The Merchant's Prologue
Folio 132v
1 of 2 folios
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Ne drede hem not . do hem no reuerence
For þough þin housbond armed be in mayle
The arwes of þy crabbid eloquence
Schal perse his brest and eek his aduentayle /
In gelousy I rede eek þou him bynde
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And þou schalt make him couche as doth a quayle
If þou be fair þer folk ben in presence
Schew þou þy visage and þin apparaile
If þou be foul be fre of þy despence
To gete þe frendes do ay þy trauayle /
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Be ay of chier as light as lef on lynde /
And let hem care and wepe and wryng and wayle
¶ Here bygynneth þe prolōge of þe marchaūdis tale
WEpyng and wailyng care and oþer sorwe
I knowe ynough boþe on euen & on morwe
Quod þe marchaūd . and so doon oþer mo
That weddid ben I trowe þat it be so
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For wel I woot it fareth so with me
I haue a wyf . þe worste þat may be
For þough þe feend to hir y coupled were
Sche wold him ouer macche I dar wel swere
What schuld I ȝow reherse in special
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Hir high malice . sche is a schrewe at al
Ther is a long and a large difference
Bitwix Grisildes grete pacience
And of my wyf þe passyng cruelte
Were I vnbounden also mot I the
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I wolde neuer eft come in þe snare
We weddid men lyue in sorwe and care
Assay who so wil and he schal fynde /
That I say soth by seint Thomas of Inde
As for þe more part . I say not alle
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God schilde þat it scholde so byfalle /
A good ser host . I haue y weddid be
Thise monthes tuo and more not par de
And ȝit I trowe he þat al his lyue
Wyfles haþ ben þough þat men wold him riue
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Vnto þe hert ne couþe in no manere