The Merchant's Tale
Folio 262v
4 of 30 folios
135
And ȝit sche wele obeye of curteysye
A wyf is kepere of thȳ husbondrye
Weel may the syke man bewayle & wepe
There as þer is no wif the hous to kepe
I warne the ȝif wisely thow wilt werche
140
Loue wel thȳ wif / as Cryst louede his cherche
If thow louyst thȳ self thow louyst thȳ wyf
No man hatyth his flesch but in his lyf
He fosteryth it & therfore bidde I the
Cheryche thȳ wyf or thow schat neuere the
145
Husbonde or wyf / what so men Iape or pleye
Of wordely folk / holdȳ þe sikere weye
They been so knyt there may non harm be tyde
And namely vp on the wyuys syde
For which this Ianuarye of whiche I tolde
150
Considerede hath with hise dayis olde
The lusty lyf / thevertyvous quiete
That is in maryage hony swete
And for hise frendis on a day he sente
To tellȳ hē teffect of his entente
155
With face sad / his tale he hath hē told
He seyde frendis Iam hor & old
And alwey god wot on myn pittis brȳke
Vp on the soule sūwhat muste I thȳke
I haue myn body folyly dispendit
160
Blyssede be god that it schal ben a mēdit
For I wele been certayn a weddede man
And that a noon / in al the haste I can
Vn to sū mayde fayr & tendere of age
I preye ȝow schapith for myn maryage
165
Al sodeynly for / I nyl nat a byde
And I wele fonde tespie on myn syde
To whō I may been weddit hastyly
But for as meche as ȝe been mo thā I
Ȝe schul rathere swich a thyng espyen
170
Thā I & wheere me best were to allyen
But on thyng werne I ȝow mȳne freendis deere
I wele non old wyf han in no manere _