Epilogue to the Merchant's Tale
Folio 119r
1 of 2 folios
And that thy smok / had leyn vp oon thy brest
Ȝa Sire qd she / ȝe moun seyn as ȝow lest
But Sire / a man / that waketħ out of his slepe
He may nat so sodeynly / take kepe
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Vp oon a thyng / ne seyn it so parfitly
Til that he be a waked / verrayly
Rigħt so a man / þt longe hatħ blynd I be
Ne may nougħt sodeynly / so wel se
First / whan his sigħt is newe comyn a geyn
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As he that hatħ a day / or tweyne seyn
Til that ȝoure sigħt be satled a while
There may ful many a sigħt / ȝow begyle
Betħ war I preye ȝow / for by heuene kyng
Ful many a man wenetħ / to seyn a thyng
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And it is al a nother / than it semetħ
He that mys conceyuetħ / mys demetħ
And witħ that word / she lepe doun fro the tree
This Ianuarie / who is glad but he
He kissitħ hire / and clippetħ hire ful ofte
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And oon hire wombe / he streked hire ful softe
And to his Paleys / hom he hatħ hire ladde
Now goode men / I preye ȝow alle betħ gladde
Thus endetħ heere my tale / of Ianuarie
God blisse vs alle / and oure lady Seynt Marie
¶ Sic definit fabula Mercatoris /
Et incipit prologus Armigeri
Ey goddis mercy / seide oure hoost tho
Now swicħ a wyf / I preye god kepe me fro
Lo swicħ sleigħtes / and subtilitees
In wōmen ben / for ay as besiens bees
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Ben they / vs sely men for to deceyue
And froo a sotħ / euere wyl they weyue
By this Marchaūtes tale / it preuetħ wel
But doutelees / as trewe as any stel
I haue a wyf / thougħ that she pore be
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But of hire tonge / a labbyng shrewe is she
And ȝet she hatħ an hepe / of vices moo
Ther of no fors / lat alle suche thynges goo
But wyte ȝe what / in counseile be it seyde
Me rewetħ sore / I am vn to hire teyde
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For and I shuld rekene / euery vyce