From Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", The Shipman's Tale, lines 365-399

From The Canterbury Tales:
The Shipman's Tale
lines 365-399: The merchant asks his wife for the money

365	This marchant, which that was ful war and wys,
	Creanced hat, and payd eek in Parys
	To certeyn Lumbardes, redy in hir hond,
	The somme of gold, and gat of hem his bond;
	And hoom he gooth, murie as a papejay,
370	For wel he knew he stood in swich array
	That nedes moste he wynne in that viage
	A thousand frankes aboven al his costage.

365	This merchant, being a man full wary-wise,
	Has got his loan and paid there in Paris,
	To certain Lombards, ready in their hand,
	The sum of gold, and got his note back, and
	Now home he goes as merry as a jay.
370	For well he knew he stood in such array
	That now he needs must make, with nothing lost,
	A thousand francs above his total cost.

	His wyf ful redy mette hym atte gate,
	As she was wont of oold usage algate,
375	And al that nyght in myrthe they bisette;
	For he was riche and cleerly out of dette.
	Whan it was day, this marchant gan embrace
	His wyf al newe, and kiste hire on hir face,
	And up he gooth and maketh it ful tough.
380	"Namoore," quod she, "by God, ye have ynough!"
	And wantownly agayn with hym she pleyde,
	Til atte laste thus this marchant seyde:
	"By God," quod he, "I am a litel wrooth
	With yow my wyf, although it be me looth.
385	And woot ye why? by God, as that I gesse
	That ye han maad a manere straungenesse
	Bitwixen me and my cosyn daun John.
	Ye sholde han warned me, er I had gon,
	That he yow hadde an hundred frankes payed
390	By redy token; and heeld hym yvele apayed
	For that I to hym spak of chevyssaunce;
	Me semed so, as by his countenaunce.
	But nathelees, by God, oure hevene kyng,
	I thoughte nat to axen hym no thyng.
395	I prey thee, wyf, ne do namoore so;
	Telle me alwey, er that I fro thee go,
	If any dettour hath in myn absence
	Ypayed thee, lest thurgh thy necligence
	I myghte hym axe a thing that he hath payed."

	His wife, all ready, met him at the gate,
	As she was wont, though he came soon or late,
375	And all that night with pleasure did they pet,
	For he was rich and cleanly out of debt.
	When it was day, this merchant did embrace
	His wife anew, and kissed her on her face,
	And up he goes and makes it rather tough.
380	"No more," cried she, "by God, you've had enough!"
	And wantonly again with him she played,
	Till, at the last, this merchant sighed and said:
	"By God," said he, "I am a little wroth
	With you, my wife, though to be so I'm loath.
385	And know you why? By God, and as I guess,
	You've been the causing of some small strangeness
	Between me and my cousin, dear Dan John.
	You should have warned me, really, before I'd gone,
	That he to you a hundred francs had paid
390	In cash; he was put out, I am afraid,
	Because I spoke to him of loans, by chance,
	At least I judged so by his countenance.
	Nevertheless, by God our Heavenly King,
	I never thought to ask him such a thing.
395	I pray you, wife, never again do so;
	But always tell me, before away I go,
	If any debtor has, in my absence,
	Repaid to you, lest through your negligence
	I might demand a sum already paid."