430
E. THE MARCHANTES TALE.
[T. 9217-9252.
She kepeth his good, and wasteth never a deel;
(100)Al that hir housbonde lust, hir lyketh weel;
1345She seith not ones 'nay,' whan he seith 'ye.'
'Do this,' seith he; 'al redy, sir,' seith she.
O blisful ordre of wedlok precious,
Thou art so mery,[1] and eek so vertuous,
And so commended and appreved eek,
1350That every man that halt[2] him worth a leek,
Up-on his bare knees oghte[3] al his lyf
Thanken his god that him hath sent a wyf;
Or elles preye to god him for to sende
(110)A wyf, to laste un-to his lyves ende.
1355For thanne his lyf is set in sikernesse;
He may nat be deceyved, as I gesse,
So that he werke after his wyves reed;[4]
Than may he boldly beren[5] up his heed,
They been so trewe and ther-with-al so wyse;
1360For which, if thou wolt werken as the wyse,
Do alwey so as wommen wol thee rede.[6]
Lo, how that Iacob, as thise clerkes rede,
By good conseil of his moder Rebekke,
(120)Bond the kides skin aboute his nekke;
1365Thurgh which his fadres benisoun he wan.
Lo, Iudith, as the storie eek telle can,
By wys conseil she goddes peple kepte,
And slow him, Olofernus, whyl he slepte.
Lo Abigayl, by good conseil how she
1370Saved hir housbond Nabal, whan that he
Sholde han be slayn; and loke, Ester also
By good conseil delivered out of wo
The peple of god, and made him, Mardochee,
(130)Of Assuere enhaunced for to be.
1375 Ther nis no-thing in gree superlatyf,
As seith Senek, above an humble wyf.
Suffre thy wyves tonge, as Caton bit;
She shal comande, and thou shalt suffren it;
(100)Al that hir housbonde lust, hir lyketh weel;
1345She seith not ones 'nay,' whan he seith 'ye.'
'Do this,' seith he; 'al redy, sir,' seith she.
O blisful ordre of wedlok precious,
Thou art so mery,[1] and eek so vertuous,
And so commended and appreved eek,
1350That every man that halt[2] him worth a leek,
Up-on his bare knees oghte[3] al his lyf
Thanken his god that him hath sent a wyf;
Or elles preye to god him for to sende
(110)A wyf, to laste un-to his lyves ende.
1355For thanne his lyf is set in sikernesse;
He may nat be deceyved, as I gesse,
So that he werke after his wyves reed;[4]
Than may he boldly beren[5] up his heed,
They been so trewe and ther-with-al so wyse;
1360For which, if thou wolt werken as the wyse,
Do alwey so as wommen wol thee rede.[6]
Lo, how that Iacob, as thise clerkes rede,
By good conseil of his moder Rebekke,
(120)Bond the kides skin aboute his nekke;
1365Thurgh which his fadres benisoun he wan.
Lo, Iudith, as the storie eek telle can,
By wys conseil she goddes peple kepte,
And slow him, Olofernus, whyl he slepte.
Lo Abigayl, by good conseil how she
1370Saved hir housbond Nabal, whan that he
Sholde han be slayn; and loke, Ester also
By good conseil delivered out of wo
The peple of god, and made him, Mardochee,
(130)Of Assuere enhaunced for to be.
1375 Ther nis no-thing in gree superlatyf,
As seith Senek, above an humble wyf.
Suffre thy wyves tonge, as Caton bit;
She shal comande, and thou shalt suffren it;
