The Shipman's Tale
Folio 151r
2 of 9 folios
As in that hous / and ful of diligence
45
To doon plesaunce / and also gret costage
He nougħt for gat / to ȝeue the leest page
In al that hous / but after here degree
He ȝaf the lord / and sithen al his meyne
Whan that he coom / som manere honest thyng
50
For whicħ they were as glad / of his comyng
As foule is fayn / whan that the sōne vp risitħ
Nomore of this as now / for it suffisitħ
¶ But so byfel / this Marchaūt on a day
Shope hī / to make redy / his array
55
Toward the Toun of Brugges / for to fare
To byen there / a porcioū of ware
For whicħ he hatħ / to Parys sent anon
A messager / and preyed hatħ daun Ioħn
That he shulde come / to Seynt Denys and pleye
60
¶ Witħ hī and witħ his wyf / a day or tweye
Er he to Brugges wente / in alle wyse
¶ This noble Monk / of whicħ I ȝow deuyse
Hatħ of his Abbot / as hī list / licence
By cause he was a man / of heigħ prudence
65
And eke an officere / out for to ride
To sen here graunges / and here Bernes wyde
And vn to Seynt Denys / he cometħ a non
Who was so welcome / as my lord Daun Ioħn
Oure dere Cosyn / ful of curtesie
70
Witħ hī brougħte he / a Iubbe of Maluesie
And eke a nother / ful of fyn vernage
And volatil / as ay was his vsage
And thus / I lete hē / ete and drynke / and pleye
This Marchaūt and this Monk / a day or tweye
75
¶ The thridde day / this Marchaūt vp arisitħ
And on hise nedes / sadly hī auysitħ
And vp in to his Countour hous / gotħ he
To rekene witħ hī self / wel may be
Of thilke ȝer / how that it witħ hī stod
80
And how that he / dispended had his good
And if that he / encressed were or noon
Hise bookes / and hise bagges many oon
He leitħ biforn hī / on his countyngbord
Ful riche was his tresor / and his hord
85
For whicħ ful faste / his countor dore he shette
And eke he nolde / that noman shulde hī lette
Of hise acountes / for the mene tyme