The Merchant's Tale
Folio 120v
26 of 29 folios
1030
And wepe and swere and chide subtylly
So that men shul been as lewde as gees
What rekketh me of auctoritees
¶ I wote wel that this Iewe this Salamon
Fonde of vs wommen foles many oon
1035
But thogh that he ne fonde no good womman
Yit hath ther founden many another man
Wommen ful trew ful good and vertuous
Witnesse of hem that dwellen in cristes hous
With Martyrdom thei preued hir constance
1040
The Romayn geestes make ek remembrance
Of many a verrey trew wif also
But syr ne be nat wrotħ / al it be so
Thagh that y seyde he foonde no good womman
I pay yow take the sentence of that man
1045
He mente thus that in souereigne bounte
Nis nat but god . but neither he . ne she
¶ Ey for verry god that nys but oon
What make ye so moche of Salamon
What thogh he made a temple goddes hous
1050
What thogh he were riche and glorious
So made he ek a temple of fals goddes
How myght he do a thing that more forbode is
Parde as faire as ye his name emplastre
He was a lechour and an ydolastre
1055
And in his elde he verry god forsoke
And yif god ne had as seith the boke
I spared him for his fadres sake he sholde
Haue lost his regne rather than he wolde
I sette ryght noght of al the vilenye
1060
That he of wommen writeth / a boterflye
I am a womman nedes mot I speke
Or elles swelle til myn hert breke
For sithen he seide that we ben Iangleresse
As euer hool mote y brouke my tresse
1065
I shal nat spare for no curtesie
To speke hem harm that wol vs vileynye
¶ Dame quod this pluto be no lenger wroth
I yeue it vp but seth I swoor myn oth