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E. THE MARCHANTES TALE.
[T. 9867-9902.
And hem reioysen in hir cruel pryde,
And rekke nat to been an homicyde. (750)
This gentil May, fulfilled of pitee, 1995
Right of hir hande a lettre made she,
In which she graunteth him hir verray grace;
Ther lakketh noght but only day and place,
Wher that she mighte un-to his lust suffyse:
For it shal be right as he wol devyse. 2000
And whan she saugh hir time, up-on a day,
To visite this Damian goth May,
And sotilly this lettre doun she threste
Under his pilwe, rede it if him leste. (760)
She taketh him by the hand, and harde him twiste 2005
So secrely, that no wight of it wiste,
And bad him been al hool, and forth she wente
To Ianuarie, whan that he for hir sente.
Up ryseth Damian the nexte morwe,
Al passed was his siknesse and his sorwe. 2010
He kembeth him, he proyneth him and pyketh,
He dooth al that his lady lust and lyketh;
And eek to Ianuarie he gooth as lowe
As ever dide a dogge for the bowe. (770)
He is so plesant un-to every man, 2015
(For craft is al, who-so that do it can)
That every wight is fayn to speke him good;
And fully in his lady grace he stood.
Thus lete I Damian aboute his nede,
And in my tale forth I wol procede. 2020
Somme clerkes holden that felicitee
Stant in delyt, and therefor certeyn he,
This noble Ianuarie, with al his might,
In honest wyse, as longeth to a knight, (780)
Shoop him to live ful deliciously. 2025
His housinge, his array, as honestly
To his degree was maked as a kinges.
Amonges othere of his honest thinges,
And rekke nat to been an homicyde. (750)
This gentil May, fulfilled of pitee, 1995
Right of hir hande a lettre made she,
In which she graunteth him hir verray grace;
Ther lakketh noght but only day and place,
Wher that she mighte un-to his lust suffyse:
For it shal be right as he wol devyse. 2000
And whan she saugh hir time, up-on a day,
To visite this Damian goth May,
And sotilly this lettre doun she threste
Under his pilwe, rede it if him leste. (760)
She taketh him by the hand, and harde him twiste 2005
So secrely, that no wight of it wiste,
And bad him been al hool, and forth she wente
To Ianuarie, whan that he for hir sente.
Up ryseth Damian the nexte morwe,
Al passed was his siknesse and his sorwe. 2010
He kembeth him, he proyneth him and pyketh,
He dooth al that his lady lust and lyketh;
And eek to Ianuarie he gooth as lowe
As ever dide a dogge for the bowe. (770)
He is so plesant un-to every man, 2015
(For craft is al, who-so that do it can)
That every wight is fayn to speke him good;
And fully in his lady grace he stood.
Thus lete I Damian aboute his nede,
And in my tale forth I wol procede. 2020
Somme clerkes holden that felicitee
Stant in delyt, and therefor certeyn he,
This noble Ianuarie, with al his might,
In honest wyse, as longeth to a knight, (780)
Shoop him to live ful deliciously. 2025
His housinge, his array, as honestly
To his degree was maked as a kinges.
Amonges othere of his honest thinges,
