Epilogue to the Marchantes Tale. The Canterbury Tales. Geoffrey Chaucer. 1894. The Complete Poetical Works

Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1340–1400). The Complete Poetical Works. 1894.

The Canterbury Tales

Epilogue to the Marchantes Tale


‘EY! goddes mercy!’ seyde our Hoste tho,
‘Now swich a wyf I pray god kepe me fro!
Lo, whiche sleightes and subtilitees
In wommen been! for ay as bisy as bees
Ben they, us sely men for to deceyve,	5
And from a sothe ever wol they weyve;
By this Marchauntes Tale it preveth weel.
But doutelees, as trewe as any steel
I have a wyf, though that she povre be;
But of hir tonge a labbing shrewe is she,	10
And yet she hath an heep of vyces mo;
Ther-of no fors, lat alle swiche thinges go.
But, wite ye what? in conseil be it seyd,
Me reweth sore I am un-to hir teyd.
For, and I sholde rekenen every vyce	15
Which that she hath, y-wis, I were to nyce,
And cause why; it sholde reported be
And told to hir of somme of this meynee;
Of whom, it nedeth nat for to declare,
Sin wommen connen outen swich chaffare;	20
And eek my wit suffyseth nat ther-to
To tellen al; wherfor my tale is do.’