The Merchant's Tale
Folio 119r
20 of 27 folios
And that thy smok / had leyn vp oon thy brest
Ȝa Sire qd she / ȝe moun seyn as ȝow lest
But Sire / a man / that waketħ out of his slepe
He may nat so sodeynly / take kepe
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Vp oon a thyng / ne seyn it so parfitly
Til that he be a waked / verrayly
Rigħt so a man / þt longe hatħ blynd I be
Ne may nougħt sodeynly / so wel se
First / whan his sigħt is newe comyn a geyn
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As he that hatħ a day / or tweyne seyn
Til that ȝoure sigħt be satled a while
There may ful many a sigħt / ȝow begyle
Betħ war I preye ȝow / for by heuene kyng
Ful many a man wenetħ / to seyn a thyng
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And it is al a nother / than it semetħ
He that mys conceyuetħ / mys demetħ
And witħ that word / she lepe doun fro the tree
This Ianuarie / who is glad but he
He kissitħ hire / and clippetħ hire ful ofte
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And oon hire wombe / he streked hire ful softe
And to his Paleys / hom he hatħ hire ladde
Now goode men / I preye ȝow alle betħ gladde
Thus endetħ heere my tale / of Ianuarie
God blisse vs alle / and oure lady Seynt Marie
¶ Sic definit fabula Mercatoris /