The Merchant's Tale
Folio 116v
15 of 27 folios
925
Betħ to me trewe / and I wyl telle ȝow why
Thre thynges certes / shuln ȝe wynne ther by
First / loue of Crist / and to ȝoure self / honour
And al myn heritage / bothe toun and tour
I ȝeue it ȝow / maketħ chartres as ȝow list
930
This shal be doū / to morwe or the Sonne rist
So wysly god my soule / brynge in to blisse
I preye ȝow first / in couenaunt ȝe me kisse
And thougħ I be ielous / wyte me nougħt
Ȝe ben so depe / enprented in my thougħt
935
That whan I considre / ȝoure beaute
And ther witħ al / the vnlikly age of me
I may nougħt certes / thougħ I shulde deye
For bere to ben / out of ȝoure companye
For verray loue / this is witħ outen doute
940
Now kisse me wyf / and late vs rome aboute
¶ This fresshe May / whan she theise wordes herd
Benygnely / to Ianuarie she answerd
But first and forward / she bygan to wepe
I haue qd she / god wot / a soule to kepe
945
As wel as ȝe / and also myn honour
And of my wyfhod / thilke tendre flour
Whicħ that I haue assured / in ȝoure hond
Whan that the Prest / to ȝow my body bond
Wherfore I wyl answere / in this manere
950
By the leue of ȝow / that ben my lord so dere
I preye to god / that neuere dawe the day
That I ne sterue / as foule as wōman may
If euere I do / vn to my kyn / that shame
Or ellis if that I / enpeire so my name
955
That I be fals / and if I do that lak
Do stripe me / and put me in a sak
And in the nexte Ryuer / do me drenche
I am a gentil wōman / and no wenche
Why speke ȝe thus / but men ben euere vntrewe
960
And wōmen han of ȝow / repref ay newe
Ȝe come noon other countenaunce / I leue
But speke to vs / as of vntrust and repreue
And witħ that word / she saw where Damyan
Sat in the Bussħ / and cougħe she bygan
965
And witħ hire fynger / a signe mad she
That Damyan shulde/ clymbe vp oon a tree
That charged was / witħ fruyt / and vp he went
For verraily he knew / al hire entent
And euery signe / that she coude make