The Merchant's Tale
Folio 119v
24 of 29 folios
Or elles I empeire so my name
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That I be fals and if I do that lakke
Do strepe me and put me in a sakke
And in the next Ryuer do me drenche
I am a gentil womman and no wenche
Whi speke ye thus but men ben euer vntrew
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And wommen haue reproue of yow ay new
Ye han non othir contenance I leue
But speke to vs of vntriste and repreue
¶ And with that word she saugh where Damyan
Sat in the bussh and coughen he bigan
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And with hir fynger signes made she
That Damyan shuld clymbe vppon a tre
That charged was wyth fruyt and vp he went
For verrily he knew al hir entent
And euery signe that she coude make
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Wel bet than Ianuarye hir owne make
For in a lettre she had tolde him alle
Of this mater how he worken shalle
And thus I lette him sitte vpon the pirie
And Ianuarye goo may romyng myrye
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¶ Bryght was the day and blew the firmament
Phebus hath of gold the streemes doun sent
To gladen euery flour wyth his warmenesse
He was that tyme in geminis as I gesse
But a litel fro his declinacioun
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Of cancer Iouis exaltacioun
And so bifel that bright morwe tyde
That in the gardyn in the ferther side
Pluto that is kyng of fairye
And many a lady in his compaignye
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Folowyng his wif the quene Proserpynea
/a Which that he rauesshed out of Sithea
Whil that she gadred floures in the mede
In cladyan ye may the stories rede
How in his grisly cart he hir sette
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This kyng of fairye than him doun sette
Vpon a benche of turues Fressh and grene