麒麟小说

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。