The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 225v
7 of 11 folios
He walwith & he turnyth too & fro
1060
This olde wif lay smylȳge euere mo
And seyde o dere husbende bñdicite
Faryth euery knyȝt with his wyf as ȝe
Is þis þe lawe of kyng arthures hous
Is euery xx knyȝt of his þus daūgerous
1065
I am ȝoure owene loue & ȝoure wyf
I am sche þt sauede hath ȝoure lyf
And sertis I dede ȝow neuere vnryȝt
Whi fare ȝe þë wt me þe ferste nyȝt
Ȝe fare lyk a man þt hadde lost his wit
1070
What is myn gilt for godis loue telle me it
And it schal been a mendit ȝif þt I may
Amendit quod this knyȝt allas nay nay
It wele not been a mendit neuere mo
Thow art so loothly old & so pore also
1075
And þerto comyn of so low a kynde
That lytyl wondir ist þow I walwe & wynde
So wolde god myn herte wolde breste
Is þis quod sche þe cause of ȝoure onreste
Ȝa serteynly quod he no wondir is
1080
Now sere quod sche I coude a mende al þis
Ȝif þt me lyste er it were dayis thre
So wel myȝte ȝe bere ȝow to me
But for ȝe speke of swich gentillesse
As is dessendit out of olde richesse
1085
That þerfore schul ȝe ben holdȳ gentil men
Swich arrogaūce is not worth an hen
Loke ho þt is most verteuous alwey
Pryue & a pert & most entendyth ay
To do þe gentyl dedys þt he can
1090
Take hȳ for þe gretteste gentil man
Cryst wele we cleyme of hȳ oure gentylesse
Nogħt of oure elderys for oure olde rychesse
For þow þey ȝeue vs al here erytage
For which we cleymyn to been of high parage
1095
Ȝit may þey not by quethe for no thyng
To noon of vs here verteuous lyuyng