The Merchant's Tale
Folio 129r
2 of 26 folios
Þat daie & nyht he doþe al þat he can
To aspie where he myht wedded be
Preinge oure lorde to grant him þat he
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Myht ones knowe þat blisful life
Þat is betwex an husbond & his wif
And for to leue vnder þat holy honde
Wiþ wiche god first man & wōman bonde
None oþer life seide he is worþe a bene
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For wedlok is so esy & so clene
That in þis werlde it is a paradise
Thus seide þis olde knyht þat was so wise
An certeinly as soþe as godde is kenge
To take a wif it is a gloriouse þinge
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And namely whan a man is olde & hore
Þan is it wif fruyt of his tresore
Þan scholde he take a ȝonge wif & a faire
On whiche he myht engender him an heire
And leden his lif in Ioy & solace
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Where as þe bachellier singen alace
Whan þat þei finden any aduersite
In loue whiche þat is bot childes vanite
And trewli it sitte wele to be so
Þat bachilliers haue ofte peine & woo
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On brutel grounde þei boiled brutilnesse
Þei finde frelte whan þei wene Sikernesse
Þei leue bot as a burde or as abeste
In liberte & vnder none areste
Þere as a wedded man in his astate
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Leueþ . his lyf blisful & ordinate
Vnder þe ȝokke of mariage ybounde
Wele maye his herte In Ioy & blisse abounde
For who can be so buxum as a wife
Who is so trewe & eke so tentife
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To kepe him seeke & hole as is his make
For wele or woo sche nyƚƚ nouht him for sake
Sche is nouht werye him to loue & serue
Þeih þat he lye beddred til he sterue
And ȝit sōme clerkes seine it is nouht so
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Of whiche Theofrast is one of þo
What fors þouhe Thēofrast list lye
Ne take no wif qd he for husbandrie
As for to spare in householde þi despence