Ful wel acordyng to his gyternyng
This carpenter awook and herde him syng
Line 3364
And spak vnto his wyf and sayde anoon
what alisoun herestow not absolon
That chaunteþ þus vnder oure boure smal
And sche answerd hir housbond þer wiþ al
Line 3368
Ȝis God woot Iohn I heere it euery del
This passeþ forth what wil ȝe bet þan wel
Fro day to day þis Ioly Absolon
So woweþ hire þat him is wo bigon
Line 3372
he wakeþ al þe night and al þe day
To kembe his lokkes brode and made him gay
he wowith hire by mene and by brocage
And swor he wolde ben hir owne page /
Line 3376
he syngeþ crowyng as a nightyngale
And sent hire pyment meth and spiced ale /
And wafres pypyng hoot out of þe gleede
For þat sche was of toune he profred meede
Line 3380
For som folk wol be wonne for richesse
And som for strokes som for gentillesse
Som tyme to schewe his lightnes and maistrye
he pleyeth herodȝ on a scaffold hye
Line 3384
But what avayleþ him as in þis caas /
Sche loueþ so þis heende Nicholas [folio 45b]
That absolon may blowe þe bukkes horn
he ne had for al his labour but a skorn
Line 3388
And þus sche makeþ absolon hir ape
And al his ernest torneþ to a Iape
Ful soþ is þis prouerbe it is no lye
Men seyn right þus alway þe ney slye
Line 3392
Makeþ þe ferre leef to be loþ
For þough þat absolon be wood or wroth
By cause þat he fer was from here sight
This Nicholas haþ stonden in his light
Line 3396
Now bere þe wel þou heende Nicholas
For absolon may wayle and synge allas
