English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500; Great Britain -- History -- 14th century -- Sources
27. Bot I will kepe charyté, for I haue at do. 235
_Vxor._ Here shal no man tary the, I pray the go to!
Full well may we mys the, as euer haue I ro;
To spyn will I dres me.
_Noe._ We! fare well, lo;
Bot wife,
Pray for me beselé 240
To eft I com vnto the.
_Vxor._ Euen as thou prays for me,
As euer myght I thrife.
[_Exit_ Vxor.]
28. _Noe._ I tary full lang fro my warke, I traw;
Now my gere will I fang, and thederward draw; 245
I may full ill gang, the soth for to knaw,
Bot if God help amang, I may sit downe daw
To ken;
Now assay will I
How I can of wrightry, 250
_In nomine patris, et filii,
Et spiritus sancti. Amen._
29. To begyn of this tree my bonys will I bend,
I traw from the Trynyté socoure will be send;
It fayres full fayre, thynk me, this wark to my hend; 255
Now blissid be He that this can amend.
Lo, here the lenght,
Thre hundreth cubettis euenly;
Of breed, lo, is it fyfty;
The heght is euen thyrty 260
Cubettis full strenght.
30. Now my gowne will I cast and wyrk in my cote,
Make will I the mast or I flyt oone foote;
A! my bak, I traw, will brast! This is a sory note!
Hit is wonder that I last, sich an old dote, 265
All dold,
To begyn sich a wark!
My bonys ar so stark,
No wonder if thay wark,
For I am full old. 270
31. The top and the sayll both will I make,
The helme and the castell also will I take,
To drife ich a nayll will I not forsake,
This gere may neuer fayll, that dar I vndertake
Onone. 275
This is a nobull gyn,
Thise nayles so thay ryn
Thoro more and myn
Thise bordis ichon.
32. Wyndow and doore, euen as He saide, 280
Thre ches chambre, thay ar well maide,
Pyk and tar full sure therapon laide;
This will euer endure, therof am I paide;
For why?
It is better wroght 285
Then I coude haif thoght.
Hym that maide all of noght
I thank oonly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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