THE MERCHANTS TALE（第2页）

thatisaysooth，bysaintthomasofind，

asfortherepart;isaynotall，—

godshielde*thatitshouldesobefall.*forbid

ah!goodsirhost，ihavey-weddedbe

thesehstwo，andrenot，pardie;

andyetitrow*thathethatallhislife*believe

wifelesshathbeen，thoughthatmenwouldhimrive**wound

intothehearte，couldinnomannere

tellesomuchsorrow，asiyouhere

couldtellenofmywifescursedness."**wickedness

"now，"quothourhost，"merchant，sogodyoubless，

sinceyesomucheknowenofthatart，

fullheartilyiprayyoutel露spart."

"gladly，"quothhe;"butofmineowensore，

forsorryheart，itellemaynore."

thoughthemannerinwhichthemerchanttakesuptheclosingwordsoftheenvoytotheclerkstale，andreferstothepatienceofgriselda，seemstoprovebeyonddoubtthattheorderofthetalesinthetextistherightone，yetinsomemanuscriptsofgoodauthoritythefranklinstalefollowstheclerks，andtheenvoyisconc露dedbythisstanza:—"thisworthyclerkwhenendedwashistale，ourhostesaid，andsworebycockesbonesmeleverwerethanabarrelofalemywifeathomehadheardthislegendonce;thisisagentletaleforthenonce;as，tomypurpose，wisteyemywill.butthingthatwillnotbe，letitbestill."inothermanuscriptsoflessauthoritythehostproceeds，intwosimilarstanzas，toimposeataleonthefranklin;buttyrwhittisprobablyrightinsetthemasideasspurious，andinadmitthegenuinenessofthefirstonly，ifitbesupposedthatchaucerforgottocancelitwhenhehaddecidedonanotherdeofconnecthemerchantswiththeclerkstale.

saintthomasofind:st.thomastheapostle，whowasbelievedtohavetravelledinindia.