The Merchant's Tale
Folio 135r
5 of 32 folios
Of worldly folk holden þe righte weye
Thay ben so knyt þer may noon harm bytyde
And nameliche vpon þe wyues syde
For which þis Ianuary of which I tolde
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Considered hath Inwith his dayes olde /
The lusty lif þe vertuous quiete
That is in mariage hony swete
¶ And for his frendes on a day he sent
To tellen hem theffect of his entent
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Wiþ face sad . he hath hem this tale told
He sayde frendes I am hoor and old
And almoost god woot at my pittes brinke
Vp my soule som what most I þynke
I haue my body folily dispendid
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Blessed be god þat I schal be amendid
For I wil be certeyn a weddid man
And þat anoon in al þe hast I can
Vnto som mayde fair and tender of age /
I pray ȝow helpith for my mariage
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Al sodeynly for I wil not abyde
I wil fonde tespien on my syde /
To whom I may be weddid hastily
But for als moche as ȝe ben mo þan I .
Ȝe schul rather such a þing aspien
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Þan I and wher me lust best to allien
But oo þing warne I ȝow my frendes deere
I wil noon old wyf haue in no manere
Sche schal not passe sixtene ȝer certayn
Old fleisch and ȝong fleisch þat wold I haue ful fayn
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Bet is quod he a pyk þan a pikereƚƚ
And bet þan olde boef is tendre vel
I wil no wōman twenty ȝer of age
It nys but bene straw and gret forage
And eek þese olde widewes god it woot
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Thay can so moche craft of wades boot
So moche broken harm whan þat hem list
That wiþ hem schuld I neuer lyuen in rest
For sondry scolis maken subtil clerkes