The Shipman's Tale
Folio 314r
1 of 8 folios
Hath of his abbot as hȳ leste lycence
By cause he was a man of hygh prudence
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And ek an offycer out for to ryde
To seen here granges & here bernys wyde
And vn to seynt Denys he comyth a noon
Who was so wolcome as myn lord daun Ioħn
Oure deere cosyn ful of curteysye
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With hȳ he brouȝte a Iubbe of Maluesye
And ek a nothir ful of fyn vernage
And volatyl as was his vsage
And thus I lete hem drynke & ete & pleye
This Marchaunt & this Monk aday or tweye
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The thredde day this Marchaūt vp a ryseth
And on hise nedis sadly hȳ auyseth
And vp in to his countour hous goth he
To rekene with hym self weel may be
Of thilke ȝeer how that it with hȳ stod
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And how that he dispendit hadde his good
And ȝif that he encresede were er non
Hise bokis & hise baggis manyon
He leyth be forn hȳ on his coūtyg bord
Ful ryche was his tresor & his hord
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For which ful faste his countor dore he schette
And ek he nolde that no man schulde hȳ lette
Of hise acountis for the mene tyme
And thus he syt tyl it was passid pryme
¶ Daū Ioħn was rysyn in the morwe also
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And in the gardyn walkith to & fro
And hath hise thyngis seyd ful curteysly
This goode wyf cam walkynge pryuyly
In to the gardyn there as he walkyth softe
And hȳ saluyth as he hath doon ofte
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A maydechild cam in hyre cūpaynye
Whiche as hyre lyste sche may gouerne & gye
For ȝit vndyr the ȝerde was the mayde
¶ O deere Cosyn myn daū Ioħn sche sayde
What aylyth ȝow so rathe for to ryse
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Nece quod he it oghte I nogh suffyse