The Merchant's Tale
Folio 109r
3 of 29 folios
Cherissh thi wif or thou shalt neuer thee
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Housbonde and wif what so men iape or pley
Of worldly folk ye holden the syker wey
Thei ben so knet ther may no man betyde
And namely vpon the wyues syde
For which this Ianuarye of whom y tolde
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Considred hath in wyth his dayes olde
The lusty lif the vertuous quyete
That is in mariage hony swete
And for his frendes on a day he sent
To tellen hem theffect of his entent
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¶ Wyth face sad this tale he hath hem tolde
He seyde frendes I am hoor and olde
And almoost god wot on my pittes brynke
Vpon my soule som what most y thynke
I haue my body folily despended
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Blessed be god that I shal ben amended
For I wol be certeyn a wedded man
And that anon in al the hast I can
Vnto som mayde fair and tendre of age .
I pray yow shapeth for my mariage
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Al sodeynly for I wol nat abyde
And I wol fonde tespien on my syde
To whom I may be wedded hastily
But for as moche as ye ben mo than I
Ye shul rather swich think espyen
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Than I and where me best were to allien
But o thing warne I yow my frendes dere
I wole no wif han in no manere
She shal not passe twenty yeer certeyn
Olde fissh and yonge flesshe wold I haue feyn
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Bet is quod he a pike than a pikereƚƚ
And bet than an old beof is the tendre veel
I wol no womman xxx i yer of age
It is but benestrawe and gret forage
And eke thise olde widwes god it wot
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Thei conne so moche craft on wades boot
So mochel broken harm whan hem lest
That wyth hem shold I neuer lyue in rest