The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 67v
11 of 12 folios
I shal fulfil your worldly appetyte
¶ Chese now quod she on of this thynges tweye
To haue me olde and foul til that I dye
And be to yow a trewe humble wyf
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And neuer yow displese in al my lif
Or elles ye wol han me yonge and faire
And take your auenture of the repaire
That shal be to your hous bi cause of me
Or in som other place it may wel be
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Now chese your self whether that yow liketh
¶ This knyght auyseth him and soore syketh
But atte last he seyde in this manere
My lady and my loue and my wif so dere
I putte it in your wyse gouernaunce
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Cheseth your self which may be most plesance
And most honour to yow and me also
I do no force the whether of the two
For as yow liketh it suffiseth me
¶ Thanne haue I gete the maistrye quod she
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¶ Syr I may chese and gouerne as me lest
¶ Ye certes wif quod he I holde it for the best
¶ Kys me quod she we be no lenger wroth
For bi my trouth I shal be to yow both
This is to seyn bothe feir and good
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I prey to god that I mote storuen wood
But I be to yow also good and trewe
As euer was wif syn that the world was newe
And but yif I be to morwe as faire to sene
As any lady Emperyce or queene
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That is bitwix the Est and ek the West
Do wyth my lif and deth oyght as yow lest
Caste vp the curteyn loke how that it is
¶ And whan the knyght sey verreyly al this
That she so faire was and so yonge ther to
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For ioy he hent hir in his armes two
His hert is bathed in a bath of blis
A thousant tymes arew he kan hir kys
And she obeied him in euery thing