The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 63v
3 of 12 folios
And surete wol I han er that thow pace
885
Thi body for to yelden in this place
¶ Wo was this knyght and sorwefully he syketh
But what he may nat doon al as him lyketh
And atte last he chees him for to wende
And come agayn ryght at the yeres ende
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With swich answer as god him wold puruey
And taketh his leue and wendeth forth his wey
¶ He seketh euery hous and euery place
Where as he hopeth for to fynde grace
To lerne what thing wommen louen most
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But he ne couth arryuen in no coost
Wher as he myght fynde in this Matere
Two creatures accordyng in fere
¶ Some seyden wommen louen best rychesse
Some seyden honour some seyden Iolynesse
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Some ryche array some seyden lust a bedde
And ofte tyme to be widow and wedde
¶ Some seide our hert is most esed
Whan that we ben I flatered and I plesid
¶ He goth ful nygh the sothe I wil nat lye
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A man shal wynne vs best wyth flaterye
And wyth attendaunce and bisynesse
Ben we y lymed bothe more and lesse
¶ And som seyen that we louen best
For to be fre and do ryght as vs lest
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And that no man reproue vs for our vice
But sey that we ben wyse and nothing nyce
For truly ther nys noon of vs alle
Yif any wight wil claw on the galle
That we nyl lyke for he seith vs soth
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Assay and he shal fynde it that so doth
For be we neuer so vicious wyth ynne
We wil be holden wys and clene of Synne
¶ And some seyn that gret delite han we
For to be holden stable and eke secre
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And in o. purpos stedfastly to dwelle
And noght biwrye thing that men vs telle
But that tale is noght worth a rake stele