93. “Alas,” sayd þe gudman, “this ys an hevy lyff”;
“And all ys well þat endyth well,” said þe gud wyff.
1
A lytill tale I will you tell,
The very trowth, how it befell,
& was trew as þe gosspell.
Att þe townys end.
2
Betwen þe gudman & his make,
A lytill stryf be-gon to wake;
Þe wyff was sum-what shrew shake,
At þe townys end.
3
He gafe a thyng ther hym lyst,
As son as his wyff yt wyst,
Vp she stode, & bent her fyst,
At the townys end.
4
“Thou knave, þou churle,” gan she say,
“In the XXte devyls way,
Who bade the geve my gud a-way
At the townys end?
5
Þou traytor, þou thef, þou mysguerned man!
To love þe furst when I began,
I wold þou had be hangyd than
At þe townys end.”
6
He lent her a strype, two or III,
“Owt, alas!” then cryed she,
“I aske a vengance, thef, on the,
At þe townys end.
7
Thou stynkyng coward! so haue I grace,
Þou daryst not loke a man in the face,
Now lett them say I know the cace,
At þe townys ende.”
8
“What, dame, what hast þou but of me;
& I haue no-thyng of the
But chydyng, brawlyng; evyll mvst þou the
At þe townys end.”
9
The gudman myght no lengar forbere,
But smote hys wyff on the ere,
Þat she ouer threw: then lay she ther,
At þe townys end.
10
“Alas,” she sayd, “I am but dede:
I trow þe brayn be owt of my hed”;
& yet þer was no blod shed
At þe townys end.
11
“Gett me a priest, þat I were shryve;
For I wot well I shall not lyve,
For I shall dye or to-morow eve
At þe townys end.”
12
This tale must nedis trew be;
For he þat sawe yt, told yt me;
Aske ferder, & know shall ye,
At þe townys end.
13
Now euery man þat ys a-lone,
Þat shuld be weddyd to such a on,
I cownsayl hym raþer to haue non
At þe townys end;
14
Lest he be knokked a-bowt þe pate;
Then to repent yt ys to late,
When on his cheke he ys chekmate,
[At þe townys end.]
Explicit.
