The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 102r
2 of 12 folios
And swich pursute vnto þe king artour
865
That dampned was þis knigħt for to be deed
By cours of lawe and scholde haue lost his heed
Parauenture such was þe statute þo
But þat þe queene and oþer ladyes mo
So longe preyede þe king of grace /
870
Til he his lijf him gaunted in þe place
And yaf him to þe queen al at hire wille
To cheese wheþer sche wolde him saue or spille
The queen þankeþ þe king wiþ aƚƚ hire migħt
And after þis þus spak sche to þe knigħt
Whan þat sche seigh hir tyme on a day
875
Þou stondest ȝet quod sche in such aray
Þat of þi lijf ȝet hast þou no suerte
I gaunte þe lijf if þou canst telle me
What þing is it þat wōmen most desiren
Be war and keep þi necke bon from yren
880
And if þou canst nougħt telle it me anon
Ȝit / wol I ȝiue þe leue for to gon
A twelf monþe and a day to seeke and lerer
An answere sufficant in þis matiere
And seurte wil I han or þat þu pace
885
Thy body for to yelden in þis place
Wo was þis knight and sorufully he sikeþ
But what he may not do al as him likeþ
And at þe laste he chese him for to wende
And come aȝein rigħt at þe yeres ende /
890
With swich answere as god wolde him purueye /
And takeþ his leue and wendeþ forþ his weye
He seekeþ euery hous and euery place
Wher as he hopeþ for to fynde grace
To lerne what þing wōmen louen most
895
But he now couþe arryuen in no coost
Wher as he mighte fynde in þis matere /
Tuo creatures acordyng in feere
Some seyden wōmen loue best richesse