The Shipman's Tale
Folio 205v
4 of 11 folios
That lasse lust hath / to that sory pley
For I may synge / allas and weilawey
That I was born / but to no wight quod she
120
Dar I nat telle / how þt it stant with me
Wher fore I thynke / out of this land to wende
Or ellis / of my self / to make an ende
So ful am I / of drede / and eek of care
¶ This Monk bigan / vp on this wyf to stare
125
And seyde / allas / my Nece god forbede
That ye / for any sorwe / or any drede
Fordo your self / but telleth me your grief
Par auenture / I may in youre meschief
Conseille / or helpe / and therfore telleth me
130
Al youre anoy / for it shal been secree
For on my Porthors / I make an oth
That neuere in my lif / for lief / or loth
Ne shal I / of no conseil / yow biwreye
¶ The same agayn to yow / quod she I seye
135
By god / and by this Porthors / I swere
Thogh men me wolde / al in to peces tere
Ne shal I neuere / for to gon to helle
Biwreye a word / of thyng þt ye me telle
Nat for no cosynage / ne alliance
140
But verraily / for loue and affiance
Thus been they sworn / and her vp on they keste
And ech of hem / tolde oother what hem leste
¶ Cosyn quod she / if þt I hadde a space
As I haue noon / and namely in this place
145
Thanne wolde I telle / a legende of my lyf
What I haue suffred / sith I was a wyf
With myn housbonde / al be he youre cosyn
¶ Nay quod this Monk by god and Seint Martin
He is namore / cosyn vn to me
150
Than is this leef þt hangeth on the tree
I clepe hym so / by Seint Denys of France
To han / the moore cause of aqueyntance
Of yow / which I haue loued specially
Abouen alle wommen / sikerly
155
This swere I yow / on my professioū
Telleth youre grief / lest þt he come adoun