The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 226v
9 of 11 folios
1135
Whiche is a strong thyng to thyn persone
The gentillesse comyth frō god a lone
Thāne comyth oure verray gentillesse of grace
It was no thyng be quethe vs with oure place
Thȳkith how nobele as seyth valerius
1140
Was that ilke tullius hostilius
That out of pouert ros to gret noblesse
Redyth senec & redith eek boece
Ther schul ȝe se expres þt no dred is
That he is gentyl that doth gentyl dedis
1145
And þerfore leue husbonde I thus conclude
Al were it þt myne auncestris were reude
Ȝit may þe hye god & so hope I
Graūte me grace to leue verteuosly
Thāne am I gentyl whā þt I be gynne
1150
To leuyn verteuously & leuyn synne
And þere as ȝe of pouert me repreue
The hye god of whō ȝe me repreue
In wilful pouert ches to lede his lyf
And certys euery man mayde or wyf
1155
May vndyrstondyn Iħc heuene kyng
Ne wolde not chese an vicious leuyng
Glad pouert is an oneste thyng certeyn
This wele Senek & oþere clerkys seyn
Ho so hȳ halt payed of his pouerte
1160
I holde hȳ ryche hadde he but a sherte
He þt coueytyth is a pore wight
For he wolde han þt is not in his myȝt
But he þt nought haht ne coueythit to haue
I\s/ riche al thow men holde hȳ but a knaue
1165
Veray pouert it syngith properly
Iuenal seyth of pouerte meryly
The poure man whan he goth by the weye
By fore þe thewis he may sȳge & pleye
Pouerte is hateful good as I gesse
1170
A ful gret bryngere out of besinesse
A gret a mendere ek of sapience
To hem þt takyth it in pacience