The Merchant's Tale
Folio 145v
26 of 32 folios
I haue quod sche a soule for to kepe
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As wel as ȝe and also myn honour
And of my wifhod þilke tendre flour
Which þat I haue ensured in ȝour hond
Whan þat þe prest to ȝow my body bond
Wherfor I wil answer in þis manere
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By þe leue of ȝow my lord so deere
I pray to god þat neuer dawe þe day
That I ne sterue as foule as wōman may
If euer I do to my kyn þat schame
Or elles I empaire so my name
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That I be fals and if I do þat lak
Doth strepe me and put me in a sak
And in þe nexte ryuer do me drenche
I am a gentil womman and no wenche
Why speke ȝe thus . but men ben euer vntrewe
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And wōmen han reproef of ȝow euer newe
Ȝe haue noon oþer contenaunce I leue /
But speke to vs of vntrust and repreue
And with þat word sche saugh wher damyan
Sat in þe buissh and coughen sche bigan
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And wiþ hir fyngres signes made sche
That damyan schuld clymb vpon a tre
That charged was with fruyt and vp he went
For verrayly he knew al hir entent
And euery signe þat sche couthe make
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Wel bet þan Ianuary hir oughne make
For in a letter sche had told him al
Of þis matier how he worche schal
And þus I lete him sitte vpon þe pirie
And Ianuary and may romynge mirye
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¶ Bright was þe day and bliew þe firmament
Phebus haþ of gold his stremes doū I sent
To gladen euery flour with his warmnesse
He was þat tyme : in gēmes as I gesse /
But litel fro his declinaciou~
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Of Caker Ioues exaltaciou~
And so bifel þat brighte morwen tyde