| | He ne hadde for his labour but a scorn | |
| | And thus she makith absolon her ape | |
| | And al his ernest turneth in to a Iape | |
| 205 | Ful soth is this prouerbe it is no lye | |
| | Men say alwey the nyght is slye | |
| | Maketh oftymes leef for to be loth | |
| | For though that absolon were wood or wroth | |
| | Be cause that he fer was from hir sighte | |
| 210 | This nyght Nicholas stood in his lighte | |
| | Now bere the wel now hend Nicholas | |
| | For Absolon may wayle and synge alas | |
| | And so befil that on a satirday | |
| | This Carpenter was gon til Osenay | |
| 215 | And eke hende Nicholas and alison | |
| | Acordid be fully to this conclusion | |
| | That Nicholas shal shapen hym a wyle | |
| | This sely ielous husbond to begyle | |
| | And yf so be the game wente a right | |
| 220 | She sholde slepe in his armys al nyght | |
| | For this was her desire and his also | |
| | And right anon with out wordis mo | |
| | This Nicholas no lenger wolde tary | |
| | But doith ful softe in to his chambir carye | |
| 225 | Bothe mete and drynke for a day or tweye | |
| | And to her husbond bad her forto sey | |
| | Yf that he axed aftir Nicholas | |
| | She sholde say she nyste where he was | |
| | Of al that day she saw hym not with ye | |
| 230 | She troweth that he is in som maladye | |
