And so byfel it / that on a Saterday
This Carpenter / was gone to Osney
Line 3400
And hende Nicholas / and Alison
Accorded ben / to this conclusion
That Nicholas / shal shapen hem a wyle
The sely Ielous husbonde / to begyle
Line 3404
And if so be / the game went a-right
She shulde slepe / in his arme al nyght [folio 42b]
ffor this was hire desir / and his also
And right a-non / with-oute wordes moo
Line 3408
This Nicholas / no lengere wold tarie
But doth ful softe / vn-to his chaumbre carie
Bothe mete and drynk / for a day or twey
And to hire husbonde / bad hire for to sey
Line 3412
If that he axed / after Nicholas
She shulde seye / she nyst where he was
Of al that day / she sey him nat with eye
She trowed þat he was / in sum maladye
Line 3416
ffor · for no cry / hire mayde koude him calle [¶ quia · pro ·]
he nolde answere / for thyng þat myght falle
This passeth forth / al thilk Satirday
That Nicholas stille / in his chaumbre lay
Line 3420
And ete and slepe / or dede what him list
Til Sonday / that þe sonne goth to rest
¶ . This sely Carpenter / hath gret merueylle
Of Nicholas / or what thyng myght him eylle
Line 3424
And seide / I am a-drad / by seynt Thomas
It stondeth nat a right / with Nicholas
God shilde / þat he deyed sodeynly
This world is now / ful tekil sekerly
Line 3428
I saw to-day / a cors I-born to chirche
That now on monday last / I saw him werche
Go vp quod he / vn-to his knaue a-non
Clepe at the dore / and knokke with a ston
Line 3432
loke how it is / and telle me boldely
¶ . This knaue goth him vp / ful sturdily
