The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 64v
5 of 12 folios
In al this care vnder a forest syde
Where as he sey vpon a daunce go
965
Of ladyes four and twenti and yit mo
Toward the which daunce he drowe ful yerne
In hope that som wisdom sholde he lerne
But certeynly or he come fully there
I vanysshed was the daunce he nyst where
970
No creature saugh he that bar lif
Saue on the grene he saw sittyng a wif
A fouler wyght ther may no man deuyse
Agayn the knyght this olde wif gan aryse
And seide syr knyght here forth ne lith no wey.
975
Telle me what that ye seken bi your fey
Per auenture it may the better be
This olde folk can mochel thing quod she
¶ Mi leue moder quod this knyght certeyn
I nam but dede but yif that I kan seyn
980
What thing it is that wommen moste desire
Couthe ye me wisse I wolde wel quyte your hire
¶ Plight me thi trouth here in myn hond quod she
The next thing that I require the
Thou shalt it do yif it be in thi myght
985
And I wol telle it yow or it be nyght
¶ Haue here my trouthe quod the knyght I graunte
¶ Thanne quod she I dar me wel auaunte
Thi lif is sauf for I wil stond ther by
Vpon my lif the queene wol sey as I.
990
Lat se which is the grettest of hem alle
That wereth on a carchief or calle
That dar sey nay of that I shal the teche
Lat vs go forth wyth outen lenger speche
Tho rouned she apistel in his eere
995
And bad him to be glad and haue no fere
¶ When thei ben comen to the court this knyght
Seide he had holde his day as he hath hight
And redy was his answer as he seyde
Ful many a noble wif and many a mayde
1000
And many a widwe for that thei be wyse