The Merchant's Tale
Folio 105v
7 of 26 folios
Abouten lordes / of ful heigħ estaat
Yet hadde I neuere / wt noon of hem debaat
I neuere hem contraried trewely
I woot wel / that my lord kan moore than I
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What that he seith / I holde it ferme and stable
I seye the same / or elles thyng semblable
A ful greet fool / is any conseillor
That serueth any lord / of heigh honor
That dar persume / or elles thenken it
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That his conseil / sholde passe his lordes wit
Nay / lordes been no fooles by my fay
Ye han your seluen / seyd heer to day
So heigh sentence / so holily and weel
That I consente / and conferme euerydeel
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Youre wordes alle / and youre opiniou
By god / ther nys no man / in al this toun
Nyn ytaille / that koude bet han sayd
Crist halt hym / of this conseil ful wel apayd
And trewely / it is an heigħ corage
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Of any man / that stapen is in age
To take a yong wyf by my fader kyn
Your herte hangeth / on a ioly pyn
Dooth now in this matiere / rigħt as yow leste
For finally / I holde it for the beste
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Iustinus / þt ay stille sat and herde
Rigħt in this wise / he to Placebo answerde
Now brother myn / be pacient I preye
Syn ye han seyd / and herkneth what I seye
¶ Senek among hise othere wordes wyse
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Seith / þt a man oghte hym rigħt wel auyse
To whom / he yeueth his lond / or his catel
And syn I ogħte / auyse me rigħt wel
To whom I yeue my good / awey fro me
Wel muchel moore / I ogħte auysed be
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To whom I yeue my body / for alwey
I warne yow wel / it is no childes pley
To take a wyf with outen auysement
Men moste enquere / this is myn assent
Wher she be wys / or sobre / or dronkelewe
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Or proud / or elles oother weys a shrewe
A chidester / or wastour of thy good
Or riche / or poore / or elles mannyssħ wood
Al be it so / that no man fynden shal
Noon in this world / that trotteth hool in al
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Ne man ne beest which as men koude deuyse
But nathelees / it ogħte ynougħ suffise
With any wyf if so were that she hadde
Mo goode thewes / than hir vices badde