A Peniworþ of Witt

Of a chaunce ichil ȝou telle {f.257ra}

Þat whilom in þis lond bifelle.

Ones it was a marchaunde riche,

Nowhar nas non his liche

In þe cite þat he wond inne

A gode woman he gan spouse

& brouȝt hir to his house;

Bleþeliche sche dede al þat he sede

Þe godeman was stoute & gay

& bi anoþer wenche he lay,

He gan to louen hir als his liif

& told litel of his owhen wiif;

Of alle þe riches of þe lond:

Kercheues of silke & robes of priis,

Yfurroud wiþ vair & griis,

Gerlondes of gold & perles briȝt;

Of his wiif toke he non hede

Hou simpleliche þat sche ȝede

Euerich day clad him bifore;

Þat hye spent him þouȝt forlore.

Bot first to his leman he sent

For to wite of hir answere

What cloþes sche wald were

& what iuwels sche wold haue bouȝt,

So it bitidde as it be schold

Þe marchaunde ouer þe se wold;

His wiif to scorn he bigan

& dede as a nice man

Ouer þe se now to fare.

¶ Dame, hastow þe biþouȝt,

What juwels þou wilt haue bouȝt?

ȝif þou wilt haue ani for me,

¶ 'Sir,' sche seyd 'bi sein Jon,

Plente of siluer no haue y non

Þat y miȝt wele spare;

Bot sone, sir, so ȝe com þare,

& as ȝe be mi trewe fere

Bi þerwiþ a peniworþ witt

& in þine hert fast it knitt.

When þou comest hom, so God me spede,

Þe marchaunde wende his wiif were madde

For þe pani þat sche him badde,

Loþ him was þat siluer forgon,

In his hond he tok it anon

Þe peni in his purs he cast;

At schort wordes wiþouten mo

He lepe on hors & went hir fro.

¶ Þe marchaunde hadde winde ful gode

Biȝond se when he was come

Anon he haþ his conseil nome

To bigge of þe fairest ware,

For no siluer nold he spare;

He bouȝt his leman of þe best,

Noble juwels & atire

As ani leuedy wald desire;

Bot his wiif þat was gode & trewe

When he hadde alle þis ware ybouȝt,

After soper he sat & þouȝt,

Anon he seyd to his knaue

'O þing forȝeten now we haue -

Our dames peni is vnbisett;

What an ernest & a game,

Þerof we ben boþe to blame.'

An eld man þerin sat,

& in his hert he þouȝt anon,

Þat sum þing þer was misgon.

Þe eld man was wise of lore

& þouȝt for to wite more

He gan reherse better her tale.

'Marchaunde,' seyd þe old man' par charite

Telle þat ich aske now þe;

What wald þi wiif an ybouȝt? {f.257va}

& y schal selle þe worþ a pani

ȝif þat þou wilt bigge ani.'

Sayd þe marchaunde 'sikerliche,

Here schal rise a fair beuerege.'

Mi wiif a pani me bitoke

To bigge þerwiþ a paniworþ witt

& in min hert fast it knitt;

Sche swore, also God hir spede,

'Marchaunde,' quaþ þe old man 'bi þi liif

Hastow ani leman bot þi wiif?

Þe marchaunde answerd him aloude,

For of his leman he was proude,

On þat is worþ swiche fiue.'

'O!' quaþ þe old man & louȝ

'Þat ich ouertrowed wele anouȝ;

Bot riȝt for soþe nist ich it nouȝt

Bot now ich wot hou it is

Y schal selle to þe, ywis,

A peniworþ of wisdome,

Þat schal bere wittnesse of þi grome,

ȝif þou wilt don after me.'

'ȝis,' seyd þe marchaunde 'bi þe rode,

ȝif ich finde þi conseyl gode.'

'When þou hast don in schippe þi ware

& tow be in ȝour hauen ybrouȝt,

Loke þat þou forȝete it nouȝt.

A pouer wede do þe opon,

Also þou no haddest oþer non,

& sore sike þou biginne

& dreri chere make hir bifore

& say þou hast þi gode forlore

& say þou hast a man yslawe,

& aske þi leman ȝif sche miȝt

Herberwe þe þis ich niȝt

& elles þou most fle out of lond, {f.257vb}

& riȝt þus þou schalt hir fond.

