The Merchant's Tale
Folio 139r
3 of 30 folios
He lyueth helplees / and al desolat
I speke of folk / in seculer estat
¶ And herke why / I sey nat this for noght
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That womman is / for mannes helpe ywroght.
The hye god / whan he hadde Adam maked
And seigh hym allone / bely naked
God of his grete goodnesse / seyde than
Lat vs now make an help / vn to this man
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Lyk to hym self and thanne he made hym Eue
Here may ye see / and here may ye preeue
That wyf is mannes helpe / and his confort
His Paradys terrestre / and his disport
So buxom / and so vertuous is she
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They moste nedes / lyue in vnytee
O flessħ they been / and o flessh as I gesse
Hath but oon herte / in wele and in distresse
¶ A wyf / a Seinte Marie benedicitee
How myghte a man / han any aduersitee
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That hath a wyf / certes / I kan nat seye
The blisse / which þt is bitwix hem tweye
Ther may no tonge telle / or herte thynke
If he be poure / she helpeth hym to swynke
She kepeth his good / and wasteth neuer a del
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Al that hir housbonde lust hir liketh wel
She seith nat ones nay / whan he seith yee
Do this seith he / al redy sire seith she
¶ O blisful ordre / o wedlok percious
Thou art so murye / and eek so vertuous
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And so cōmended / and approued eek
That any man / that halt hym worth a leek
Vp on his bare knees / oghte al his lyf
Thanken his god / that hym hath sent a wyf
Or ellis preye to god / hym for to sende
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A wyf / to laste vn to his lyues ende
For thanne his lyf / is set in sikernesse
He may nat be / deceyued / as I gesse
So that he werke / after his wyues reed
Thanne may he boldely / kepen vp his heed
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They been so trewe / and ther with al so wyse
For which if thow wolt werken as the wyse