The Merchant's Tale
Folio 112v
21 of 26 folios
But oonly / for the loue / I had to thee
And though þt I be oold / and may nat see
925
Beth to me trewe / and I shal telle yow why ;
Thre thynges / certes / shal ye wynne ther by
First loue of Crist / and to your self honour
And al myn heritage / toun and tour
I yeue it yow / maketh chartres as yow leste
930
This shal be doon tomorwe er sonne reste
So wisly / god my soule brynge in blisse
I prey yow first / in couenat ye me kisse
And thougħ þt I be Ialous wyte me nogħt /
Ye been so depe / enpernted in my thogħt
935
That whan I considere youre beautee
And ther with al / the vnlikly elde of me
I may nat certes / thougħ I sholde dye
Forbere / to been out of youre compaignye
For verray loue / this is with outen doute
940
Now kys me wyf and lat vs rome aboute
¶ This fressħe May / whan she thise wordes herde
Benyngnely / to Ianuarie answerde
But first and forward / she bigan to wepe
I haue quod she / a soule for to kepe
945
As wel as ye / and also myn honour
And of my wyfhod / thilke tendre flour
Which þt I haue / assured in your hond
Whan þt the preest to yow my body bond
Wherfore / I wole answere / in this manere
950
By the leue of yow / my lord so deere
I prey to god / þt neuere dawe the day
That I ne sterue / as foule as wōman may
If euere I do / vn to my kyn that shame
Or elles / I empeyre so my name
955
That I be fals / and if I do that lakke
Do strepe me / and put me in a sakke
And in the nexte ryuer do me drenche
I am a gentil wōman and no wenche
Why speke ye thus / ; but men been euere vntrewe
960
And wōmen / haue repreue of yow ay newe
Ye han noon oother contenance I leeue
But speke to vs / of vntrust and repreeue
¶ And with that word / she saugħ wher Damyan
Sat in the bussħ / and coughen she bigan
965
And with hir fynger / signes made she
That Damyan / sholde clymbe vp on a tree
That charged was wt fruyt and vp he wente
For verraily / he knew al hir entente
And euery signe / þt she koude make
970
Wel bet than Ianuarie / hir owene make