The Merchant's Tale
Folio 151v
28 of 30 folios
xxat in the gardyn / with his faire May
Syngeth ful murier / than the Papeiay
Yow loue I best and shal and oother noon
1080
So longe / aboute the Aleyes is he goon
Til he was come / agayns thilke pirye
Wher as this Damyan / sitteth ful myrye
Anheigh / among the fresshe leues grene
¶ This fresshe May / that is so bright and shene
1085
Gan for to syke / and seyde allas my syde
Now sire quod she / for aught þt may bityde
I moste han / of the perys þt I se
Or I moot dye / so sore longeth me
To eten / of the smale perys grene
1090
Help for hir loue / þt is of heuene queene
I telle yow wel / a womman in my plit
May han to fruyt so gret an appetit
That she may dyen / but she of it haue
¶ Allas quod he / þt I ne hadde here a knaue
1095
That koude clymbe / allas allas quod he
For I am blynd / ye sire nofors quod she
¶ But wolde ye / vouche sauf / for goddes sake
The pirye inwith youre armes / for to take
For wel I woot þt ye mystruste me
1100
Thanne sholde I clymbe / wel ynow quod she
So I my foot myghte sette vp on your bak
¶ Certes quod he / ther on shal be no lak
Mighte I yow helpen / with myn herte blood
He stoupeth doun / and on his bak she stood
1105
And caughte hir by a twiste / and vp she goth
Ladys I pray yow / þt ye be nat wroth
I kan nat glose / . I a rude man
And sodeynly / anon this Damyan
Gan pullen vp the smok / and in he throng
1110
¶ And whan þt Pluto / saugh this grete wrong
To Ianuarie / he yaf agayn his sighte
And made hym see / as wel as euere he myghte
And whan that he / hadde caught his sighte agayn
Ne was ther neuere man / of thyng so fayn
1115
But on his wyf his thoght was euere mo
Vn to the tree / he caste his eyen two