T. 9181-9216.]
E. THE MARCHANTES TALE.
429
This sentence, and an hundred thinges worse,
Wryteth this man, ther god his bones corse!
But take no kepe of al swich vanitee;
1310Deffye Theofraste and herke[1] me.
A wyf is goddes yifte verraily;
Alle other maner yiftes hardily,
As londes, rentes, pasture, or commune,
(70)Or moebles, alle ben yiftes of fortune,
1315That passen as a shadwe upon a wal.
But dredelees,[2] if pleynly speke I shal,
A wyf wol laste, and in thyn hous endure,
Wel lenger than thee list, paraventure.
Mariage is a ful gret sacrement;
1320He which that hath no wyf, I holde him shent;
He liveth helplees and al desolat,
I speke of folk in seculer estaat.
And herke[3] why, I sey nat this for noght,
(80)That womman is for mannes help y-wroght.
1325The hye god, whan he hadde Adam maked,
And saugh him al allone, bely-naked,
God of his grete goodnesse seyde than,
'Lat us now make an help un-to this man
Lyk to him-self;' and thanne he made him Eve.
1330Heer may ye se, and heer-by may ye preve,
That wyf is mannes help and his confort,
His paradys terrestre and his disport.
So buxom and so vertuous is she,
(90)They moste nedes live in unitee.
1335O flesh they been, and o flesh, as I gesse,
Hath but on herte, in wele and in distresse.
A wyf! a! Seinte Marie, benedicite!
How mighte a man han any adversitee
That hath a wyf? certes, I can nat seye.
1340The blisse[4] which that is bitwixe hem tweye
Ther may no tonge telle, or herte thinke.
If he be povre, she helpeth him to swinke;
Wryteth this man, ther god his bones corse!
But take no kepe of al swich vanitee;
1310Deffye Theofraste and herke[1] me.
A wyf is goddes yifte verraily;
Alle other maner yiftes hardily,
As londes, rentes, pasture, or commune,
(70)Or moebles, alle ben yiftes of fortune,
1315That passen as a shadwe upon a wal.
But dredelees,[2] if pleynly speke I shal,
A wyf wol laste, and in thyn hous endure,
Wel lenger than thee list, paraventure.
Mariage is a ful gret sacrement;
1320He which that hath no wyf, I holde him shent;
He liveth helplees and al desolat,
I speke of folk in seculer estaat.
And herke[3] why, I sey nat this for noght,
(80)That womman is for mannes help y-wroght.
1325The hye god, whan he hadde Adam maked,
And saugh him al allone, bely-naked,
God of his grete goodnesse seyde than,
'Lat us now make an help un-to this man
Lyk to him-self;' and thanne he made him Eve.
1330Heer may ye se, and heer-by may ye preve,
That wyf is mannes help and his confort,
His paradys terrestre and his disport.
So buxom and so vertuous is she,
(90)They moste nedes live in unitee.
1335O flesh they been, and o flesh, as I gesse,
Hath but on herte, in wele and in distresse.
A wyf! a! Seinte Marie, benedicite!
How mighte a man han any adversitee
That hath a wyf? certes, I can nat seye.
1340The blisse[4] which that is bitwixe hem tweye
Ther may no tonge telle, or herte thinke.
If he be povre, she helpeth him to swinke;
