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E. THE MARCHANTES TALE.
[T. 9793-9830.
His squyer, for it was a gentil dede.
'Dame,' quod this Ianuarie, 'tak good hede, 1920
At-after mete ye, with your wommen alle,
Whan ye han been in chambre out of this halle,
That alle ye go see this Damian;
Doth him disport, he is a gentil man; (680)
And telleth him that I wol him visyte, 1925
Have I no-thing but rested me a lyte;
And spede yow faste, for I wole abyde
Til that ye slepe faste by my syde.'
And with that word he gan to him to calle
A squyer, that was marchal of his halle, 1930
And tolde him certeyn thinges, what he wolde.
This fresshe May hath streight hir wey y-holde,
With alle hir wommen, un-to Damian.
Doun by his beddes syde sit she than, (690)
Confortinge him as goodly as she may. 1935
This Damian, whan that his tyme he say,
In secree wise his purs, and eek his bille,
In which that he y-writen hadde his wille,
Hath put in-to hir hand, with-outen more,
Save that he syketh wonder depe and sore, 1940
And softely to hir right thus seyde he:
'Mercy! and that ye nat discovere me;
For I am deed, if that this thing be kid.'
This purs hath she inwith hir bosom hid, (700)
And wente hir wey; ye gete namore of me. 1945
But un-to Ianuarie y-comen is she,
That on his beddes syde sit ful softe.
He taketh hir, and kisseth hir ful ofte,
And leyde him doun to slepe, and that anon.
She feyned hir as that she moste gon 1950
Ther-as ye woot that every wight mot nede.
And whan she of this bille hath taken hede,
She rente it al to cloutes atte laste,
And in the privee softely it caste. (710)
Who studieth now but faire fresshe May? 1955
Adoun by olde Ianuarie she lay,
'Dame,' quod this Ianuarie, 'tak good hede, 1920
At-after mete ye, with your wommen alle,
Whan ye han been in chambre out of this halle,
That alle ye go see this Damian;
Doth him disport, he is a gentil man; (680)
And telleth him that I wol him visyte, 1925
Have I no-thing but rested me a lyte;
And spede yow faste, for I wole abyde
Til that ye slepe faste by my syde.'
And with that word he gan to him to calle
A squyer, that was marchal of his halle, 1930
And tolde him certeyn thinges, what he wolde.
This fresshe May hath streight hir wey y-holde,
With alle hir wommen, un-to Damian.
Doun by his beddes syde sit she than, (690)
Confortinge him as goodly as she may. 1935
This Damian, whan that his tyme he say,
In secree wise his purs, and eek his bille,
In which that he y-writen hadde his wille,
Hath put in-to hir hand, with-outen more,
Save that he syketh wonder depe and sore, 1940
And softely to hir right thus seyde he:
'Mercy! and that ye nat discovere me;
For I am deed, if that this thing be kid.'
This purs hath she inwith hir bosom hid, (700)
And wente hir wey; ye gete namore of me. 1945
But un-to Ianuarie y-comen is she,
That on his beddes syde sit ful softe.
He taketh hir, and kisseth hir ful ofte,
And leyde him doun to slepe, and that anon.
She feyned hir as that she moste gon 1950
Ther-as ye woot that every wight mot nede.
And whan she of this bille hath taken hede,
She rente it al to cloutes atte laste,
And in the privee softely it caste. (710)
Who studieth now but faire fresshe May? 1955
Adoun by olde Ianuarie she lay,
