The Merchant's Tale
Folio 275v
30 of 30 folios
O stronge lady stoore what dost thow
And sche answerde sire what eylyth ȝow
1125
Hauyth pacience & resoū in ȝoure mynde
I haue ȝow holpyn on bothe ȝoure eyen blynde
Vp peril of myn soule I schal not lyen
As me was tauȝt to hele with ȝoure eyen
Was no thyng bet to makyn ȝow to see
1130
Than strugle wt a man vp on a tree
God wot I dede it with ful good entente
Strogele quod he / ȝa algate in it wente
God ȝeue ȝow bothe on schamys deth to deyen
He swyuede the I say it with mȳne eyȝen
1135
And ellis be I hangid bi the hals
Thane is quod sche myn medecyn al fals
For certeȳly ȝif that ȝe myȝte see
Ȝe wolde not seyn these wordys vn to me
Ȝe han sū glemesyng & no parfyt syght
1140
I se quod he as weel as euere I myȝt
Thankyd be god wt bothe myne eyen two
And bi myn treuthe me thȳkyth he dede þõ soo
Ȝa maze maze goode sere quod sche
This thank haue I for I maad ȝow to se
1145
Allas quod sche that euere I was so kynde
Now dame quod he lat al passe out of mynde
Come doun myn lyf & If I haue myssayd
God helpe me so as I am euele a payid
But by myn fadyr soule I wende haue seyn
1150
How that this Damyen hadde hy the leyn
And that thȳ smok hadde leyn vp on his brest
Ȝa sere quod sche ȝe may we\ne/ as ȝow lyst
But sere a man that wakyth out of slep
He may not sodeynly takyn kep
1155
Vp on a thyng ne seen it parfytly
Til that he be a dawed verrayly
Rygh so a man that longe hath blynd ybe
Ne may not sodeynly so weel I see
Fyrst whā his syȝte is come newe a geyn
1160
As he that hath a day or too I seyn