The Merchant's Tale
Folio 261r
1 of 30 folios
That in this world it is a paradys
Thus seyde this olde knyght þt was so wys
And serteynly as soth as god Is kyng
To take a wyf it is aglorious thyng
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And nemely whā a man is old & hore
Thāne is a wyf the freut of his tresore
Thāne schulde he take a ȝong wyf & a fayr
On whiche he myȝte engendere & been eyr
And leede his lyf in ioye & in solace
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Where as these bachelerys synge allas
Whā that they fynde ony aduercitee
In loue which is but childis vanytee
And trewely it is weel to been so
That bachelerys han ofte peyne & wo
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On brothil ground they bylde / & brothelnesse
They fȳde / whan they wene sekyrnesse
They lyue but as a bryd or as a beste
In lyberte & vndyr non areste
There as a weddede man in his estat
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Leuyth a lyf blysful & ordenat
Vndyr the ȝok of maryage I boūde
Wel may his herte in ioye & blysse aboūnde
For who can been so buxsū as a wif
Who is so trewe & \ek/ so ententyf
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To keepe hȳ syk & hol as is his make
For weel or wo sche wele hȳ not for sake
Sche is nat wery hȳ to loue & serue
Thogh þt he lye bedrede tyl he sterue
And ȝit some clerkys seyn it is nat so
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Of which þõ theofraste is on of tho
What fors thow Theofraste lyste to lye
Ne take no wyf quod he for husbonderye
As for to spare in houshold thȳ dispence
A trewe seruaūt doth more diligence
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Thyn good to kepe thā tyn owene wyf
For sche wele cleyme half part al hire lyf
And ȝyf þu be sek so god me save
Thȳne verray frendys or a trewe knave