The Merchant's Tale
Folio 112r
20 of 26 folios
875
By whicħ / in to his gardyn ofte he wente
And Damyan / that knew al hir entente
The cliket countrefeted pryuely
Ther nys namoore to seye / but hastily
Som wonder / by this clyket shal bityde
880
Which ye shul heeren / if ye wole abyde
¶ O noble Ouyde / ful sooth seystou god woot
What sleighte is it thogh it be long and hoot
That he nyl fynde it out / in som manere
By Piramus / and Tesbee / may men leere
885
Thogħ they were kept ful longe streite oueral
They been accorded / rownynge thurgħ a wal
Ther no wigħt / koude han founde out swicħ a sleigħte
¶ But now to purpos / er þt dayes eigħte
Were passed / er the Monthe of Iuyl bifille
890
That Ianuarie / hath caugħt so greet a wille
Thurgh eggyng of his wyf hym for to pleye
In his gardyn / and no wigħt but they tweye
That in a morwe / vn to this May seith he
Rys vp my wyf / my loue / my lady free
895
The turtle voys is herd / my dowue sweete
The wynter is goon / with his reynes weete
Com forth now / with thyne eyen columbyn
How fairer been thy brestes / than is wyn
The gardyn / is enclosed al aboute
900
Com forth my white spouse / out of doute
Thou hast me wounded / in myn herte / o wyf /
No spot of thee / ne knew I al my lyf
Com forth / and lat vs taken som disport
I chees thee / for my wyf and my confort
905
¶ Swiche olde lewed wordes vsed he
On Damyan / a signe made she
That he sholde go biforn / with his cliket
This Damyan thanne / hath opened the wyket
And In he stirte / and that in swich manere
910
That no wigħt mygħte it se / neither yheere
And stille he sit / vnder a bussħ anon
¶ This Ianuarie / as blynd as is a stoon
With Mayus in his hand / and no wigħt mo
In to his fressħe gardyn is ago
915
And clapte to / the wyket sodeynly
¶ Now wyf quod he / heere nys but thou and I
That art the creature / that I best loue
For by that lord / þt sit in heuene aboue
Leuere ich hadde / to dyen on a knyf
920
Than thee offende / trewe deere wyf
For goddes sake / thenk / how I thee chees
Noght for no coueitise doutelees