The Merchant's Tale
Folio 114v
25 of 26 folios
1115
But on his wyf / his thogħt was eueremo
Vp to the tree / he caste hise eyen two
And saugħ þt Damyan / his wyf had dressed
In swich manere / it may nat been experssed
But if I wolde / speke vncurteisly
1120
And vp he yaf / a roryng and a cry
As dooth the mooder / whan the child shal dye
Out helpe / allas / harrow he gan to crye
O stronge lady stoore / what dostow ;
¶ And she answerde / sir what eyleth yow ;
1125
Haue pacience / and resoū in your mynde
I haue yow holpe / on bothe youre eyen blynde
Vp peril of my soule / I shal nat lyen
As me was taugħt / to heele with youre eyen
Was no thyng bet to make yow to see
1130
Than strugle wt a man / vp on a tree
God woot I dide it / in ful good entente
¶ Strugle quod he ; ye algate In it wente
God yeue yow bothe / on shames deth to dyen
He swyued thee / I saugħ it . witħ myne eyen
1135
And elles / be I hanged by the hals
¶ Thanne is quod she / my medicyne fals
For certeinly / if that ye mygħte se
Ye wolde nat seyn / thise wordes vn to me
Ye han som glymsyng and no parfit sigħte
1140
¶ I se quod he / as wel as euere I mygħte
Thonked be god / wt bothe myne eyen two
And by my trouthe / me thougħte he dide thee so
¶ Ye maze / maze / goode sire quod she
This thank haue I / for I haue maad yow see
1145
Allas quod she / that euere I was so kynde
¶ Now dame quod he / lat al passe out of mynde
Com doun my lief and if I haue myssayd
God helpe me so / as I am yuele apayd
But by my fader soule / I wende han seyn
1150
How that this Damyan / hadde by thee leyn
And þt thy smok hadde leyn vp on his brest
¶ Ye sire quod she / ye may wene as yow lest
But sire / a man / þt waketh out of his sleepe
He may nat sodeynly / wel taken keepe
1155
Vp on a thyng ne seen it parfitly
Til þt he be / adawed verraily
¶ Rigħt so a man / þt longe hath blynd ybe
Ne may nat sodeynly / so wel yse
First whan his sigħte / is newe come ageyn
1160
As he þt hath / a day or two yseyn
Til that youre sigħte / ysatled be awhile
Ther may / ful many a sighte yow bigile