The Merchant's Tale
Folio 140v
25 of 26 folios
Whiles þat sche gaderd floures in a mede
In claudian ȝe maie þe storis rede
How in his grisly carte he hire sette
990
This kinge of Faire a doune him sette
Vppon a benche of tornes frische & grene
And riht anone seide he þus vnto his qwene
My wif qd he þat maie not seie naie
The experiens proueþ it euery daie
995
The treson whiche þat wōman doþ to man
Ten hundreþ þousand teƚƚ .I. can
Notable of ȝoure vntreuþe & brutelnes
Of Salomon rychest of al riches
Ful filled of Sapiens & of werly glorie
1000
Ful worþi bien þi wordes to memorie
To euery wiht þat witte & reson can
Þus preiseþ he ȝitte þe bounte of man
Amonge a .M. men . ȝit fonde .I. one
Bot of al wēmen fonde .I. neuer none
1005
Þus seiþe þe kinge þat knoweþ ȝoure wikkednesse
And iħc filius Syrak as .I. gesse
Ne spekeþ of ȝowe but seldyn reuerence
A wilde fire a corrupt pestilence
So fal vpon ȝoure bodies ȝit to nyht
1010
Ne see nouht þis honurable knyht
Because alas þat he is blinde & olde
His owen man schal make him cokewolde
Loo where he sitte þe lichoure in þe tree
Nowe wil .I. gaunte of my Maiestee
1015
Vnto þis olde blinde worþi knyht
Þat he schal haue aȝeine his eyȝen siht
Whan þat his wif wold done him velanye
Than schal he knowe al her harlotrye
Boþe in repreue of hire & oþere mo
1020
Ȝe schal qd ícerpine & wil ȝe soo
Nowe be my Moders sire soule .I. swere
Þat .I. schal ȝeue hire sufficeant ansewere
And aƚƚ wēmen after for ȝoure saake
Þat þouhe þei bnen in any gilte ytake
1025
Wiþ face bolde þei schollen hem self excuse
And bere hem doune þat wolde hem accuse
For lakke of ansewere non of hem schollen deyen
Al had ȝe seihe a þinge wiþ boþ ȝoure eyȝen .