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444
E. THE MARCHANTES TALE.
[T. 9720-9755.
And kiste his wyf, and made wantoun chere.
He was al coltish, ful of ragerye,
And ful of Iargon as a flekked pye.
The slakke skin aboute his nekke shaketh,
Whyl that he sang; so chaunteth he and craketh. 185
But god wot what that May thoughte in hir herte,
Whan she him saugh up sittinge in his sherte,
In his night-cappe, and with his nekke lene;
She preyseth nat his pleying worth a bene. (610)
Than seide he thus, 'my reste wol I take; 185
Now day is come, I may no lenger wake.'
And doun he leyde his heed, and sleep til pryme.
And afterward, whan that he saugh his tyme,
Up ryseth Ianuarie; but fresshe May
Holdeth hir chambre un-to the fourthe day, 1860
As usage is of wyves for the beste.
For every labour som-tyme moot han reste,
Or elles longe may he nat endure;
This is to seyn, no lyves creature, (620)
Be it of fish, or brid, or beest, or man. 1865
Now wol I speke of woful Damian, Auctor.
That languissheth for love, as ye shul here;
Therfore I speke to him in this manere:
I seye, 'O sely Damian, allas!
Answere to my demaunde, as in this cas, 1870
How shaltow to thy lady fresshe May
Telle thy wo? She wole alwey seye "nay";
Eek if thou speke, she wol thy wo biwreye;
God be thyn help, I can no bettre seye.' (630)
This syke Damian in Venus fyr 1875
So brenneth, that he dyeth for desyr;
For which he putte his lyf in aventure,
No lenger mighte he in this wyse endure;
But prively a penner gan he borwe,
And in a lettre wroot he al his sorwe, 1880
In manere of a compleynt or a lay,
He was al coltish, ful of ragerye,
And ful of Iargon as a flekked pye.
The slakke skin aboute his nekke shaketh,
Whyl that he sang; so chaunteth he and craketh. 185
But god wot what that May thoughte in hir herte,
Whan she him saugh up sittinge in his sherte,
In his night-cappe, and with his nekke lene;
She preyseth nat his pleying worth a bene. (610)
Than seide he thus, 'my reste wol I take; 185
Now day is come, I may no lenger wake.'
And doun he leyde his heed, and sleep til pryme.
And afterward, whan that he saugh his tyme,
Up ryseth Ianuarie; but fresshe May
Holdeth hir chambre un-to the fourthe day, 1860
As usage is of wyves for the beste.
For every labour som-tyme moot han reste,
Or elles longe may he nat endure;
This is to seyn, no lyves creature, (620)
Be it of fish, or brid, or beest, or man. 1865
Now wol I speke of woful Damian, Auctor.
That languissheth for love, as ye shul here;
Therfore I speke to him in this manere:
I seye, 'O sely Damian, allas!
Answere to my demaunde, as in this cas, 1870
How shaltow to thy lady fresshe May
Telle thy wo? She wole alwey seye "nay";
Eek if thou speke, she wol thy wo biwreye;
God be thyn help, I can no bettre seye.' (630)
This syke Damian in Venus fyr 1875
So brenneth, that he dyeth for desyr;
For which he putte his lyf in aventure,
No lenger mighte he in this wyse endure;
But prively a penner gan he borwe,
And in a lettre wroot he al his sorwe, 1880
In manere of a compleynt or a lay,