Hom to þi wiif wende ful stille

& also to þine owen spouse

Telle of þi chaunce meruailouse

& avise þe wele & take gode hede

Oþer þi leman oþer þi wiue,

& to hir held þou al þi liue;

For tvay wil cost swiþe miche

For to atire richeliche,

Of þe gamen vnder þe gore.'

Þe marchaunde seiȝe & vnderstode

Þat his conseile was wise & gode,

'Eld man, wele mot þou fare,

Þe marchaunde bouȝt vp þat he wold,

Silke & cendel & cloþes of gold,

Sone after gode winde God him sent,

Hom to his cuntre he went.

When he was in hauen ybrouȝt,

To don so þeldman him badde

& so bifore haþ him radde.

He dede on him a pouer wede,

At þe gate he knocked anon,

His leman bad hir maiden gon,

To wite who was atte ȝate

& knocked so þerate.

Þat in he come atte last.

On iuel deþ mot sche dye -

His leman loked out wiþ hir eiȝe,

For sche seiȝe him so iuel diȝt

& schette þe dore wiþ þe pinne,

For he no schuld nouȝt com þerinne.

'Maiden,' quaþ þe marchaund anon

'To mi leman þou most gon,

Þat sche com & speke wiþ me

For al þe loue þat haþ ybe {f.258ra}

Bitvix mi leman & me.'

Þe maiden into chaumber ranne,

'Madame, þi leman gent & fre

Is comen hom fro biȝond þe se

& stont in halle iuel diȝt

& þat me reweþ, bi God almiȝt,

Com speke wiþ him er þan he wende.'

Cristes curs com on her mold -

Sche answerd as a schrewe schold

'Go þou,' sche seyd 'to him wel stille

& say to him wiþouten mis

Þat icham iuel at ese, ywis,

Þat y ne may, þei he were mi broþer,

Speke wiþ him no wiþ no noþer.'

& teld so þe leuedi badde

'Sir, mi leuedi seyt, wiþouten les,

Þat sche is so iuel at ese

& bad þou schust me þi wille sayn.'

Say hir mi gode is al agon

& y no haue spending non,

For y no hadde neuer er nede;

Ichaue ydon a sorweful dede,

For-reft a gentil man his liif.

Say hir ichaue a man yslawe,

Y no dar abide no londes lawe.

Pray mi leman ȝif sche miȝt

In a chaumber priue & derne,

Oþer ich must fle now also ȝerne.'

¶ Þo þat his leman þis wordes herd,

Wel schrewelich sche answerd

Þat he schuld wiþ bie & selle,

Daþet who þerfore wepe;

Of him no more y no kepe.

Say y me self schal, bot he fle,

& do þe kinges bailifes come {f.258rb}

& hastiliche he schal be nome

& in a strong prisoun be cast

& be anhonged atte last.'

& teld him þis wordes alle

'Fle, ȝif þou wilt þi liif haue,

For þi leman nil þe nouȝt saue.

Mi leuedi haþ her oþ ysworn

Þat sche nil do þe no socour,

Noiþer in soler no in bour,

No ben yfounde wiþ swiche tresoun

For to sustene þe kinges feloun.'

As man þat is in gret þouȝt;

He þouȝt ferþer for to gon,

For help no fond he þer riȝt non,

Sum better solauce for to finde,

Þe marchaunde duelled no wiȝt,

Hom to his hous he went riȝt;

He went him forþ into his halle

In a pouer atire wiþalle.

& in hir armes sche him feld;

For sche seiȝe him cloþed so þinne

Sche ladde him þe chaumber wiþinne,

& wiþ gode hert sone anon

& seyd 'sir, welcome ȝe be.

Hou haue ȝe farn biȝond se?'

¶ þe marchaunde to his wif spak

'Dame, in foule storm our schippe brak,

Þus pouer icham to þe come,

Helpe me, dame, ȝif þat þou wilt;

A gentil man ichaue yspilt,

Y dar no londes lawe abide.

In a chaumber priue & derne

Or ich mot fle now also ȝerne.'

