The Merchant's Tale
Folio 116r
14 of 27 folios
880
Whicħ ȝe shuln heren / if ȝe wiln a bide
¶ O noble Ouyde / ful sotħ seist þu god wot
What sleithe is it / thougħ it be long and hot
That loue nyl fynde it out / in som manere
By Priamus and Tisbe / may ȝe heereleerehleere
885
Thougħ they were kept ful longe / and streite oueralle
They ben accorded / rounyng thurgħ a walle
There no wygħt coude han founde out / swicħ a sleigħt
But now to purpos / or that dayes eigħt
Were passed / er that the monthe of Iuƚƚ / byfelle
890
That Ianuarie hatħ caugħt / so gret a wylle
Thurgħ eggyng of his wyf / hī for to pley
In his gardeyn / and no wygħt but they twey
That in a morwe / vn to this May seitħ he
Ryse vp my wyf / my loue / my lady free
895
The turtles voys is herd / my dowe so swete
The wynter is gon / witħ hise reynes wete
Come fortħ now / witħ thyne eyne Colūbyne
How meche fairere / ben thyne brestes / than is wyne
The gardeyn is enclosed / al a boute
900
Come fortħ my swete spouse / for out of doute
Thow hast me wounded / in myn hert / O wyf
No spot ne knowe I in the / in al my lyf
Come fortħ / and late vs taken / oure disport
I chese the for my wyf / and my comfort
905
Swiche olde / lewede wordes / vsed he
On Damyan / a signe mad she
That he shulde go byforñ / witħ his clyket
This Damyan / than hatħ opened the wyket
And in he stirt / and that in swicħ manere
910
That no wygħt / mygħt hī se / neither heere
And stille he syt / vnder a bussħ a noon
This Ianuarie / as blynd as ony stoñ
Witħ Mayus in his hond / and no wygħt moo
In to this fressħ gardeyn / is a goo
915
And claped to / the wyket / sodeynly
Now wyf qd he / here is but ȝe and I
Thow art the creature / that I best loue
For be that lord / that syt in heuene a boue
Leuere I had to deyen / on a knyf
920
Than the offende / trewe dere wyf
For goddis sake / thynk how I the ches
Nougħt for no coueitise / douteles
But oonly for the loue / I had to the
And thougħ that I be olde / and may nat se