The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 226r
8 of 11 folios
That made hē gentylmen I callede be
And bad vs foldȳ hem in swich degre
Weel can þe wise poete of florence
1100
That hyȝt dant declare þis centence
Lo in swych a manere rym is dantes tale
Ful selde vp rysith by hyse braūchis smale
Prowesse of man for god of his prowesse
Wele þt we cleyme of hȳ oure gentillesse
1105
For of oure eldere we may no thyng cleyme
But temperel thyng þt man may hurte & mayme
Ek euery wyȝt wot þis as wel as I
Ȝif gentillesse were plantid naturelly
Vn to a certeyn lēnage doū be lyne
1110
Preue nor apert þāne wolde þey neuere fyne
To don of gentillesse þe offys
They myȝte don no vilenye nor vice
Tak fyr & bere in þe derkeste hous
Be twyxe this & þe mount of Cankerous
1115
And let men schette þe dore & go þenne
Ȝit wil þe fyr lye as fyr & brenne
As twenty thousent men myȝte it by holde
His offise naturel ay wel it holde
Vp peril of myn lyf tyl þt it deye
1120
Here may ȝe wel sen how þt genterye
Is not annexed to possescioū
Sithe folk ne don here operacioū
Alwey as doth the fyr in hise kynde
For I wot men may ful ofte fȳde
1125
A lordis sone do schame & vilanye
And he þt wele haue prys of his genterye
For he was bore of a gētyl hous
And hadde hise olderis nobele & vertuous
And nyle hȳ self don non gentyle dedis
1130
Ne folwe his gentyle auncet ere þt deed is
He nys not gentyl be he duk or erl
For violens synful dedys make eke a cherl
For gētillesse nys but renomee
Of thȳne auncestris for here hygh boūte