The Merchant's Tale
Folio 146r
27 of 29 folios
And slough him Olophinus whiles he slepte
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Lo how Abygayle by good counseil how þat sche
Saued hire housbonde Nabal whan þat he
Schulde han be slayn and loke after also
By good counseil delyuered out of wo
The poeple of god and made him mardoche
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Of Assuer enchaunced for to be
Ther is no þing gree superlatiff
As seiþ Senek aboue an humble wyf
Suffre þyn wyues tonge as Catoun byt
Sche schal comaunde and þou schalt suffre yt
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And ȝit sche wolde obeye of curtesye
A wyf is kepere of þin housbondrye
Wel may þe seeke man bewayle and wepe /
Ther as þer nys no wijf þe hous to keepe
I warne þe if wysly þou wilt wirche
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Loue wel þy wyf as crist loueþ his chirche
If þou loue þy self þou louest þy wyf
No man hateþ his flesch but in his lyf
He fostreþ it and þerfore byd I þe
Cherissche þy wijf or þou schalt neuer þe
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Housbond & wijf what so men Iape or pleye
Of worldly folk holde þe righte weye
Þey ben so knyt þer may non harm betyde
And namely vpon þe wyues syde
For which þis Ianuarye of which I tolde
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Considereþ haþ in wiþ his dayes olde
Þe lusty þe vertuous quyete
Þat is in mariage hony swete
And for his frendes on a day sent
To telle hem þeffect of his entent
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Wiþ face sadde he haþ hem þis tale tolde
He sayde frendes I am hoor and olde
And almost god wot at my pittis brinke
Vpon my sowle somwhat most I þinke
I haue my body folyly dispended