The Merchant's Tale
Folio 138r
1 of 30 folios
¶ Here bigynneth / the Marchantes tale
WHilom / ther was dwellynge in Lumbardye
x worthy knyght / that born was of Pauye
In which he lyuede / in greet prosperitee
And .lx. yeer / a wiflees man was he
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And folwed ay / his bodily delit
On wommen / ther as was his appetit
As doon thise fooles / that been seculer
And whan that he / was passed .lx. yeer
Were it for holynesse / or for dotage
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I kan nat seye / but swich a greet corage
Hadde this knyght to been a wedded man
That day and nyght / he dooth al that he kan
Tespien / where he myghte wedded be
Preyynge oure lord / to graunten hym / þt he
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Mighte ones knowe / of thilke blisful lyf
That is / bitwix an housbonde and his wyf
And for to lyue / vnder that holy bond
With which / þt god / man and womman boond
Noon oother lyf seyde he / is worth a bene
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For wedlok is so esy / and so clene
That in this world / it is a Paradys
Thus seyde this olde knyght þt was so wys
¶ And certeynly / as sooth as god is kyng
To take a wyf / it is a glorious thyng
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And namely / whan a man is old and hoor
Thanne is a wyf / the fruyt of his tresor
Thanne sholde he take / a yong wyf and a feir
On which he myghte / engendren hym an heir
And lede his lyf in ioye / and in solas
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Wher as thise Bachilers / synge allas
Whan þt that they fynde / any aduersitee
In loue / which nys but childissh vanytee
And trewely / it sit wel to be so
That Bachilers / haue ofte peyne and wo
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On brotil ground they bilde / and brotilnesse
They fynde / whan they wene sikernesse