The Merchant's Tale
Folio 108v
2 of 29 folios
Thow art so mury and ek so percious
105
And so commendid and approued eke
That any man that halt him worth a leke
Vpon his bare knees oghte al his lif
Thanken his god that hym hath sent a wyfe
Or elles prey to god him for to sende
110
A wif to laste vnto his lyues ende
For thanne his lif is set in sykernesse
He may nat be desceyued as I gesse
So that he werche aftyr his wyues reed
Thanne may he boldely kepen vp his heed
115
Thei ben so trew and therwyth so wyse
For which yif thou wolt werche as the wyse
Do alwey so as wommen wole the rede
Lo how that Iacob as this clerkes rede
By good counseil of his Rebekke
120
Boond the kyddes skynne aboute his nekke
For which his fadres benysoun he wan
Lo Iudith as the storie eke telle can
By good counseil she goddes peple kepte
And slow him Olofernes whil he slepte
125
Loo Abigail by good counseil how she
Saued hir husbond Nabal whan that he
Sulde han beslayn and look ester also
By good counseil delyuered out of wo
The peple of god and made him mardochee
130
Of Assuere enhanted for to be
¶ Ther nys no thing in gre superlatif
As seith Senek aboue an humble wif
Suffre thi wyues tonge as Caton bit
She shal comaunde and thow shalt suffren it
135
And yit she wol obeye of curtesy
A wif is keper of thin husbandry
Wel may the seekman bewayle and wepe
There as is no wif the hous to kepe
I warne the yif wysely thow wolt werche
140
¶ Loue wel thi wif as crist loueth his cherche
Yif thow louest thi self thow louest thi wif
No man hateth his flessh but in his lif
He fostred it and therfore bid he thee