| | Aftir that the erthe yaf hem haboundaunce | |
| | Among these poure men ther duellid a man | |
| 205 | Whiche was y holde pourest of alle | |
| | But high god somtyme sende can | |
| | In to a litil oxes stalle | |
| | Ianycola men of that throwpe hym calle | |
| | A doughter hadde he fair ynough to sight | |
| 210 | And Grisilde this yonge maiden hight | |
| | Forto speke of vertu and of honest beaute | |
| | Than was she on of the fairest vnder sonne | |
| | And ful pouerly y fostrid vp was she | |
| | No licorous lust was thorou her hert y ronne | |
| 215 | But ofter of the welle than of the wyn tonne | |
| | She drank and for she wolde vertu plese | |
| | Hit was hir lust and hir most ese | |
| | But though this mayde so tendir were of age | |
| | Yet in the brest of hir virginite | |
| 220 | Ther was y closid ripe and sad corage | |
| | And in gret reuerence and charite | |
| | Her olde poure fader fostrid she | |
| | A fewe sheep spynnynge on feld she kepte | |
| | She wolde not be ydil til she slepte | |
| 225 | And whan she homward com she wolde brynge | |
| | Wortis or othir herbis tymes ofte | |
| | The whiche she setheth for hir lyuynge | |
| | And made her bed harde and nothyng softe | |
| | And ay she kepte her fadres lif on lofte | |
| 230 | With obeysaunce and diligence | |
| | That childe mighte do to the fadris reuerence | |
