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That women lovin us for wode,
It fhall do us as mochil gode,
And to our herte as moche availe
The countirpeife, efe, and travaile,
As we had wonnin with labour,
For that is dere ybought honour,
At the regard of our grete efe;
And yet ye must us more yplefe,
Let us beholdin eke thereto
Worthie, and wife, and gode alfo,
And riche, and happie unto love,
For Godd'is love that fitteth above;
Though we maie not the bodie have
Of women, yet, fo God me fave,
Let men yglewe on us the name;
Suffifith that we have the Fame.

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I graunt it, (quod fhe) by my trouth.

Now, Æolus, withoutin flouth

Take out thy trumpe of golde, (quod fhe)

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And blowe as thei have afkid me,

That every man wene 'hem'at efe

Although thei go in full badde lefe.

This Eolus gan it so blowe

That through the worlde it was iknowe.
Tho came the seventh route anone,

680

And fill on kneis everichone,
And fayid, Ladie, graunte us fone

The fame thyng, the famè bone,

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That would have fifhe, but woft thou what?

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(Quod fhe) anone; and woft thou how?

As I fhall tellin the right nowe;

Say these ben they that wolde honour

Have and do no kinde of labour,

Ne do no gode, and yet have laude,

705

And that men wende that belle I faude

Ne coude 'hem not of lovè werne,

And yet fhe that ygrint at querne
Is al to gode to ese ther herte.
This Æolus anone up fterte,
And with his blackè clarioun
He gan to blafin out a foun

710

As loud as bellith winde in hel,

And eke therwith, the fothe to tel,

This fownè was fo full of japes

715

As evir mowis were in apes,

And that went al the worlde aboute,
That every wight gan on 'hem shoute
And for to laugh as they were wode, ‹
Soche game yfounde they in ther hode.

Tho came anothir companye
That hadde ydone the trechèry,
The harme and the grete wickedneffe,
That any herte coudin ygeffe,

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And prayid her to have gode Fame

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And that the n'olde do 'hem no fhame,"

But give 'hem loos and gode renoun,

And do it blowe in clarioun.

Nay, wis, (quod fhe) it were a vyce;

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We ben foche folkes, as ye may here,

To tellin all the tale aright,

We ben fhrewis evèry wight,

740

And have delite in wickidneffe,
As gode folke havin in godenesse,
And joye to ben yknowin fhrewes,
And ful of vice and wickid thewes,
Wherfore we pray you on a rowe
That our Famè be foche yknowe
In al thingis right as it is.

I graunte it you, (quod fe) ywis;

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But what arte thou that faieft this tale,
That weriit on thy hofe a pale,

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And on thy tippet foche a bel?

Madame, (quod he) the fothe to tel,

I am that ilkè fhrewe ywis,

That brent the temple' of Ifidis

In Athenis, lo! that cyte.

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And wherfore diddeft thou fo? (quod fhe.)

By my trouthe, (answered he) Madame,

Although they were of grete renowne

I wolde faine have had a name,
As othir folke had in the towne;

For ther vertue and ther thewis,
Thought I, as grete Fame have fhrewis
(Though it be nought) for fhrewdèneffe
As gode folke havin for godeneffe,
And fithen I may not have that one
That othir n'yl I not forgone,
As for to gettin a Fame here,
The temple fette I al on fire.

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Nowe done our loos be blowin fwithe,

As wifly be thou evir blythe.

Gladly, (quod fhe.) Thou

olus,

Herift thou not what they prayen us ?

Madame, I here ful wel, (quod he)

And I will trumpin it parde;
And toke his blackè trumpè fafte,
And gan to puffin and to blaste
Tyl it was at the world'is ende.

With that I gan aboutin wende,
For one that ftode right at my bake
Me thought ful godely to me fpake,

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And fayid, Frende, what is thy name?

Arte thou come hidir to have Fame?

Have Fame! nay, for fothe, frende, (quod I)

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What doift thou here than? (quod he.)

(Quod I) That wol I tellin the:

The caufe why I standin here
Is fome new tidinges for to lere,

795

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