The Shipman's Tale
Folio 198v
10 of 12 folios
320
And bad þe meigne far wel haue good day
For noon of hem ne no wigħt in þe toun
Hath of dan Ioħn rigħt noon suspeccioun
And forth he rideth hom to his abbay
Or wher him list no more of him I say /
325
¶ This marchaund whan þat endid was þe faire
To seint denys . he gan to repeire /
And with his wif he makeþ fest and cheere
And tellith hir þat chaffar is so deere
That needes most he make a cheuisaunce
330
For he was bounde in a reconisaunce
To paye twenty þousand scheldes anoon
For which þis marchaund is to paris goon
To borwe of certeyn frendes þat he hadde /
A certein frank and some with him he ladde
335
And whan þat he was come in to þe toun
For gret chiertee and gret affeccioun
Vnto Dan Ioħn he first goth him to play
Nougħt for to borwe of him no kyn monay
But for to wite and se of his wel fare /
340
And for to telle him of his chaffare
As frendes doon whan þay ben met in fere
Dan Ioħn him maketh fest and mery cheere
And he him told agayn ful specially
How he had bougħt right wel and graciously
345
Thanked be god / al his marchaundise
Saue þat he most in alle maner wise /
Maken a cheuyssauns as for his best
And þan he schulde be in ioye and rest
Dan Ioħn answerde certis I am fayn
350
That ȝe in hele are comen hom agayn
And if þat I were riche as haue I blisse
Of twenty þousand scheld schuld ȝe not mysse
For ȝe so kyndely þis oþer day
Lente me gold and as I can and may
355
I þanke ȝow by god and by seint Iame /
But naþeles I took it to oure dame
Ȝoure wif þe same gold aȝein