,” he said, "ye mote forgive it me,
Though I do things to which I am constrained,
Ye ben so wise that full well knowen ye
That lordes hestes may not ben yfeigned.
They may well be bewailed and complained,
But men mote need unto her lust obey,
And so will I, there is no more to say.

"This child I am commanded for to take "
And spake no more, but out the child he hent
Despitously, and gan a cheer to make

As though he would have slain it ere he went.
Griseld moot all suffer and all consent;
And as a lamb she sitteth meek and still,
And let this cruel sergeant do his will.

Suspicious was the defame of this man,
Suspect his face, suspect his word also,
Suspect the time in which he this began.
Alas her daughter, that she loved so!
She wend he would have slaien it right tho.
But natheless she neither wept ne siked,
Conforming her to that the marquis liked.

But at the last to speken she began,
And meekely she to the sergeant prayed,

So as he was a worthy gentilman,

That she might kiss her child, ere that it deyd.

* Manner-sergeant, kind of sergeant. Of is understood after manner. See manner-governance, Index.-Prive, private, in private business (Fr. prive; Lat. privatus; private; privare, to separate).-Execution. Five syl.-Drad, dreaded. See Index. Stalked (A. S. stæle, stealc, high; stælcan, stealcian, to go slowly), walked in a stealthy manner.—Hestes (A. S. häs ; fr. hätan, to call; Ger. heiszen), commands.--Yfeigned (Fr. feindre; Lat. fingĕre, to feign), feigned, dissembled; concealed.-Her, their.--Lust, inclination.-Hent (A. S. hendan, to seize; Ice. henda; Gr. Xavdáveiv, to hold; Lat. hend in prehendere, to grasp; Eng. hand), seized.— Despitously (Lat. despicere, to despise ; O. Eng. despitous, malicious), spitefully, maliciously.— Cheer, appearance, face.-Moot, must.-Defame, ill repute.-Slaien (A. S. slahan, slagan, to strike, slay; Ger. schlagen; Ice. sla), slain. Dissyl.-Tho, then. Siked (A. S. sican; Ger. seufzen, to sigh), sighed.--Speken, speak.-Meekely. Trisyl.-Sergeant (Fr. sergent, fr. Lat. serviens, servient-is, pres. particip. of servire, to serve), a high officer, attending on the king; a sergeant-at-arms.-Deyd (0. Fries. and Ice. deya, to die), died.

772.

773.

774.

775.

And in her barm* this little child she leid
With full sad face, and gan the child to bless,
And lulled it, and after gan it kiss.

And thus she said in her benigne voice :
"Farewell, my child, I shall thee never see!
But sith I have thee marked with the crois,
Of thilke father blessed mote thou be,
That for us died upon a cross of tree :
Thy soule, little child, I him betake,
For this night shalt thou dien for my sake."
I trow that to a norice in this case

It had been hard this routhe for to see:
Well might a mother then have cried,
But natheless so sad steadfast was she
That she endured all adversity,

And to the sergeant meekely she said,

"Alas!"

"Have here again your little younge maid.

"Goth now," quoth she, "and doth my lordes hest.

And one thing would I pray you of your grace,

But if my lord forbade you, at the lest,
Burieth this little body in some place,

That beastes ne no briddes it to-race.'
But he no word will to the purpose say,
But took the child and went upon his way.
This sergeant came unto his lord again,
And of Griseldes wordes and her cheer

He told him point for point, in short and plain,
And him presented with his daughter dear.
Somewhat this lord had ruth in his mannere;
But natheless his purpose held he still,

As lordes don, when they will have their will;

* Barm (A. S. beorma, bearm; Ger. barme; fr. A. S. beoran, beran, to bear: fr. Lat. Jerre, by Grimm's law; Gr. þépeiv), bosom, lap.-Leid (A. S. lecgan; O. Eng. leggen; Lat. leg-ĕre, to lay), laid.-Lulled (Lat. lallare, to sing lalla, or lullaby; Ger. lallen), soothed, quieted.-Crois (0. Fr. crois; Lat. crux, cross), cross.-Mote, must.-Him betake, entrust to him.-Trow, believe. See Index.-Norice (A. S., fr. Fr. nourrice; Lat. nutrix, nurse, fr. nutrire, to nourish), nurse.— Routhe (A. S. hreow, grief), ruth, grief. See ruth, Index.--Goth (impera. plu. for sing.), go.Hest, command. See hestes, Index.-But if, unless.--Lest (A. S. lytel, little ; lassa, less ; last, lasest, least), least. At least, unless my lord forbade you.--Ne, nor.-Burieth. Impera.-Briddes (A. S. bird or brid, fr. bredan, to nourish), birds.-To-race (Gr. pákos, a rag; þýyvvμi, to tear, to break; Lat. f-reg-i, fr. frango, whence, by Grimm's law, break), to rags, in pieces.

