The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 224v
5 of 11 folios
Plyghte me þȳ treuth in myn hond quod sche
The nexte thyng that I require the
985
Thow shalt it do ȝif it be in þy mygħt
And I wele telle it ȝow er it be nygħt
Haue her myn trouthe quod þe knygħt I graūte
Thanne quod sche I dar me wel a vaūte
Thȳ lyf is saf I wele stōde þerby
990
Vp on myn lyf þe quen wele seye as I
Lat se which is þe proudest of hem alle
That weryth on a couerechief or a calle
Tha dar sey nay of þt I schal the teche
Lat vs go forth with oute lengere speche
995
Tho roūnede sche a pistyl in hyse ere
And bad hȳ to be glad & haue no fere
Whā þey been comyn to þe court þis knyȝt
Seyde þt he hadde holde his day þt he hyȝt
And redy was his answere as he sayde
1000
Ful manye a nobele wyf & manye a mayde
And manye a wedewe for þt þey ben wyse
The queen hire self syttȳge as a iustyse
Assembelede been his answerys for to heere
And aftyrward þis knyȝt was bode to pere
1005
To euery wyȝt was comaūdede silence
And þt þe knyȝt schulde telle in audyence
What thyng þt wordely women louyn best
The knyȝt stod not stille as a beest
But to his questioū a non answerde
1010
With manly voys þt al þõ court it herde
Myn lige lady generally quod he
Wemen desyryn to han souereynte
As wel ouyr hire husbōdis as ouer hire loue
And for to been in maystrye hē a boue
1015
This is þe moste desyr thow ȝe me kylle
Doth as ȝow leste I am al at ȝoure wille
In al þe court ne was þere wif ne mayde
Ne wedewe cōtraryede þt he sayde
But seydyn þt he was worthi to han his lyf
1020
And with that word vp sterte þe olde wyf