The Shipman's Tale
Folio 150v
1 of 9 folios
¶ Here bigynnetħ the Shipmans tale / next folwyng the Pardoner
A Marchaunt whilom dwelled / at Seynt Denys
That riche was / for whicħ men helde hī wys
A wyf he hadde / of excellent beaute
And compaignable / and reuelous was she
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Whicħ is a thyng / that causetħ more dispence
Than wortħ is / al the chere and reuerence
That men hem doon / at festes and at daunces
Swicħ salutacions / and countenaunces
Passen / as dotħ a shadewe vp on the wal
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But woo is hī / that paien moot for al
The sely housbond / algate he mot paie
He moot vs clothe / and he moot vs arraie
Al for his owene worshipe / richely
In whicħ array / we dauncen iolily
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And if that he nougħt may / perauenture
Or elles lust nat / swicħ dispence endure
But thynketħ / it is wasted and I lost
Thanne moot a nother / paien for oure cost
Or lene vs gold / and that is perilous
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This noble Marchaūt / held a worthy hous
For whicħ he hadde alday / so gret repair
For his largesse / and for his wyf was fair
That wonder is / but herkenetħ to my tale
Amonges alle theise gestes / grete and smale
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There was a Monk / a fair man and a bold
I trowe a thretty wynter / he was old
That euere in oon / was drawyng to that place
This ȝonge Monk / that was so fair of face
A queynted was so / witħ the goode man
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Sithe that here first / knewelicħ / bygan
That in his hous / as familier was he
As it is possible / any frend to be
And for as mechel / as this goode man
And eke this Monk / of whicħ that I bigan
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Were bothe two I borñ / in oo village
The Monk hī cleymetħ / as for cosynage
And he a geyn / he seitħ nat oones nay
But was as glad ther of / as foule of day
For to his herte / it was a gret plesaunce
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Thus ben they knyt / witħ eterne alliaunce
And eche of hem / gan other for to assure
Of bretherhede / while that here lif may dure
¶ Free was Daun Ioħn / and namely of dispence