The Shipman's Tale
Folio 162v
11 of 11 folios
And wantonly with him she pleyde
¶ Til atte last this Marchant seide
Bi god quod he I am alitel wroth
With yow my wif al thogh it be me loth
385
And wot ye whi bi god as that I gesse
That ye han made a maner straungenesse
Bitwix me and my Cosyn dan Ioħn
Ye shuld han warned me or I had gon
That he yow had an hundreth frankes paied
390
Bi redy token he held him euel apaide
For that I to him spak of cheuysaunce
Me semed so bi his contenance
But nathalees bi god of heuene kyng
I thoght nat to axe him no thing
395
I prey the wif do no more so
Telle me alwey or that I fro the go
If eny dettour haue in myn absence
I payde the lest thurgh thi neccligence
I may him axe a thing that he hath payde
400
¶ This wif was noght afferd ne affrayde
But boldly she seide and that anon
Mary I defye that fals Monk dan Ioħn
I keep noght of his tokenes neuer adel
He took me certeyn gold that wot I wel
405
What euel thedom vpon his monkes snoute
For god it wot I wende with outen doute
That he had yeue it me bi cause of yow
To do ther with my profit and my prow
For Cosynage and ek for belchere
410
That he hath had ful often tymes here
But synnes I stond thus in this disioynt
I wol answer yow shortly to the poynt
¶ Ye han mo slakker dettour than am I.
For I wil pay yow wel and redily
415
Fro day to day and yif so be I faille
I am your wif score it vpon my taille
And I shal pay it as sone as euer I may