The Merchant's Tale
Folio 275r
29 of 30 folios
1085
Gan for to sike & seyde allas myn syde
Now sire quod sche for ough that may be tyde
I muste han of the perys that I se
Or I mot deye so sore longith me
To etyn of the smale perys grene
1090
Help for hire loue that is x of heuene queene
I telle ȝow weel a woman Iir myn plyt
May han to freut so greet an apetyt
That sche may deyen but sche of it haue
Allas quod he that I ne hadde here a knaue
1095
That coude clymbe allas allas quod he
That I am blynd ȝa sere no fors quod sche
But wolde ȝe vouche saf for godis sake
The pirie inw ȝoure armys for to take
For weel I wot that ȝe mystroste me
1100
Thanne schulde I klymbe wel I nough quod sche
So I myn foot myȝte sette vp on ȝoure bak
Certys quod he ther on schal been no lak
Myghte I ȝou helpȳ wt myn herte blod
He stoupede doun & on his bak sche stod
1105
And caughte hire by a twyste & vp sche goth
Ladyis I preye ȝow þt ȝe ben nat wroth
I can nat gl~~ose I am a rude man
Gan pullyn vp the smok & in he throng
1110
And whan that pluto saw this greete wrong
To Ianuarye he ȝaf a geyn his syght
And maade hȳ se as wel as euere he myght
And whan that he hadde cauȝt his syȝt a geyn
Ne was there neuere man of thyng so fayn
1115
But on his wyf his thouȝt was euere mo
Vp to the tre he caste his eyen two
And saw that Damyan his wyf hadde dressed
In swich maner it may not been expressed
But ȝif I wolde speke vncurteysly
1120
And vp he ȝaf a roryng & a cry
As doth the modyr whan the schild schal deye
Out help allas / harrow he gan to crye