Epilogue to the Merchant's Tale
Folio 148v
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God blesse vs and his moder seinte marie AmeN .
¶ Here endith the marcħantes tale
EY goddes mercy sayd our hoste þo
Now such a wyf I pray god keep me fro
Lo whiche sleightes and subtilitees
In wommen ben for ay as busy as bees
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Ben þay vs seely men for to desceyue
And from a soth euer wol þay weyue
By this marchaūdes tale it proueth wel
But douteles as trewe as eny steel
I haue a wyf þough þat sche pore be
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But of hir tonge a labbyng schrewe is sche
And ȝit sche hath an heep of vices mo
Ther of no fors let aƚƚ such þinges go
But wite ȝe what in counseil be it seyd
Me rewith sore I am vnto hir teyd
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And if I scholde reken euery vice
Which þat sche hath I wis I were to nyce
And cause why it schuld reported be
And told to hir of som of þis meyne
Of whom it needith not for to declare
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Syn wōmen connen oute such chaffare
And eek my witte suffisith nought þerto
To tellen al wherfor my tale is do
¶ Sir Squier com forþ . if þat ȝour wille be
And say vs a tale for certes ȝe
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Connen þer on as moche as ony man
¶ Nay sire quod he . but I wil say as I can
Wiþ herty wil . for I wil not rebelle
Against ȝour wille . a tale wil I telle
Haue me excused if þat I speke amys
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My wil is good . and þerto my tale is this
¶ Her endith þe prolog At Sarray