The Merchant's Tale
Folio 140r
24 of 26 folios
945
As wele as ȝe & also myne honor
And of my wifhede þilke tender floure
Whiche þat .I. haue assured in ȝoure honde
Whan þat þe preste to ȝowe my body bonde
Whar for .I. wil ansewer in þis manere
950
Wiþ loue of ȝoue my lorde so dere
.I. praie god þat neuer dawe þat day
Þat .I. ne sterue as foule as wōman maye
Ȝif euery do vnto my kynne þat schame
Or elles .I. enpeire so my name
955
Þat .I. be false & if .I. do þat lake
To stripe me & putte me in a sake
And in þe next Riuer do me drenche
.I. am a gentil wōman & no wenche
Whi speke ȝe þus but men ben euyr vntrewe
960
And wēmen haue repreef of ȝowe ay newe
Ȝe can noon oþer continānce yleue
Bot speke to vs as vntreste & \in/ repreue
And wiþ þat worde sche sauhe wher damyane
Satt in þe busche & knele he begāne
965
And wiþ hir fingers signes maade sche
Þat Damyan scholde climbe vpon þe tre
Þat chargede was wiþ fruyte ad vpe he wente
For verraily he knewe al hir entent
And euery signe þat sche couþe make
970
Wele bett þan Ianuar hir owen make
For in a lr~e sche had told him al
Of þis matier houe he werche schal
And þus .I. lete sette in þe pire
And Ianuar & Mayus rouneī~ge ful merie
975
Briht was þe daie & bleue þe firmament
Phebus of golde doune haþ his stremes sent
To gladen euery floure wiþ his warmenesse
He was þt time in geī~s as .I. gesse
Bot litul fro his declinacoū
980
Of Cancer Iouys exaltacioū
¶ And so be fel in abriht morwe tide
Þat in þe gardine on þat ferþire side
Pluto þat is is þe kinge of faire
And mony aladi in his companye
985
Folowinge his wif þe queene Proserpina
Whiche þat he rauesched oute of proserpina .