Franklin’s Tale Marriage Quotes

And for to lede the moore in blisse hir lyves,
Of his free wyl he swoor hire as a knyght
That nevere in al his lyf he, day ne nyght,
Ne sholde upon hym take no maistrie
Agayn hir wyl, ne kithe hire jalousie,
But hire obeye, and folwe hir wyl in al,
As any lovere to his lady shal,
Save that the name of soveraynetee,
That wolde he have for shame of his degree.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. Arveragus swears to Dorigen that in their marriage he will not take upon himself any mastery against her will, nor show her any jealousy. But he promises to obey her and follow her will in everything, as any lover to his lady should. The one exception he makes is that he will maintain the appearance of sovereignty to avoid bringing shame on his status as a knight.

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.
Lovers must each be ready to obey The other, if they would long keep company - Geoffrey Chaucer quote

Freendes everych oother moot obeye,
If they wol longe holden compaignye.
Modern English:
Lovers must each be ready to obey
The other, if they would long keep company.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. In his sermon on marriage, the Franklin talks about the balance of power within a relationship. To make it endure, a couple must be prepared to obey each other, as opposed to one domineering over the other. He is commenting on Arveragus and Dorigen’s relationship, a marriage of equals and partners.
Geoffrey Chaucer love quote from The Canterbury Tales

Love wol nat been constreyned by maistrye.
Whan maistrie comth, the God of Love anon
Beteth his wynges, and farewel, he is gon!
Modern English:
Love will not be constrained by mastery;
When mastery ‘comes, the god of love anon
Beats his fair wings, and farewell! He is gone!

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. The Franklin emphasises that when one person tries to dominate in a marriage, the god of love beats his wings and he flies out the door. Equality is essential for a marriage to work – like the marriage of Dorigen and Arveragus, which is based on equality with neither having mastery over the other.
Love is a thing as free as any spirit - Geoffrey Chaucer quote

Love is a thyng as any spirit free.
Wommen, of kynde desiren libertee,
And nat to been constreyned as a thral;
And so doon men, if I sooth seyen shal.
Modern English:
Love is a thing as free as any spirit;
women naturally desire liberty,
and not to be constrained like slaves;
and so, do men, if I shall tell the truth.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. The Franklin presents us with a much more positive and less cynical view of marriage than the Wife of Bath. He says love is something as free as any spirit and women and men by nature desire freedom and not to be enslaved. This is reflected in the partnership of knight Arveragus and his lady Dorigen.

Pacience is an heigh vertu, certeyn,
For it venquysseth, as thise clerkes seyn,
Thynges that rigour sholde nevere atteyne.
For every word men may nat chide or pleyne.
Lerneth to suffre, or elles, so moot I goon,
Ye shul it lerne, wher so ye wole or noon.
For in this world, certein, ther no wight is
That he ne dooth or seith somtyme amys.
Ire, siknesse, or constellacioun,
Wyn, wo, or chaungynge of complexioun
Causeth ful ofte to doon amys or speken.
On every wrong a man may nat be wreken.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Franklin’s Tale. This long lyrical passage on the virtue of patience is the Franklin’s guide to living happily ever after for newly married couples like Dorigen and her knight Arveragus. A person should learn forebearance against annoyances and wrongs, that way they can get past any hurts done to them without having to seek revenge, advises the Franklin.
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