“Madame, say to your lord Arviragus, That since I see the greatë gentleness Of him, and eke I see well your distress, That him were lever have shame (and that were ruth ) Than ye to me should breakë thus your truth, I had well lever aye to suffer woe, Than to depart the love betwixt you two. I you release, Madame, into your hond, Quit ev’ry surëment and ev’ry bond, That ye have made to me as herebeforn, Since thilkë timë that ye werë born. Have here my truth, I shall you ne’er repreve Of no behest; and here I take my leave, As of the truest and the bestë wife That ever yet I knew in all my life. But every wife beware of her behest; On Dorigen remember at the least. Thus can a squiër do a gentle deed, As well as can a knight, withoutë drede.”
She thanked him upon her kneës bare, And home unto her husband is she fare, And told him all, as ye have heardë said; And, trustë me, he was so well apaid, That it were impossíble me to write. Why should I longer of this case indite? Arviragus and Dorigen his wife In sov’reign blissë leddë forth their life; Ne’er after was there anger them between; He cherish’d her as though she were a queen, And she was to him true for evermore; Of these two folk ye get of me no more.
Aurelius, that his cost had all forlorn, Cursed the time that ever he was born. “Alas!” quoth he, “alas that I behight Of pured gold a thousand pound of weight To this philosopher! how shall I do? I see no more, but