The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 65r
6 of 12 folios
The queene hir self sittyng as Iustice
Assembled ben his answer for to here
And afterward this knyght was bode appere
¶ To eery wight commaunded was silence
1005
And that the knyght sholde telle in audience
What thing that worldly wommen louen mest
This knyght ne stod not stille as doth a best
But to his question anon answerd
Wyth manly vois that al the court it herd
1010
¶ My liege lady generally quod he
Womman desireth to han souereynte
As wel ouer hir housbond as hir loue
And for to ben in maistrye him aboue
This is hir most desire thoug ye me kille
1015
Doth as yow lest I am here at your wille
¶ In al the court ne was ther wif ne mayde
Ne widwe that contraryed that he seide
But seyden he was worthi han his lif
¶ And with that worde vp stert this olde wif
1020
Which that the knyght sey sittyng on the grene
Mercy quod she my souereyn lady queene
Or that your court depart do me ryght
I taught this answer vn to the knyght
For which he plight me his trouth there
1025
The first thing that I wold him requere
He wolde it do yif it lay in his myght
Bifore the court thanne pay I the syr knyght
Quod she that thou me take vn to thi wif
For wel thou wost that I haue kepte thi lyf
1030
Yif I sey fals sey nay vpon thi fey
¶ This knyght answerd allas and weilawey
I wot ryght wel that such was my bihest
For goddes loue chese a new request
Take al my good and lat my body go
1035
Nay thanne quod she I beshrewe vs both two
For though I be foule olde and pore
I nolde for al the metal ne for ore