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Geoffrey Chaucer - The Canterbury Tales; THE MARCHANTES TALE
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Part 24
     
     THE PROLOGUE OF THE MARCHANTES TALE
     
     The Prologe of the Marchantes tale.
     
        "Wepyng and waylyng, care and oother sorwe,
     I knowe ynogh, on even and a morwe,"
     Quod the Marchant, "and so doon othere mo
     That wedded been, I trowe that it be so.
     For wel I woot, it fareth so with me.
     
     I have a wyf, the worste that may be,
     For thogh the feend to hire ycoupled were,
     She wolde hym overmacche, I dar wel swere.
     What sholde I yow reherce in special
     Hir hye malice?  She is a shrewe at al!
     
     Ther is a long and large difference
     Bitwix Grisildis grete pacience
     And of my wyf the passyng crueltee.
     Were I unbounden, al so moot I thee,
     I wolde nevere eft comen in the snare.
     
     We wedded men lyve in sorwe and care;
     Assaye who so wole, and he shal fynde
     I seye sooth, by Seint Thomas of Ynde-
     As for the moore part, I seye nat alle;
     God shilde, that it sholde so bifalle!
     
     Ay, goode Sir Hoost, I have ywedded bee
     Thise monthes two, and moore nat, pardee;
     And yet I trowe, he that al his lyve
     Wyflees hath been, though that men wolde him ryve
     Unto the herte, ne koude in no manere
     
     Tellen so muchel sorwe as I now heere
     Koude tellen of my wyves cursednesse!"
     Now quod our hoost, "Marchant, so God yow blesse,
     Syn ye so muchel knowen of that art, 
     Ful hertely I pray yow telle us part."
     
     "Gladly," quod he, "but of myn owene soore,
     For soory herte I telle may namoore."
     
     THE TALE.
     
        (January, a rich old dotard, who has married May, in spite
     of his friends` objections to the inequality of their ages, is
     deceived by her and his young squire Damian, although Pluto in
     pity restores his lost sight.)
     Part 25
     
     EPILOGUE
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