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The Prologe of the Marchantes Tale.
‘WEPING and wayling, care, and other sorwe | |
| I know y-nogh, on even and a-morwe,’ | |
| Quod the Marchaunt, ‘and so don othere mo | |
| That wedded been, I trowe that it be so. | |
| For, wel I woot, it fareth so with me. | 5 |
| I have a wyf, the worste that may be; | |
| For thogh the feend to hir y-coupled were, | |
| She wolde him overmacche, I dar wel swere. | |
| What sholde I yow reherce in special | |
| Hir hye malice? she is a shrewe at al. | 10 |
| Ther is a long and large difference | |
| Bitwix Grisildis grete pacience | |
| And of my wyf the passing crueltee. | |
| Were I unbounden, al-so moot I thee! | |
| I wolde never eft comen in the snare. | 15 |
| We wedded men live in sorwe and care; | |
| Assaye who-so wol, and he shal finde | |
| I seye sooth, by seint Thomas of Inde, | |
| As for the more part, I sey nat alle. | |
| God shilde that it sholde so bifalle! | 20 |
| A! good sir hoost! I have y-wedded be | |
| Thise monthes two, and more nat, pardee; | |
| And yet, I trowe, he that all his lyve | |
| Wyflees hath been, though that men wolde him ryve | |
| Un-to the herte, ne coude in no manere | 25 |
| Tellen so muchel sorwe, as I now here | |
| Coude tellen of my wyves cursednesse!’ | |
| ‘Now,’ quod our hoost, ‘Marchaunt, so god yow blesse, | |
| Sin ye so muchel knowen of that art, | |
| Ful hertely I pray yow telle us part.’ | 30 |
| ‘Gladly,’ quod he, ‘but of myn owene sore, | |
| For sory herte, I telle may na-more.’ | |
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