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[6-text p 476]
2. [ET Incipit prologus Armigeri [Brit. Mus. Addit. MS. 5140, on leaf 169.]
Ey. goddis Mercy / said our oste tho.
Nowe suche a wyf / y pray god kepe me fro
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loo suche sleyhtis / and sotiltees
In wommen bene / for ay as besy as bees
Ben they / vs secly men to disceyve
And from the soth / evir wol they weyve
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By this Marchauntis tale / it preveth weell
But doutles / as true as any steel
I haue a wyf / though. she pore be
But of hir tong / a labbyng shrewe is she
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And yit she hath / an heepe of vices mo
Therof no fors / lat alle such thingis go.
But wot ye what / in counsail be it said
Me reweth soore / that y am to hir teyde
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ffor and y shulde rekne / euery vice
Which that she hath / y-wys y were nyce
And cause why / it sholde reported be
And tolde to hir / of som of this menie
Of hom it nedith nat / for to declare [Addit. 5140 folio 169b]
Syn wommen / can vttir suche chaffare
And eek my wyt / suffiseth nat therto
To tellyn all / wherfor my tale is do]
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