Franklin’s Tale Loyalty Quotes

She seyde, "Sire, sith of youre gentillesse
Ye profre me to have so large a reyne,
Ne wolde nevere God bitwixe us tweyne,
As in my gilt, were outher werre or stryf.
Sire, I wol be youre humble trewe wyf –
Have heer my trouthe – til that myn herte breste."

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Dorigen pledges to be a humble and true wife to Arveragus until the day that she dies. And she hopes to God that there will never come between them, through her fault, any war or strife. She praises him for his nobility in offering her such freedom from restraint in their marriage.

"Is this youre wyl," quod she, "and sey ye thus?
Nevere erst," quod she, "ne wiste I what ye mente.
But now, Aurelie, I knowe youre entente,
By thilke God that yaf me soule and lyf,
Ne shal I nevere been untrewe wyf
In word ne werk, as fer as I have wit;
I wol been his to whom that I am knyt.
Taak this for fynal answere as of me."

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Dorigen deals with her unwanted admirer, the handsome young squire Aurelius. She states her unequivocal commitment to her chosen role of wife to Arveragus. She tells the lovelorn Aurelius that she will never be an untrue wife in word or deed and he should take that as her final answer.

Looke what day that endelong Britayne
Ye remoeve alle the rokkes, stoon by stoon,
That they ne lette ship ne boot to goon –
I seye, whan ye han maad the coost so clene
Of rokkes that ther nys no stoon ysene,
Thanne wol I love yow best of any man;
Have heer my trouthe, in al that evere I kan.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Dorigen softens the blow of rejection for Aurelius. Wishing to remain loyal to her husband, she sets Aurelius what she believes is an impossible condition, saying that if he fulfils it then she will love him. What he must do is remove all the rocks, stone by stone, from the coast of Brittany – she fears the rocks pose a danger to her husband’s ship on his return home. If Aurelius accomplishes that, then he will receive her love, she pledges, believing this will never happen.

"No, by that Lord," quod she, "that maked me!
For wel I woot that it shal never bityde.
Lat swiche folies out of youre herte slyde.
What deyntee sholde a man han in his lyf
For to go love another mannes wyf,
That hath hir body whan so that hym liketh?"

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. When Aurelius asks Dorigen if there is no other grace in her, she gives a firm and categorical "no" to his love proposal so that no ambiguity remains. She tells him to put such foolishness out of his heart. What pleasure should a man have in his life to go love another man’s wife, she asks?

Fro which t’ escape woot I no socour,
Save oonly deeth or elles dishonour;
Oon of thise two bihoveth me to chese.
But nathelees, yet have I levere to lese
My lif than of my body to have a shame,
Or knowe myselven fals, or lese my name;
And with my deth I may be quyt, ywis.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Never make a promise that you do not intend to keep is the moral of the story for Dorigen. She made a foolish promise to Aurelius that she would love him if he moved all the rocks from the Brittany coast. Now she faces the shame of breaking her word to Aurelius or breaking her pledge of loyalty to husband Arveragus. She contemplates killing herself. Death of dishonor seem the only choices to her.
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