The Merchant's Tale
Folio 118v
22 of 29 folios
Some wondre of this cliket shal betide
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Which ye shal heren yif ye wol abide
O noble ouyde wel sooth seistow god woot
What sleight is it yif loue be longe and hoot
That he nyl fynden out in som manere
By pyramus and bi thesbe may men lere
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Thogh thei were kepte ful longe streyte ouer al
Thei ben accordid rownyng thurgh awalle
There no wyght coude haue founde swich a sleighte
But now to purpos er that the day eighte
Were passed er the month of Iuyƚƚ bifille
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That Ianuarye hath caught so gret wille
Thurgh eggyng of his wif him for to pleye
In his gardyn and no wyght but thei tweye
That in a Morwe vnto this May seith he
Rys vp my wif my loue my lady fre
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The turtils vois is herd my dowue swete
The wynter is goon wyth Reynes wete
Comforth now wyth thyn eyen colombyn
How fairer ben thi brestes than is wyn
The gardeyn is enclosed al aboute
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Com forth my white spouse out of doute
Thow hast me wounded in my herte .o. wif
No spot of the ne know y al my lif
Com forth and lat vs take our dispoort
I chees the for my wif and for my confort
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¶ Swich olde lewde wordes vsed he
On damyan a signe made she
That he shold go biforn wyth his cliket
This damyan hath than opned the wiket
And insterte and that in swich manere
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That no wyght myght it se neither here
And stille he sitte vnder a bussh anon
¶ This Ianuarye as blynde as is a stoon
Wyth Mayus in his hand and no wyght mo
In to his fressh gardyn is y go
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And clapte to the wyket sodenly
¶ Now wif quod he here nys but thow and .I.