Epilogue to the Merchant's Tale
Folio 115v
1 of 1 folios
¶ The Prologe of the Squieres tale
EY goddes mercy / seyde oure Hoost tho
Now swich a wyf / I pray god kepe me fro
Lo whiche sleightes / and subtiltees
In wōmen been / for ay as bisy as bees
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Been they / vs sely men for to deceyue
And from a sooth / euere wol they weyue
By this Marchaūtes tale / it preueth weel
But doutelees / as trewe as any steel
I haue a wyf / thougħ þt she poure be
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But of hir tonge / a labbyng shrewe is she
And yet she hath / an heepe of vices mo
Ther of nofors / lat alle swiche thynges go
But wyte ye what in conseil be it seyd
Me reweth soore / I am vnto hir teyd
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For and I sholde / rekenen euery vice
Which þt she hath / ywis I were to nyce
And cause why / it sholde reported be
And toold to hir / of sōme of this meynee
Of whom / it nedeth nat for to declare
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Syn wōmen / konnen outen swich chaffare
And eek my wit suffiseth nat therto
To tellen al / wherfore my tale is do
¶ Squier com neer / if it your wille be
And sey somwhat of loue / for certes ye ;
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Konnen ther on / as muche as any man
¶ Nay sir quod he / but I wol seye as I kan
With hertly wyl / for I wol nat rebelle
Agayn your lust ; a tale wol I telle
Haue me excused / if I speke amys
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My wyl is good / and lo my tale is this