And in her barm this little child she leid. The sound of i, in little, being very minute, is excellently adapted by nature to express diminutives. Hence the great majority of diminutives have this sound prominent. The effect is heightened in little by the sound of 7, which, itself, often has a diminutive force. Pill, little, nit, flit, whittle, giggle, illustrate this principle, which is of very extensive application. See the word diminutive, in the Index.

Well might a mother then have cried, "Alas!" The sound of m, in mother, is very easily made by infants. Hence it is used to express the mother or nurse. E. g., Heb. em, mother; Eng. ma, mamma; Ger. amme, nurse. Other examples of this and the preceding?

And bade the sergeant that he privily
Shoulde this childe softe wind and wrap
With alle circumstances tenderly,

And carry it in a coffer,* or in his lap;
But, upon peyne his head off for to swap,
That no man shoulde know of his intent,
Ne whence he came, ne whither that he went;
But at Boloygne, to his suster dear,
That thilke time of Panic was countess,

He should it take and show her this matiere,
Beseeching her to don her business

This child to foster in all gentleness;

And whose child that it was, he bade her hide
From every wight, for aught that might betide.
The sergeant goeth and hath fulfilled this thing;
But to the marquis now returne we;

For now goeth he full fast imagining,

If by his wifes cheer he mighte see,

Or by her wordes apperceive that she
Were changed; but he never could her find
But ever in one ylike sad and kind.

As glad, as humble, as busy in service,
And eke in love as she was wont to be,
Was she to him, in every manner wise;
Ne of her daughter not a word spake she ;
Non accident for non adversity

Was seen in her, ne never her daughter name
Ne nempyned she in earnest ne in game.

In this estate there passed -ben four year
Ere she with childe was; but, as God wold,

A knave child she bare by this Waltier,

* Coffer (Gr. kópios, a basket; Ger. and Dan. koffer), a chest, trunk.-Peyne (Gr. πowý; Lat. pœna, penalty; A. S. pin; Ger. pein; O. Eng. peyne, paine), penalty, pain.-Swap (Ger. schwappen, to strike; whence swop,' to strike a bargain, to barter), to strike.-Boloygne (Lat. Bononia; Fr. Bologne; Ital. Bologna), a famous city of Italy, S.S.W. of Venice, N.N.W. of Rome, capital of the province of Bologna. Its population is about 90,000.-Suster (A. S. sweoster, swyster, suster; Ger. schwester; Lat. soror), sister.-Don, etc. (A. S. don, to do), to make it her business, take pains.-Wifes (A. S. wif; Ger. weib), wife's.—Apperceive (Fr. appercevoir ; Lat. ad, percipere, fr. per, through, thoroughly, wholly, and capĕre, to take), perceive.--Ever in one, continually.--Ylike (A. S. gelic, fr. ge-, intensive, very, and -lic, like), alike.--Non, no.--Every manner wise every way.-Nempyned (A. S. nemnan, namian, to name; Lat. nominare; Gr. ỏvoμášw; Ger. nennen; fr. root no or gno, by Grimm's law, Eng. kno-w; Sans. naman), named.—Game (A. S. gamen, game; fr. gamian, to play), sport.-Year, years.—Wold, would, willed. See wolde, Index.-Knave, boy.-Daughter name, in st. 79, must be considered equivalent to daughter's name. Daughter is A. S. dohtor; Ger. tochter; Gr. Ovyáτnp.

Shoulde this childe softe wind and wrap. The sound of wr in wrap, denotes twisting or distorted motion; as in wrest, wring, wrong, wriggle, wrap, wreck, wrangle, wrench, wrist, wrestle, wreck, wrath, writhe, wry. Give other illustrations of this.