The Merchant's Prologue
Folio 107v
1 of 1 folios
25
Ne drede hem nat do hem no reuerence
For thogh thyn husbond armed be in mayle
The arwes of thi crabbed eloquence
Shal peerce his brest and ek his auentaille
In gelousye y rede ek thow him bynde
30
And thou shalt make him couche as doth a quayle
If thow be fair the folk ben in persence
Shew thou thi visage and thin apparaille
If thou be foul be fre of thi despence
To gete the frendes ay do thi trauaille .
35
Be ay of cheer as lyght as leue on lynde
And lat him care and wepe and wrynge and waille
Here bigynneth the prologe of the Marchauntz tale
Wepyng and waillyng care and other sorwe
I know ynow on euen and on morwe
Quod the Marchant and so dooth other mo
That wedded ben I trowe that it be so
5
For wel y wote it fareth so wyth me
I haue a wif the worst that may be
For thogh the fende to hir coupled were
She wold him ouer macche y dar wel swere
What shold I yow reherce in special
10
Hir malice she is a shrew at alle
Ther is a longe a large difference
Bitwix Grisildis gret pacience
And of my wif the passyng cruwelte
Were I vnbounden also mote I the
15
I wolde neuer eft come in the snare
We wedded men leuen in sorwe and care
Assay who so wol and he shal fynde
That I sey soth bi seynt Thomas of ynde
As for the more part I sey nat alle
20
God shilde that it shold so bifalle
¶ A good sire hoost I haue wedded be
This monthes two and more nat parde
And yet I trow he that al his lyue