The Merchant's Tale
Folio 133v
2 of 32 folios
In loue which is but childes vanite
And trewely it sit wel to be so /
That bachilers haue ofte peyne and wo
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On brutil ground þay bulde brutelnesse /
Þay fynde whan þay wene sikernesse
Thay lyue but as a brid oþer as a best
In liberte and vnder noon arrest
Ther as a weddid man in his estate
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Lyuith his lif busily and ordinate
Vnder þe ȝok of mariage I bounde
Wel may his herte in ioye and blisse abounde /
For who can be so buxom as a wyf /
Who is so trewe and eek so ententyf
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To kepe him seek and hool as is his make
For wele or woo sche wol him not forsake /
Sche is not wery him to loue and serue
Theigh þat he lay bedred . til þat he sterue
And ȝet som clerkes seyn it is not so
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Of whiche theofrast is oon of þo
What fors þough theofrast . liste lye
Ne take no wif quod he for housbondrye
As for to spare in houshold þy dispense
A trewe seruaūt doth more diligence
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Þy good to kepe þan þin oughne wif /
For sche wol clayme half part in al hir lif
And if þat þou be seek so god me saue
Þyne verray frendes or a trewe knaue
Wol kepe þe bet . þan sche þat waytith ay
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After þy good and hath doon many day
And if þat þou take a wyf be war
Of oon peril . which declare I ne dar
This entent and an hundrid siþe wors
Writith þis Mas ther god his bones curs
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But take no keep of al such vanite
Deffy theofrast and herkne me
A wyf is goddes ȝifte verrayly
Al oþer maner ȝiftes hardily
As landes rentes pasture or comune