The Shipman's Tale
Folio 204v
2 of 11 folios
And he agayn / he seith nat ones nay
But was as glad ther of / as fowel of day
For to his herte / it was a gret plesance
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Thus been they knyt with eterne alliance
And ech of hem / gan oother for tassure
Of bretherhede / whil þt hir lyf may dure
¶ Free was daun Ioħn / and manly of dispence
As in that hous / and ful of diligence
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To doon plesance / and also greet costage
He nat forgat to yeue the leeste page
In al that hous / but after hir degree
He yaf the lord / and sith al his meynee
Whan þt he cam / som manere honeste thyng
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For which / they were as glad of his comyng
As fowel is fayn / whan þt the sonne vp riseth
Namoore of this as now / for it suffiseth
¶ But so bifel / this Marchant on a day
Shoope hym / to make redy his array
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Toward the town of Brugges / for to fare
To byen there / a porcion of ware
For which he hath / to Parys sent anon
A messager / and preyed hath daun Ioħn
That he sholde come / to Seint Denys and pleye
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With hym / and with his wyf a day or tweye
Er he to Brugges wente / in alle wise
¶ This noble Monk of which I yow deuyse
Hath of his Abbot as hym list licence
By cause he was a man / of heigh prudence
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And eek an Officer / out for to ryde
To seen hir granges / and hir bernes wyde
And vn to Seint Denys / he comth anon
Who was so welcome / as my lord Daun Ioħn
Oure deere cosyn / ful of curteisye
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With hym broghte he / a Iubbe of Maluesye
And eek another ful of fyn vernage
And volatil / as ay was his vsage
And thus I lete hem / ete and drynke and pleye
This Marchant and this Monk / a day or tweye
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¶ The thridde day / this Marchant vp ariseth
And on his nedes / sadly hym auyseth