The Merchant's Tale
Folio 139v
23 of 26 folios
Com forþ & lat vs take oure disporte
.I. chese þe for my wif & my comforte
905
Suche olde lewde wordes vsed he
On damya asigne maade sche
Þat he scholde go be forne wiþ his cleket
Þis Damyan haþe openede þe weket
And in he sterte & þat in suche manere
910
Þat no wight myht it se ne here
And stiƚƚ he sit vnder abusche a none
This Ianuar so blinde as is astone
Wiþ Mayus in his honde & no whight mo
In to his frische gardein is he goo
915
And clapped to þe weket sodanlye
Nowe wif qd he her nys bot þou & .I.
Þat art þe creature þat .I. best loue
For be þat lorde þat sitteþ vs al aboue
.I. had leuer deyȝen on a knyf
920
Than þe offenden mydere treue wif
For goddes sake þinke howe .I. þe ches
Nouht for no Coueites douteles
Bott onely for þe loue .I. had to þe
And þouht þat .I. be olde & maye nouht see
925
Be to me trewe & .I. wil tel ȝowe whie
Certes þrei þinges schalȝe winne þere bie
First loue of Criste & to ȝowre self honor
And al myne Heritage toune & toure
.I. ȝeue it ȝowe make charters as ȝowe liste
930
Þis schal be do to morwe ar sonne a riste
So wissely god my soule bringe in blisse
And pay ȝowe on Couenāt þat ȝe me kesse
And þouhe þat .I. be Ielouse wite me nowht
Ȝe bnen so depepe enpinted in myne þouht
935
Þat whan þat .I. considere ȝoure beute
And þere wiþ al þe vnlikly elde of me
.I. maie nouht sertes þouhe .I. schold deie
For bere to be oute ȝoure compaigne
For verrei loue þis is wiþ outen doute
940
Nowe kisse me wif & lat vs rome aboute
¶ This frisshe maye whan sche þis wordes herde
Benigly to Ianuar ansewerd
Bot first & for warde sche began to wepe
.I. haue qd sche a soule for to kepe