The Merchant's Tale
Folio 141r
7 of 30 folios
But þt ye been / so ful of Sapience
That yow ne liketh / for youre heigh prudence
To weyuen / fro the word of Salomon
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This word seyde he / vn to vs euerichon
Werk alle thyng by conseil / thus seyde he
And thanne shaltow nat repenten thee
But thogh þt Salomon / spak swich a word
Myn owene deere brother / and my lord
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So wisly / god my soule brynge at reste
I holde / your owene conseil is the beste
For brother myn / of me tak this motyf
I haue now been / a Court man al my lyf
And god it woot thogh I vnworthy be
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I haue stonden / in ful greet degree
Abouten lordes / in ful greet estat
Yet hadde I neuere / with noon of hem debat
I neuere hem contraryed / trewely
I woot wel / þt my lord kan moore than I
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What that he seith / I holde it ferm and stable
I seye the same / or ellis thyng semblable
A ful greet fool / is any conseillour
That serueth any lord / of heigh honour
That dar persume / or ellis thenken it
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That his conseil / sholde passe his lordes wit
Nay / lordes be no fooles by my fay
Ye han your seluen / shewed heer to day
So heigh sentence / so holily and weel
That I consente / and conferme euery deel
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Youre wordes alle / and youre opynyoun
By god / ther nys no man in al this toun
Ne in ytaille / koude bet han ysayd
Crist halt hym of this conseil / ful wel apayd
And trewely / it is an heigh corage
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Of any man / that stapen is in age
To take a yong wyf / by my fader kyn
Youre herte hangeth / on a iolyf pyn
Dooth now in this matere / right as yow leste
For fynally / I holde it for the beste
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¶ Iustinus / that ay stille sat and herde
Right in this wise / he to Placebo answerde