The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 71r
6 of 11 folios
He wolde it do / if it laye in his myght
Bifore the court thanne preye I thee sire knyght
Quod she / that thow me take vn to thy wyf
For wel thow woost that I haue kept thy lyf
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If I seye fals / sey nay vp on thy fey
¶ This knyght answerde / allas and weilawey
I woot right wel / that swich was my biheste
For goddes loue / as chees a newe requeste
Taak al my good / and lat my body go
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¶ Nay thanne quod she / I shrewe vs bothe two
For thogh þt I be foul / old / and poore
I nolde for al the metal / ne for oore
That vnder erthe is graue / or lith aboue
But if thy wyf I were / and eek thy loue
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¶ My loue quod he / nay my dampnacioū
Allas / that any of my nacioū
Sholde euere / so foule disparaged be
But al for noght thende is this / that he
Constreyned was / he nedes moste hir wedde
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And taketh his olde wyf / and goth to bedde
¶ Now wolden som men / seye per auenture
That for my necligence / I do no cure
To tellen yow / the ioye / and al tharray
That at the feste / was that ilke day
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To which thyng shortly / answere I shal
I seye / ther nas no ioye / ne feste at al
Ther nas but heuynesse / and muche sorwe
For piuely / he wedded hir on morwe
And al day after hidde hym as an Owle
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So wo was hym / his wyf looked so foule
¶ Greet was the wo / the knyght hadde in his thoght
Whan he was with his wyf / a bedde ybroght
He walweth / and he turneth to and fro
His olde wyf lay smylyng euere mo
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And seyde / o deere housbonde benedicite
Fareth euery knyght thus with his wyf / as ye
Is this the lawe / of kyng Arthures hous
Is euery knyght of his / thus daungerous
I am youre owene loue / and youre wyf
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I am she / which that saued hath youre lyf