The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 115(b)r
12 of 12 folios
And whanne þat þe knigħt sawh al þis
That sche so fair was and so ȝong þerto
1225
For ioye he hente hir in his armes tuo
His herte baþed in a baþ of blisse
A þousand tyme a rowe he gan hire kisse
And sche obeyed him in euery þing
That mighte doon him pleisance or likyng
1230
And þus þey lyued vnto here lyues ende
In parfyt ioye and ihū crist vs sende
Housbondes meke ȝonge and freissche abedde
And grace to ouerlede hem þat we wedde
And eek I pray to Ihū schorte here lyues
1235
That wol not be gouerned by here wyues
And olde and angry nyggardes of dispence
God send hem sone a verray pestilence
¶ here bygynneþ þe prologe of þe Frere /
This worþy lymytour þis noble Frere
He made alway lowrynge cheere /
Vpon þe somnour but for honeste /
No vyleynes word as ȝit spak he /
5
But atte laste he seyde vnto þe wijf
Dame goode god ȝif ȝou right good lijf
Ȝe han touched heer al so mote I þe
In scole matier gret difficulte
Ȝe han seid mochel þing right wel I seye
10
But dame heere as we ryden by þe weye
Vs nedeþ nat to speken but of game
And late auctoritees a goddes name
To perching & to scole eek of clergie /
But if it like vnto þis companye
15
I wol ȝou of a somnour telle a game
Parde ȝe may wel knowe by þe name
That of no somnor may no good be sayd
I pray þat non of ȝou be yuele payd
A somnour is a romere vp and doun
20
Wiþ amendement of fornicacioū