Epilogue to the Merchant's Tale Folio 119r 1 of 2 folios
Ȝa Sire qd she / ȝe moun seyn as ȝow lest
But Sire / a man / that waketħ out of his slepe
He may nat so sodeynly / take kepe
1155
Vp oon a thyngpar fitly
Til that he be a waked / verrayly
Rigħ t so a man / þ t longe hatħ blynd I be
Ne may nougħ t sodeynly / so wel se
First / whan his sigħ t
1160
As he that hatħ a day / or tweyne seyn
Til that ȝoure sigħ t
There may ful many a sigħ t / ȝow begyle
Betħ war I preye ȝow / for by heuene kyng
Ful many a man wenetħ / to seyn a thyng
1165
And it is al a nother / than it semetħ
He that mys conceyuetħ / mys demetħ
This Ianuarie / who is glad but he
He kissitħ hire / and clippetħ hire ful ofte
1170
And oon hire wombe / he streked hire ful softe
Now goode men / I preye ȝow alle betħ gladde
Thus endetħ heere my tale / of Ianuarie
God blisse vs alle / and oure lady Seynt Marie ¶ Amen;
In the right margin: ¶ A men ;
Et incipit pro logus Armigeri
Armigeri : Perhaps written later as the word is much bigger than the rest of the line.
Ey goddis mer cy / seide oure hoost tho
Now swicħ a wyf / I preye god kepe me fro
Lo swicħ sleigħ tes / and subtilitees
In wō men ben / for ay as besiens bees
5
Ben they / vs sely men for to deceyue
And froo a sotħ / euere wyl they weyue
By this Marchaū tes tale / it preuetħ wel
But doutelees / as trewe as any stel
I haue a wyf / thougħ that she pore be
10
But of hire tonge / a labbyng shrewe is she
And ȝet she hatħ an hepe / of vices moo
Ther of no fors / lat alle suche thynges goo
But wyte ȝe what / in counseile be it seyde
Me rewetħ sore / I am vn to hire teyde
15
For and I shuld rekene / euery vyce