The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 100v
7 of 11 folios
He walwith and he torneth to and fro
His olde wyf lay smylyng euer mo
1060
And sayd o deere housbond bñdicite
Fareth euery knight wiþ his wyf as ȝe /
Is þis þe lawe of king arthures hous ;
Is euery knigħt of his þus daungerous ;
I am ȝour oughne loue / and ȝour wyf
1065
I am sche þat hath sauyd ȝour lyf
And certes ne dede I ȝow neuer vnright
Why fare ȝe þus with me þe firste night
Ȝe fare lik a man þat had left his wit
What is my gult . for godes loue tel me it
1070
And it schal be amendid if þat I may /
Amendid quod þis knight allas nay nay
It wol nought ben amendid neuer mo
Thow art so loþly and so old also
And þerto comen of so lowh a kynde
1075
That litil wonder is þough I walwe and wynde
So wolde god myn herte wolde brest
Is þis quod sche þe cause of ȝour vnrest ;
Ȝe certeynly quod he no wonder is
Now sire quod sche I couþe amende al þis
1080
If þat me list er it were dayes þre /
So wel ȝe mighte bere ȝow to me
But for ȝe speken of such gentilesse
As is descendit out of old richesse /
Therfor schuld ȝe ben holden gentil men
1085
Such arrogaunce . is not worþ an hen
Lok who þat is most vertuous alway
Priue and pert and most entendiþ ay
To do þe gentil dedes þat he can
Tak him for þe grettest gentil man
1090
Crist wol we clayme of him oure gentilesse
Nought of oure eldres for our gret richesse
For þough þay ȝiue vs al her heritage
For which we clayme to be of high parage
Ȝit may þay not biqueþe for no þing
1095
To noon of vs so vertuous lyuyng