"Wepyng and waylyng, care and oother sorwe I knowe ynogh, on even and a-morwe," Quod the Marchant, "and so doon other 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, also moot I thee! I wolde nevere eft comen in the snare. We wedded men lyven in sorwe and care. Assaye whoso wole, and he shal fynde That I seye sooth, by Seint Thomas of Ynde, As for the moore part, I sey nat alle. God shilde that it sholde so bifalle! A! goode sire 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 oure Hoost, "Marchaunt, 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." | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...TEARS by LIZETTE WOODWORTH REESE THE HOSTESS' DAUGHTER by JOHANN LUDWIG UHLAND STANZAS ON THE CONVERSION OF THE JEWS by BERNARD BARTON JAMES BARR AMES by HARRY RANDOLPH BLYTHE CAELIA: SONNETS: 7 by WILLIAM BROWNE (1591-1643) SEVEN SONNETS ON THE THOUGHT OF DEATH: 1 by ARTHUR HUGH CLOUGH LINES TO A COMIC AUTHOR, ON AN ABUSIVE REVIEW by SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE |