The Merchant's Tale
Folio 149r
23 of 30 folios
The Clyket countrefeted pryuely
Ther nys namoore to seye / but hastily
Som wonder / by this Cliket shal bityde
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Which ye shal heren / if ye wol abyde
¶ O noble Ouyde / wel sooth seistow god woot
What sleighte is it thogh it be long and hoot
That he nel fynde it out in som manere
By Pyramë and Thesbe / may men lere
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Thogh they were kept ful longe / streyte ouer al
They been acorded / rownyng thurgh a wal
Ther no wight koude / han founde out swich a sleighte
But now to purpos / er that dayes eighte
Were passed / er the Monthe of Iuyl bifille
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That Ianuarie / hath caught so greet a wille
Thurgh eggyng of his wyf / hym for to pleye
In his gardyn / and no wight but they tweye
That in a morwe / vn to his May seith he
Rys vp my wyf my loue / my lady free
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The Turtles voys is herd / my dowue swete
The wynter is goon / with reynes wete
Com forth now / with thyne eyen Colūbyn
How fairer been thy brestes / than is wyn
The gardyn / is enclosed al aboute
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Com forth my white spouse / out of doute
Thow hast me wounded in myn herte / O wyf
No spot of thee / ne knew I al my lyf
Com forth / and lat vs taken oure desport
I chees thee / for my wyf and my confort
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¶ Swiche olde lewed wordes / vsed he
On Damyan / a signe made she
That he sholde go biforn / with his Clyket
This Damyan thanne / hath opned the wyket
And in he stirte / and that in swich manere
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That no wight myghte it se / neither yheere
And stille he sit / vnder a bussh anon
¶ This Ianuarie / as blynd as is a stoon
With Mayus in his hand / and no wight mo
Into his fresshe gardyn / is ago
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And clapte to / the wyket sodeynly
Now wyf quod he / here nys but thow and .I.