¶ How foure marchauntes met [...] whiche were of foure dyuerse [...] [...] de all to Parys.

IN the yere of our lorde [...] happened that four [...] [...] out of dyuerse country [...] [...] as they were goyn [...] [...] [...]une they met all togyder and [...] [...]gyder / for they were all foure goynge [...] in Fraunce & for company sake they rode [...] unto one ynne / & it was about shraf­tyde in the moost ioyfull tyme of all the yere and theyr names were called as here foloweth. ye fyrst was called Courant of Spayne / ye second was called Borchart of Fraū ­ce / the thyrde was called Iohan of Florēce / & the fourth was called Ambrose of Iennen. Than by the consent of the other marchaūtes Borcharde of fraunce went vnto the hoste and sayd. Hoste now is the meryest tyme of the yere and we be foure marchauntes of foure dyuerse coū ­tryes & by fortune we met all togyder in one place & out iorney is to Parys. And therfore whyle we be so met lette vs make good there togyder / & ordeyne ye best meet yt ye can get for money agaynst to morowe and byd also some of your beste frindes that you loue mooste that we maye make good there togyder or that we deparse fro hense / and we shall co [...]tente you all your money agayne. And than the hoste sayde that he wolde do it with a good wyll and than went he and bad many of his good frendes and neyghbours to dyner and he bought of ye best meet that he coude get for money and brought it home. And on the morowe he dressed it and made it redy agaynst dyner af­ter the best maner yt he coude. And whan yt it was dyner [Page] [...] gestes to dyner & the marchaūtes [...] them welcome. Than bad ye mar­ [...] [...] [...]at he sholde brynge in the meete & [...] myght go to dyner. And than the [...] [...]yll. Than went the hoste and [...] meet & set it theron & pray­ [...] [...] [...]estes to them & syt dow­ [...] [...] good chere al ye daye longe with good honeste [...] [...] [...]as very late with daunsynge & lepynge. And [...] [...]ad done / the ge­stes toke theyr leue of the marcha [...] & thanked them for theyr good chere. And than euery man departed ho­me to his house. And than cam the marchauntes to the hoste & prayed hym hertely for to come in & thanked hym that he had ordered & done all thynges so well and ma­nerly.

[figure]

¶ How two of the marchauntes / as Iohan [...] and Ambrosius of Iennen hyld one another, v. thou [...] golde guldens.

wHan al ye marchaūtes & the gestes had m [...] [...] ­rye togyder al the daye longe / at nyght t [...] [...] toke theyr leue of ye marchaūtes / & thāked them for [...] good chere that they had made them / & so departed euery one to theyr lodgynge. And whan that they were depar­ted euery man to theyr house / thā wexed it late. And thā cam the hoste of ye house to the marchaūtes & asked them yf that they wolde go slepe / & they answered vnto theyr hoste yes. And than toke he a candel and brought ye mar­chauntes into a fayre chambre / where was. iiij. beddes rychely hanged with costely curtaynes that euerye mar­chaunt myght lye by themselfe. And whan that they we­re all togyder in ye chamber / than began they to speke of many thynges / some good / some bad as it laye in theyr myndes. Than sayd Courant of spayne. Syrs we haue be all this daye mery and made good chere & euerye one of vs hath a fayre wyfe at home: howe fare they nowe at home we can not tel. Thā sayd bourcharde of Fraūce to the other marchauntes. What aske you how they do [...] They syt by the fyere and make good chere and eate / & drynke of the beste and laboure not at all / & so get they vnto them hote blode & than they maye take an other lusty yonge man and do theyr pleasure with hym yt we knowe not of / for we be oftentymes long from them & for yt cau­se may ye lenne a lofe for a nede secretly to an other. Than sayd Iohan of Florence / we may all well be called fooles & nydeates that truste our wyfes in this maner as we do: for a womās hert is not made of so hard a stone but yt [Page] [...] wyll melte / for a womans nature is to be vnstedfaste and tourneth as the wynde dothe and careth not for vs tyll the tyme yt we come agayne. And we labour dayely bothe in wynde and rayne and put often our lyues in to pardy and in auenture on the see for to fynd them wtall & ou [...] wyfes syt at home and make good chere wt other good felowes & gyue them parte of the money that we get. And therfore an ye wyll do after my counsayle / let euery one of vs take a fayre wenche to passe ye tyme wtal as well as our wyfes do / & they shall knowe no more of that / than we knowe of them. Than sayde Ambrosius of Iennē to them. By goddes grace that shall I neuer do whyle yt I lyue. For I haue at home a good & a ver­tuous woman and a womanlye. And I know [...] [...] she is not of that dysposycyō / but yt she wyl eschewe [...] of all suche yll abusyons tyl the tyme that I com home agayn. For I knowe well that she wyl haue non other man but me alone. And yf that I shold breke my wed­locke than were I but lytell worthe. Than sayd Iohn of Florence. Felowe ye set moche pryce by your wyfe at home and truste her with all that ye haue I wyll laye with you a wager of. v. thousande guldens yf yt ye wyl abyde me here I shal departe & ryde to Iennen & do wt your wyfe my wyll. Than sayd Ambrosius to Iohan of Florense. I haue delyuered to my hoste. v. thousand guldens to kepe / put ye downe as moche agaynste it & I shal tarye here tyll the tyme that ye retourne agayn from Iēnen / & yf that you by ony maner of menes can get your pleasure of my wyfe ye shall haue all this mo­ney. Than sayd Iohan of Florence. I am content / and than putted he in his hostes hande other. v. thousande guldens agaynste Ambroses money. And than toke he [...]

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this EEBO-TCP Phase II text, in whole or in part.