The Shipman's Tale
Folio 209v
2 of 13 folios
375
And al þat nigħt in mirþe þey besette
For he was riche and clerly out of dette
Whan it was day þis marchaūt gan enbrace /
His wyf al newe and kissed hire on hire face
And vp he goþ and makeþ it wonder tougħ
380
No more quod sche by god ȝe haue ynougħ
And wantounly aȝein wiþ him sche pleyde
Tille atte laste þat þis marchaūt seyde /
By god quod he I am alitel wroþ
Wiþ ȝou my wyf þougħ it be me lotħ
385
And wote ȝe why by god as þat I gesse
For ȝe haue made a maner straungenesse
Bytwixen me and my cosyn daun Ioħn
Ȝe schulde haue warned me er I hadde gon
Þat he hadde ȝou an hundred frankes payed
390
By redy tokne and he him held yuel payed
For þat I to him spak of cheuysaunce
Me semed so as by his contynaunce
But naþeles by god and heuen king
I þoughte nougħt to axe of him no þing
395
I pray þe wyf ne do no more so
Telle me alway er þat I fro þe go
If eny dettour haþ in myn absence /
I payed þe leste þurgħ þin necligence
I might him axe a þing þat he haþ payed
400
Þis was nas nough affered ne affrayed
But boldely sche seyde and þat anon
Mary I diffye þat false monk daun Ioħn
I kepe nougħt of his tokenes neuer a deel
He tok me certein gold þis wot I wel
405
What euele þedam on his monkes snowte /
For god it wot I wende wiþouten doute /
Þat he hadde ȝoue it me by cause of ȝou
To do þer wiþ myn honour and my prow
For cosynage and eek for bele chere /
410
Þat he haþ had fulofte tyme heere