The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 103v
5 of 12 folios
Saue in þe grene he saugħ sittyng a wijf
A foulere wigħt þer may non deuyse
Agayn þe knight þe olde wijf gan arise
And seyde sire knigħt here forþ ne liþ no wey
975
Telle me what þat ȝe seken by ȝoure fey
Parauenture it may þe bettre be /
This olde folk konne mochel þing quod sche
My leeue mooder quod þis knight certeyn
I am but ded but if þat I can seyn
980
What þing it is þat wōmen most desire
Cowde ȝe me wisse I wolde wel quyte youre hyre
Plight me þi trouþe here in myn hand quod sche
The nexte þing þat I require þe
Thou schalt it do if it lye in þy migħt
985
And I wil telle it ȝou or it be nigħt
Haue here my trouþe quod þe knigħt I gaunte
Than quod sche I may me wel auaunte
Thy lyf is sauf for I wol stonde þer by
Vpon my lijf þe queen wole seye as I
990
Lat se which is þe proudest of hem aƚƚ
That wereþ on a kerchef or a calle
Þat dar say nay of þat I schal ȝou teche
Lat vs go forþ wiþoute lenger speche
Tho rowned sche a pystel in his eere
995
And bad him to be glad and haue no feer
Whan þey be comen to þe court þis knigħt
Seyde he hadde holde his day as he hadde higħt
And redy was his answer as he sayde
Ful many a noble wijf and many a mayde
1000
And many a wydowe for þat þey ben wyse
The queen hir seluen sittyng as Iustyse
Assembled ben his answer for to heere
And afterward þis knigħt was bode appeere
To euery wigħt comanded was scilence
1005
And þat þe knigħt schal telle in audience
What þing þat worldly wōmen louen meest