The Merchant's Tale
Folio 108v
24 of 27 folios
And streigħt go to the deuel / whan I deye
Ne children shulde I noone / vp oon hire geten
Ȝet were me leuere / houndes had me eten
195
Than that myn heritage / shulde falle
In straunge hand / and this I telle ȝow alle
I doute nougħt / I wot the cause why
Men shulde wedde / and forthermore wot I
There speketħ many man / of mariage
200
That wot nomore of it / than wot my page
For whicħ causes / man shulde take a wyf
If he ne may nat / lyue chast his lyf
Take hī a wyf / witħ gret deuocioū
By cause of leueful / procreacioū
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Of children / to honour of god a boue
And nat oonly / for paramour or loue
And for they shuld / lecherie eschue
And ȝelde here dettes / whan that it is due
Or for that eche of hem / shulde helpen other
210
In myschief / as a Suster shal the brother
And lyue in chastite / ful holily
But Sires be ȝoure leue / that am nat I
For god be thanked / I dar make a vaunt
I fele myne lymes stark / and sufficeaunt
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To do al that a man / bylongetħ to
I wot my self best / what I may do
Thougħ I be hore / I fare as dotħ a tree
That blomytħ / er þat fruyt I wexen be
A blosmy tree / nys neither drye ne dede
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I fele me nowher hore / but oon myn hede
Myn herte and alle myne lymes / ben as grene
As laureƚƚ thurgħ the ȝere / is for to sene
And syn that ȝe / han herd al myn entent
I preye ȝow to my wyl / ȝe wyln assent
225
Dyuerse men / diuersly hī told
Of mariage / manye ensaumples old
Some blamed it / some preised it certeyn
But at the laste / shortly for to seyn
As al day falletħ / altercaciou
230
Be twixe frendes / in disputacioū
There fel a strif / be twix hise bretheren two
Of whicħ / þat on / was cleped / Placebo
Iustinus sotħly / called was that other
Placebo seide / o Ianuare brother
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Ful litel nede / had ȝe my lord so deere
Counseil to aske / of ony that is heere