The Merchant's Tale
Folio 109r
25 of 27 folios
But that ȝe ben / so ful of sapience
That ȝow ne lyketħ / for ȝoure heygħ prudence
To wyue fro the word / of Salamou
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This word seide he / vn to vs euerychoū
Werk al thyng be counseil / thus seide he
And thāne shalt þu nat / repente the
But thougħ that Salamon / spak swicħ a word
Myn owen dere brother / and my lord
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So wysly god my soule / brynge at rest
I holde ȝoure owen counseil / is the best
For brother myn / of me take this motyf
I haue now ben / a courte man al my lyf
And god it wot / thougħ I vnworthy be
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I haue stonden / in ful gret degree
A boue lordes / of ful heigħ astate
Ȝet had I neuere / witħ noon of hem debate
I neuere hem contraried / trewely
I wot wel that my lord / can more than I
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What that he seitħ / I holde it ferme and stable
I seye the same / or ellis thyng semblable
A ful gret fool / is ony counseillour
That seruetħ any lord / of heigħ honour
That dar presume / or ellis thynken it
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That his counseil / shulde passe his lordes wyt
Nay / lordes be none fooles be my fay
Ȝe han ȝoure self / seid heere to day
So heigħ sentence / so holily and so wele
That I consente / and conferme euerydele
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Ȝoure wordes alle / and ȝoure opynyoū
By god there nys man / in al this touñ
Ne in Ytaille / coude bet haue I seyd
Crist halt hym / of this counseille ful wel paid
And trewely it is / an heigħ corage
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Of ony man / that stopen is in age
To take a ȝong wyf / be my fader kyn
Ȝoure hert hangetħ / oon a Ioly pyn
Dotħ now in this matere / rigħt as ȝow lyst
For Fynally / I holde it for the best
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¶ Iustinus that ay stille sat / and herde
Rygħt in this wyse / he to Placebo answerde
Now brother myn / be pacient I pray
Syn ȝe han seid / and herkene what I sey
Senek / a mongis hise othere wordes xxxx wyse
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Seitħ / that a man / ougħt hī rigħt xxxxx wel avyse
To whom he ȝeueth his lond / or his xxxxx catel