The Merchant's Tale
Folio 263v
6 of 30 folios
And lyuyn in chastite ful holy ly
But siris bi ȝoure leue þt am not I
For god be thākyd I dar make a vaūt
I fele myn lemys starke & suffisaūt
215
To do al that a man bihouyth to
I wot myn self best what I may do
Thow I be hor I fare as doth a tree
That blosmeth er than freut I wexe bee
A blosmy tre is neythir dreye ne ded
220
I fele me nower hor but on myn heed
Myn herte & alle mȳne lymys been as grene
As laurer thourgh þõ ȝeer is ay seene
And syn that ȝe han herd al myn entente
I prey ȝow to mȳ wil ȝe wele assente
225
Dyuers men dyuersly hȳ tolde
Of mariage manye ensaūplis olde
Some blamede it some preysede it certeyn
But at the laste schortely for to seyn
As alday fallyth altercacioū
230
By twyxe fryndys in disputaciou
There fyl a stryf bi twyxen hyse bretheryn two
Of which that on is clepid placebo
Iustinus sothly cleped was that oþer
Placebo seyde o Ianuarye brothir
235
Ful lityl neede / hadde ȝe mȳ lord so deere
Conseyl to axe of ony that is heere
But that ȝe been so ful of sapience
That ȝow ne lykyth for ȝoure hye prudence
To wyue fro the word xx of Salamon
Werke alle thynge by conseyl thus seyth he
And thāne schat þu not repente the
And thow that salamon spak swych a word
Myn owene deere brothir & myn lord
245
So wysely god mȳ soule brȳge at reste
I holde ȝore conseyl is the beste
For brothir myn of me tak this motyf
I haue now been a court man al mȳ lyf