The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 223r
2 of 11 folios
So longe preyedȳ the kyng of grace
870
Tyl he his lyf graūtede at þat place
And ȝaf hȳ to the queen at hire wille
To chese wheþer sche wolde hȳ saue or spille
The queen thankede þe kyng with al hyre myȝt
And aftyr this þë spak sche to þõ knyȝt
875
Whā sche saw hyre tyme vp on a day
Thow stōdist ȝit quod sche in swich aray
That of thyn lyf hast no surete
I graūte þe lyf ȝif þu canst telle me
What thyng ist that wemen most desyryn
880
Be war & kep thȳ neke bon frō yryn
And ȝif þu canst not telle me a non
Ȝit wele I ȝeue þe leue for to goon
A twelvemonyth & a day to lere
An answere sufficiaūt in this matire
885
And surete wele I haue er þt þu pace
Thyn body for to ȝildyn in þis place
Wo was this knyȝt & sorwefully he sikede
But ȝit may he nat don as hȳ lykede
And at þe laste he ches hȳ for to weende
890
And come a ȝen ryȝt at þe ȝerys ende
With swich answere as god wolde hȳ purueye
And takyth his leue & wendyth forth hyse weye
And sekyth euery hous & euery place
Where as he hopith to fȳde grace
895
To lernyn what thyng wemen louȳ most
But he ne coude aryuyn In no cost
Where as he myȝte fynde in this matyre
Two wightis a cordyn in fyre
Some men seydȳ women louȳ best rychesse
900
Some men seyde honour some iolynesse
Some men seyde ryche aray some lust in bedde
And ofte tyme be wedewe & ofte I wedde
Some men seyde oure herte is most I esed
Whā þt we been I flatered & I plesed
905
He goth ful nygh þe sothe I nyl not lye
A man schal wȳne vs best wt flaterye