[247] See the 21st Novel of the 1st tome of the _Palace of Pleasure_
(Haslewood's edit. i. 74).
+ _Of him that loued the marchants wyfe._ lxv.
+ Ther was a yonge lusty gentyll man vpon a tyme that was ryght amorous,
and loued a certayne marchauntes wyfe oute of all measure, in so moch
that he folowed her to the churche and other places, but he durste neuer
speake. At the laste he, with two or thre of his felowes, folowed her
to a fryers, where he hadde tyme and place conueniente to speake thre
or four wordes to her, that he before had deuysed. So one of his felowes
sayde: go nowe, speake to her. But he stode styll all astonied. They
egged[249] and prouoked him so moche, that at last he wente vnto her,
and, clene forgettynge those wordes that he had thoughte to haue spoken,
he said to her on this wise: maistres, I am your owne lytel seruante;
wherat she smyled and sayd: syr, I nede nat your seruyce: for I haue
seruantes inow at home, that can brusshe, sponge, wasshe and do all my
other busines. The whiche answere and folysshe basshemente of the gentyl
man caused his felowes to laugh hartelye. This maner of folye was well
knowen to the poet, whan he sayde:
_Incipit affari, mediaque in voce resistit._
Folysshe loue maketh folkes astonied
And eke to raue without remembrance
Whan they shulde speake, they bene abasshed
And of theyr wordes can make none vtterance
Nor be so hardye them selfe to auance
What tyme they se of her the swete face
Of whom the loue theyr hartes doth enbrace.