The Merchant's Tale
Folio 262r
3 of 30 folios
Ther may non tunge telle nor herte thynke
Ȝif he be pore sche helpith hȳ to swynke
Sche kepith his good / & wastyth neuere a del
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Al that hire husbonde luste hire likyth weel
Sche seyth nat onys nay whā he seyth ye
Do this seyth he al redy sere seyth sche
O blysful ordere of wedlok percious
Thow art so merye & ek so vertyuous
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And so comendit & apreuyd ek
That euery man that halt hȳ worth a lek
Vp on hise bare kneis oghte al his lyf
Thankyn his god that hȳ hath sent a wyf
Or ellys preye to god hȳ for to synde
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A wif to laste vn to his lyuys ende
For thāne his lyf is set in sekyrnesse
He may not ben disseyuyd as I gesse
So þt he werche aftyr his wyuys reed
Thāne may he baldely beryn vp his heed
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They been so trewe & therw al so wise
For which ȝif þu wilt werkyn as the wyse
Do alwey so as wemen wele þõ reed
Lo how that Iacob as these clerkys rede
By good conseyl of his modyr Rebekke
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Bond the kidis skyn a boutȳ his nekke
For which his faderis benysoū he wan
Lo Iudith as the story telle can
By good conseyl sche godys peple kepte
And slow hȳ Olefernus as he slepte
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Lo Abigayl bi good conseyl how sche
Sauede hire husbonde / Naabal whā þt he
Schulde a be slayn & loke Ester also
By good conseyl deliuerede out of woo
The peple of god / & made hym Mardoche
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To assure en haūsede for to bee
There nys no thyng In gre superlatyf
As seyth senec . A boue an hūble wyf
Suffere thȳ wyuys tunge as catoū bit
Sche schal comaūde & sche schal suffere it