They drink, and speak, and roam a while, and play,
Till that Dan John rode unto his abbay.
The morrow came, and forth this merchant rideth
To Flanders-ward, his prentice well him guideth,
Till he came unto Bruges merrily.
Now went this merchant fast and busily
About his need, and buyed and creanced;
He neither played at the dice, nor danced;
But as a merchant, shortly for to tell,
He led his life; and there I let him dwell.
The Sunday next3760 the merchant was y-gone,
To Saint Denís y-comen is Dan John,
With crown and beard all fresh and newly shave,
In all the house was not so little a knave,3761
Nor no wight ellës that was not full fain
For that my lord Dan John was come again.
And shortly to the point right for to gon,
The fairë wife accorded with Dan John,
That for these hundred francs he should all night
Havë her in his armës bolt upright;
And this accord performed was in deed.
In mirth all night a busy life they lead,
Till it was day, that Dan John went his way,
And bade the meinie3762 “Farewell; have good day.”
For none of them, nor no wight in the town,
Had of Dan John right no suspicioún;
And forth he rodë home to his abbay,
Or where him list; no more of him I say.
The merchant, when that ended was the fair,
To Saint Denís he gan for to repair,
And with his wife he madë feast and cheer,
And toldë her that chaffare3763 was so dear,
That needës must he make a chevisance;3764
For he was bound in a recognisance
To payë twenty thousand shields3765 anon.
For which this merchant is to Paris gone,
To borrow of certain friendës that he had
A certain francs, and some with him he lad.3766
And when that he was come into the town,
For great cherté3767 and great affectioún
Unto Dan John he wentë first to play;
Not for to borrow of him no monéy,
Bat for to weet3768 and see of his welfare,
And for to tellë him of his chaffare,
As friendës do, when they be met in fere.3769
Dan John him madë feast and merry cheer;
And he him told again full specially,
How he had well y-bought and graciously
(Thanked be God) all whole his merchandise;
Save that he must, in allë manner wise,
Maken a chevisance, as for his best;
And then he shouldë be in joy and rest.
Dan John answered, “Certes, I am fain3770
That ye in health be comë home again:
And if that I were rich, as have I bliss,
Of twenty thousand shields should ye not miss,
For ye so kindëly the other day
Lentë me gold, and as I can and may
I thankë you, by God and by Saint Jame.
But natheless I took unto our Dame,
Your wife at home, the samë gold again,
Upon your bench; she wot it well, certáin,
By certain tokens that I can her tell
Now, by your leave, I may no longer dwell;
Our abbot will out of this town anon,
And in his company I mustë gon.
Greet well our Dame, mine owen niecë sweet,
And farewell, dearë cousin, till we meet.”
This merchant, which that was full ware and wise,
Creanced hath, and paid eke in París
To certain Lombards ready in their hond
The sum of gold, and got of them his bond,
And home he went, merry as a popinjay.
For well he knew he stood in such array
That needës must he win in that voyáge3771
A thousand francs, above all his costáge.3772
His wife full ready met him at the gate,
As she was wont of old uságe algate;3773
And all that night in mirthë they beset;3774
For he was rich, and clearly out of debt.
When it was day, the merchant gan embrace
His wife all new, and kiss’d her in her face,
And up he went, and maked it full tough.
“No more,” quoth she, “by God ye have enough;”
And wantonly again with him she play’d,
Till at the last this merchant to her said.
“By God,” quoth he, “I am a little wroth
With you, my wife, although it be me loth;
And wot ye why? by God, as that I guess,
That ye have made a manner strangëness3775
Betwixtë me and my cousín, Dan John.
Ye should have warned me, ere I had gone,
That he you had a hundred frankës paid
By ready token; he had him evil apaid3776
For that I to him spake of chevisance,3777
(He seemed so as by his countenance);
But natheless, by God of heaven king,
I thoughtë not to ask of him no thing.
I pray thee, wife, do thou no morë so.
Tell me alway, ere that I from thee go,
If any debtor hath in mine absénce
Y-payed thee, lest through thy negligence
I might him ask a thing that he hath paid.”
This wife was not afeared nor afraid,
But boldëly she said, and that anon;
“Mary! I defy that false monk Dan John,
I keep3778 not of his tokens never a deal:3779
He took me certain gold, I wot it well.—
What? evil thedom3780 on his monkë’s snout!—
For, God it wot, I ween’d withoutë doubt
That he had given it me, because of you,
To do therewith mine honour and my prow,3781
For cousinage, and eke for bellë cheer
That he hath had full oftentimë here.
But since I see I stand in such disjoint,3782
I will answér you shortly to the point.
Ye have more slackë debtors than am I;
For I will pay you well and readily,
From day to day, and if so be I fail,
I am your wife, score it upon my tail,
And I shall pay as soon as ever I may.
For, by my troth, I have on mine array,
And not in waste, bestow’d it every deal.
And, for I have bestowed it so well,
For your honoúr, for Goddë’s sake I say,
As be not wroth, but let us laugh and play.
Ye shall my jolly body have to wed;3783
By God, I will not pay you but in bed;
Forgive it me,
