The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 106r
10 of 12 folios
The hihe god on whom þat we bileeue
In wilful pouert chese to leese his lijf
And certes euery man and mayde and wijf
May vnderstonde ihū heuen king
1155
Ne wolde not chese a vicious lyuyng
Glad pouert is an honest þing certeyn
Þis wille Senec and oþer clerkes sein
Who so þat holt him payed of his pouert
I holde him riche al hadde he nought cert
1160
He þat coueyteþ is a pouere wigħt
For he wolde han þat nys nat in his migħt
But he þat nought haþ ne coueyteþ to haue
Is riche al þougħ men holde him but a knaue
Verray pouert is synne proprely
1165
Iuuenal seiþ of pouert myrily
The pouere man whan he goþ by þe way
Bifore þe þeues he may synge and play
Pouert is hatel good and as I gesse /
A ful gret brynger out of busynesse
1170
A gret amender eek of Sapience
To him þat lackeþ it in pacience
Pouert is þis al þougħ it seme alenge
Possessioū þat no wigħt wol chalenge
Pouert ful often whan a man is lowe
1175
Makeþ his god and eek himself to knowe
Pouert a spectacle is as þinkeþ me
Þurgh which he may his verray freendes se
And þerfore syn þat I you nought greue
Of my pouerte nomore me repreue
1180
Now sire of eelde ȝe reproeue me
And certes sire þorugħ non auctorite
Were in no book / ȝe gentil of honor
Seyn þat men schulde an old wijf do fauour
And clepe him fader for ȝour gentilnesse /
1185
And auctours schal I fynden as I gesse /
Now þer ȝe seyn þat I am foul and olde