'Nay,' sche said 'mi leman hende,

ȝete schaltow nouȝt fro me wende,

& comfort him wiþ al hir miȝt,

'Þei þou haue lorn þis warldes wele,

Þerfore murn þou nouȝt to fele,

No noþing wepe þou to sore;

Sir, ȝete ichaue sexti pounde

Of ȝours & mine of pans rounde,

And ar þis day a fourtenniȝt

Þe siluer schal be wide ydiȝt,

Fare y wil to þe king,

Biforn him & ek his quen

Falle opon mi bare knen

& y no schal neuer ses

& when ichaue þi pes ymaked

Þei we ben boþe moder-naked,

¶ Y & mi maiden schal swete & swinke

& win þe cloþes, mete & drink

Þerfore, sir, þarf þe nouȝt care.

Ar today seuen ȝer, & God tofore,

We schul be richer þan we were ore.'

¶ Þe marchaunde seiȝe & vnderstode

& for þe solas þat hye him made

He þouȝt hir hert for to glade

'No þing, dame, wex þine hert cheld,

It nis nouȝt so as y þe teld.

ȝete no slouȝ y neuer man;

Nis nouȝt mi catel al agon,

ȝete ichaue wel gode won

Ybrouȝt into hauen hole & sounde

Naþ noman part þerin now

Bot God of heuen & ich & tow.'

Of þis kepe y no more ȝedde,

Bot clept & kist & ȝede to bedde.

& dede on him a robe of say,

A gode palfray he bistrode

& to his lemannes in he rode.

His leman out at a windowe biheld {f.258vb}

& bi þe prikeing sche him knewe,

Sche dede on hir a robe newe

& diȝt her richeliche wiþalle

& com oȝain him into þe halle.

To him sche strit anonriȝt,

& bi þe swere sche haþ him nome

& seyd 'swete leman, wel come.'

Er þan euer þe marchaunde wist,

'Þei we be kist' sche seyd anon

'ȝete no be we nouȝt al at on;

Icham wroþ wiþ þe, & wele y may;

What nede was it me to asay?

Icham to þi comandment?

Bodi & chatel, al is þine,

Has noman elles part þerinne.'

Þus sche stroked his here & made it touȝ

'No,' quaþ þe marchaunde 'bi seyn Jon.

ȝete no be we nouȝt al at on.

Yt was me told biȝonde þe se,

Alle þe gode þat y brouȝt to þe

& hast fro me turned þi loue.'

'Leman,' hye seyd 'now schaltow se

Þat swiche wordes les be,

& so schal þi grome als,

Þis teld þe þin old crate;

Sche spekeþ me qued arliche & late.

Þis was a lesing of dame crate, þi wiif -

Ihesus Crist so schort hir liif -

Þan wist ich wele þat y schold

Of þe euer han mi wille,

Arliche & late, loude & stille.'

Sche sprad a kaneuas on þe flore

& brouȝt forþ her riche þinges,

Broches of gold & riche ringes,

Sextene schetes milk white, {f.259ra}

Viij chalouns & v couerlite,

Masers riche, coupes of gold.

'Now miȝt tow leue & wite & se

Dame old crate, þi wiif, oþer me.'

Þe marchaunde al þis gode biheld

& dede it in a wide sak

& slonge at his gromes bak.

'Heiȝe þe biliue, mi gode grome,

To mi wiif bere þis home.

For ich it bouȝt euerich dele.'

His leman stode & loked on him þo

& at hir hert hir was ful wo.

'Leman,' sche seyd 'artow wroþ?

ȝif ich haue ani þing misse[y]de,

For loue it be doun yleyde,

& lete þis gode duelle here stille,

No miȝt þou it feche at þi wille.'

Of hir falshed gan hir abrayd

'Y was ytauȝt me þe to asaye,

No schaltow neuer eft me bitraye,

Ne after me, bi Godes ore,

He lepe on hors at wordes fewe

& priked fro þat fals schrewe.

He rode him hom to his house

& cleped forþ his leue spouse

Þat was michel riche & store

'Lo, dame!' he seyd 'Bi mi chaffare

Ichaue ybrouȝt þi peniworþ ware,

Bot þe þink it wele bisett,

Þe gode wiif seiȝe al þat riche þing

& þonked Ihesu, heuen-kinge,

Þat he haþ þe gode hom brouȝt

& he haþ turned his þouȝt

Bliþe & glad sche was þat day.

Ynouȝ þai hadde of warldes wele, {f.259rb}

Togider þai liued ȝeres fele.

Þai ferd miri, & so mot we.