The Merchant's Tale
Folio 141r
26 of 26 folios
Ȝit schollon we so visage it hit hardelye
1030
And wepe & swere & chide subtellye
Þat ȝe schol bnen as lewde as arne gese
What rekkeþ me of ȝoure auctoritees
.I. wote wele þis Iewe þis Salomone
Fande of vs wēmen fules manyone
1035
Bot þouhe þat he fonde no goode wōman
There haþe he founde mony anoþere man
1045
He ment þus þat in souereigne bounte
Nys none bot god neyþer he ne sche
Ey for verrey god þat nys bot one
What make ȝe so muche of Salomone
What þouhe he maad a temple goddes hous
1050
What þouhe he were riche & glorious
So maade he a temple of fals goddes
Who myht do a þinge þat more for bode is
Parde als faire as ȝe his name implastre
He was a lichoure & a ydolastre
1055
And in his elde he verrei god for soke
And ȝif þat god na hadde as seiþe þe boke
Yspared him for his fader saake he scholde
Haue lost his reigne sauner þat he wolde
.I. sett nouht of al þe velany
1060
Þat ȝe of wēmen write a botterflie
.I. am a wōman nedes most .I. speke
Or elles swel til myn hert breke
For þeþins he seide þat we be Iangelers
As euer mote .I. brouke boþe my tresses
1065
I schal spare for no curtesie
to spek him harme þat wolde vs velanye
Dame qd þis pluto be no longer wroþe
.I. ȝeue it vp bot seþen .I. swore myn oþe
Þat wolde graunt him his siht aȝeine
1070
My worde schal stande þat warne .I. þe certeine
.I. am a kinge it sitte me nouht to lye
And .I. qd sche a queene of fayre
Hir ansewar sche schal haue .I. vnder take
Lat us no mowordes nowe make
Explicit fabula M ercatoris .