Hadde we onys begonne þat gle,
My husbond by his garlond myght see;
For sorowe he would wexe woode." 153
but he presses "Certes, dame," he seyd, "naye;
her, Loue me, I pray you, in þat ye maye:
For godys loue change thy mode, 156
and offers her 40 Forty marke schalÌ´lÌ´ be youre mede
marks. Of sylu_er_ and of gold[_e_] rede,
And that schalÌ´lÌ´ do the good." 159
On this she "Syr, that deede schalÌ´lÌ´ be done;
consents if he'll Take me that mony here anon_e_."
put down the "I swere by the holy rode 162
money. I thought when I cam hydder̛
For to bryng[2] yt al̴l̴ to-gydder̛,
As I mott broke my heele." 165
The 40 marks she Ther sche toke xl marke
takes Of syluer and gold styff and sterke:
Sche toke yt feyre and welle; THE 168
and tells him to Sche seyd, "in to the chambyr wylÌ´lÌ´ we, LORD IS
go [leaf 180, back] Ther no man schalÌ´lÌ´ vs see; DROPPED
into the secret No lenger wylÌ´lÌ´ we spare." 171
chamber. Vp the steyer they gan[3] hye: THROUGH
Upstairs he goes, The stepes were made so queyntly A TRAPDOOR,
That farther myght he nott fare. 174
stumbles, The lord stumbyllyd as he went in hast,
and pops down 40 He fel̴l̴ doune in to þat chaste
feet through the Forty fote and somedele more. 177
wright's trapdoor. The lord began to crye;
The wyfe seyd to hym in hye,
"Syr, what do ye there?" 180