The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 66v
9 of 12 folios
As twenti thousand men myght it biholde
His office naturel ay wil it holde
Vp peril of my lif ay til it dye
¶ Here may ye se wel how that gentrye
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Is nat anexed to possessioun
Sith folk ne doon hir operacioun
Al wey as doth the fyr lo in his kynde
For god it wot men may wel often fynde
A lordes sone do shame and vilanye
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And he that wil han pris of his gentrye
¶ For he was born of a gentil hous
And hadde his auncestres noble and vertuous
And nyl him seluen do no gentil dedis
Nex folowe his gentil auncestre that ded is
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He nys not gentil be he duke or elle
For vilens synful dedes maketh a cherle
For gentilnesse nys but renomee
Of thyn auncestres for hir high bountee
Which is straunge thing for thi persone
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Thi gentilnesse comth fro god allone
Thanne cōth our verrey gentilnesse of grace
It was nothing biquethe vs wyth our place
¶ Thinketh how noble as seith valerius
Was thilk tullius hostillius
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That out of pouert ros to hygh noblesse
Redeth senek and redeth ek boece
Ther shol ye seen expresse how no drede is
That he is gentil that doth gentil dedis
And ther fore leue husbond I thus conclude
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Al were it that myn auncestres were rude
Yit may the high god and so hope I
Graunt me grace to lyuen vertuously
Thanne am I gentil whan that I bigynne
To lyue vertuously and weyue synne
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And ther as ye of pouerte me reperue
The high god on whom that we beleue
In wilful pouerte ches to lyue his lif
And certes euery mayden and wyf