Sens. Yea, sir! by this day!
Our master and Reason have made a great fray.
Pride. How so?
Sens. By my faith! we sat together
At the tavern, next hereby;
And, anon, who should come together
But flee[r]ing Kate and Margery,
She that beguiled you, parde! so prately
And bare away your shirt the last morning
Stead of her smock, while ye lay sleeping.
Pride. I wot whom ye mean, well I know;
But that is nothing to this purpose—
Tell on thy tale, for God avow!
Sens. I shall, anon, had I wiped my nose:
Sir! when I spied them, anon I rose;
And called them unto me by name;
And, without more tarrying, anon they came;
And sat down with us, and made nothing strange,
As they be full courteous—ye know it well.
And, anon, our master's colour began to change—
Whereof it came I cannot tell;
His cheer was appalled, every deal,
And scant that he could speak to me one word;
But start him even up and rose from the board.
He said he would go lie down on a bed;
And prayed me, for the manners' sake,
That Margery might come hold his head
Which, as he told me, began to ache.
And so she hath him undertake
To make him whole, in an hour or twain,
Whensoever he hath any such sudden pain.
What it meaneth, I wot never;
But he liketh her physic so well
That I trow the devil of hell
Can not them two dissever!
Lo! this have I done; and what trow ye more?
Yet can I tell you better tiding.
Wor. Aff. What is that?
Sens. Marry! Reason, that ye two spake of before,
Came even to us as we sat so drinking;
And gave our master a heat, worth a hanging,
Because that Margery sat on his knee,
While that other whore sat talking with me.
My master saw that he could have no rest,
Nor never be rid of this controlling,
He played the man and thought it best—
And with an angry look to my seeming—
Drew out his sword without more tarrying
And smote Reason so on the head
That I have great marvel but he be now dead.
Wor. Aff. Marry! then fill all the cups at once
If this be true.
Sens. Yes, by these ten bones!
I lie never a word.
Pride. Trowest thou it is no feigned strife
Betwixt them two?