The Merchant's Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme

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'Weeping and wailing care and other sorrow	A
I have enough on even and on morrow '	B
Quoth the Merchant 'and so have other mo'	C
That wedded be I trow that it be so believe	D
For well I wot it fareth so by me	C
I have a wife the worste that may be	C
For though the fiend to her y coupled were	E
She would him overmatch I dare well swear	F
Why should I you rehearse in special	G
Her high malice she is a shrew at all thoroughly in	H
There is a long and large difference everything wicked	I
Betwixt Griselda's greate patience	J
And of my wife the passing cruelty	C
Were I unbounden all so may I the thrive	K
I woulde never eft come in the snare again	L
We wedded men live in sorrow and care	F
Assay it whoso will and he shall find	M
That I say sooth by Saint Thomas of Ind	M
As for the more part I say not all	N
God shielde that it shoulde so befall forbid	M
Ah good Sir Host I have y wedded be	C
These moneths two and more not pardie	M
And yet I trow that he that all his life believe	D
Wifeless hath been though that men would him rive wound	M
Into the hearte could in no mannere	F
Telle so much sorrow as I you here	F
Could tellen of my wife's cursedness ' wickedness	O
	-
'Now ' quoth our Host 'Merchant so God you bless	P
Since ye so muche knowen of that art	M
Full heartily I pray you tell us part '	-
'Gladly ' quoth he 'but of mine owen sore	F
For sorry heart I telle may no more '	-
	-
	-
THE TALE	Q
	-
	-
Whilom there was dwelling in Lombardy	M
A worthy knight that born was at Pavie	D
In which he liv'd in great prosperity	M
And forty years a wifeless man was he	M
And follow'd aye his bodily delight	M
On women where as was his appetite	M
As do these fooles that be seculeres	P
And when that he was passed sixty years	P
Were it for holiness or for dotage	R
I cannot say but such a great corage inclination	S
Hadde this knight to be a wedded man	T
That day and night he did all that he can	T
To espy where that he might wedded be	M
Praying our Lord to grante him that he	M
Mighte once knowen of that blissful life	D
That is betwixt a husband and his wife	D
And for to live under that holy bond	M
With which God firste man and woman bond	M
'None other life ' said he 'is worth a bean	U
For wedlock is so easy and so clean	U
That in this world it is a paradise '	-
Thus said this olde knight that was so wise	P
And certainly as sooth as God is king true	F
To take a wife it is a glorious thing	V
And namely when a man is old and hoar especially	M
Then is a wife the fruit of his treasor	F
Then should he take a young wife and a fair	F
On which he might engender him an heir	F
And lead his life in joy and in solace mirth delight	M
Whereas these bachelors singen 'Alas '	-
When that they find any adversity	M
In love which is but childish vanity	M
And truely it sits well to be so becomes befits	P
That bachelors have often pain and woe	A
On brittle ground they build and brittleness	P
They finde when they weene sickerness think that there	F
They live but as a bird or as a beast is security	M
In liberty and under no arrest check control	W
Whereas a wedded man in his estate	M
Liveth a life blissful and ordinate	M
Under the yoke of marriage y bound	M
Well may his heart in joy and bliss abound	M
For who can be so buxom as a wife obedient	M
Who is so true and eke so attentive	D
To keep him sick and whole as is his make care for mate	M
For weal or woe she will him not forsake	X
She is not weary him to love and serve	D
Though that he lie bedrid until he sterve die	M
And yet some clerkes say it is not so	P
Of which he Theophrast is one of tho those	P
What force though Theophrast list for to lie what matter	F
	-
'Take no wife ' quoth he 'for husbandry thrift	M
As for to spare in household thy dispence	P
A true servant doth more diligence	P
Thy good to keep than doth thine owen wife	D
For she will claim a half part all her life	D
And if that thou be sick so God me save	D
Thy very friendes or a true knave servant	M
Will keep thee bet than she that waiteth aye ahways waits to	M
After thy good and hath done many a day ' inherit your property	M
This sentence and a hundred times worse	P
Writeth this man there God his bones curse	P
But take no keep of all such vanity notice	P
Defy Theophrast and hearken to me distrust	M
	-
A wife is Godde's gifte verily	W
All other manner giftes hardily truly	W
As handes rentes pasture or commune common land	M
Or mebles all be giftes of fortune furniture	F
That passen as a shadow on the wall	W
But dread thou not if plainly speak I shall doubt	M
A wife will last and in thine house endure	F
Well longer than thee list paraventure perhaps	P
Marriage is a full great sacrament	M
He which that hath no wife I hold him shent ruined	M
He liveth helpless and all desolate	M
I speak of folk in secular estate who are not	M
And hearken why I say not this for nought of the clergy	W
That woman is for manne's help y wrought	M
The highe God when he had Adam maked	M
And saw him all alone belly naked	M
God of his greate goodness saide then	L
Let us now make a help unto this man	T
Like to himself and then he made him Eve	D
Here may ye see and hereby may ye preve prove	D
That a wife is man s help and his comfort	M
His paradise terrestre and his disport	M
So buxom and so virtuous is she obedient complying	V
They muste needes live in unity	M
One flesh they be and one blood as I guess	P
With but one heart in weal and in distress	P
A wife Ah Saint Mary ben'dicite	M
How might a man have any adversity	M
That hath a wife certes I cannot say	P
The bliss the which that is betwixt them tway	A
There may no tongue it tell or hearte think	Y
If he be poor she helpeth him to swink labour	F
She keeps his good and wasteth never a deal whit	M
All that her husband list her liketh well pleaseth	Z
She saith not ones Nay when he saith Yea	P
'Do this ' saith he 'All ready Sir ' saith she	M
O blissful order wedlock precious	P
Thou art so merry and eke so virtuous	P
And so commended and approved eke	A2
That every man that holds him worth a leek	A2
Upon his bare knees ought all his life	D
To thank his God that him hath sent a wife	D
Or elles pray to God him for to send	M
A wife to last unto his life's end	M
For then his life is set in sickerness security	M
He may not be deceived as I guess	P
So that he work after his wife's rede counsel	W
Then may he boldely bear up his head	M
They be so true and therewithal so wise	P
For which if thou wilt worken as the wise	P
Do alway so as women will thee rede counsel	W
Lo how that Jacob as these clerkes read	M
By good counsel of his mother Rebecc'	A2
Bounde the kiddes skin about his neck	A2
For which his father's benison he wan benediction	S
Lo Judith as the story telle can	T
By good counsel she Godde's people kept	M
And slew him Holofernes while he slept	M
Lo Abigail by good counsel how she	M
Saved her husband Nabal when that he	M
Should have been slain And lo Esther also	P
By counsel good deliver'd out of woe	P
The people of God and made him Mardoche	M
Of Assuere enhanced for to be advanced in dignity	M
There is nothing in gree superlative of higher esteem	C
As saith Senec above a humble wife	D
Suffer thy wife's tongue as Cato bit	M

Geoffrey Chaucer

The Merchant's Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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