The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 72r
1 of 9 folios
Quod this Somonor / and I bishrewe me
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But if I telle tales / two or thre
Of freres / er I come to Sidyngborne
That I shal make / thyn herte for to morne
For wel I woot thy pacience is gon
¶ Oure hoost cride pees / and that anon
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And seyde / lat the womman telle hir tale
Ye fare as folk / that dronken were of Ale
Do dame / telle forth youre tale / and that is best
¶ Al redy sir quod she / rigħt as yow lest
If I haue licence / of this worthy frere
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¶ Yis dame quod he / tel forth / and I wol heere
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¶ Heere endeth the wyf of Bathe hir Prologe / And ~ bigynneth hir tale ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
¶ Heere endeth the Wyf of Bathe hir Prologe / And ~ bigynneth hir tale ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
IN tholde dayes / of kyng Arthour
Of which that Britons / speken greet honour
Al was this land / fulfild of Fairye
The Elf queene / with hir ioly compaignye
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Daunced ful ofte / in many a grene mede
This was the olde opinion as I rede
I speke / of manye hundred yeres ago
But now kan no man / se none Elues mo
For now the grete charitee / and prayeres
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Of lymytours / and othere hooly freres
That serchen / euery lond / and euery streem
As thikke / as motes / in the sonne beem
Blessynge halles / chambres / kichenes boures
Citees / Burghes / Castels / hye Toures
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Thropes / Bernes / Shipnes / Dayeryes
This maketh / that ther been no Fairyes
For ther as wont to walken was an Elf
Ther walketh now / the lymytour hym self
In vndermeles / and in morwenynges
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And seyth his matyns / and his hooly thynges
As he gooth / in his lymytacioun
Wōmen / may go saufly vp and doun
In euery bussħ / or vnder euery tree
Ther is / noon oother Incubus / but he
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And he / ne wol doon hem / but dishonour
¶ And so bifel / that this kyng Arthour
Hadde in hous / a lusty Bacheler
That on a day / cam ridynge fro Ryuer
And happed that allone / as he was born
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He saugh a mayde / walkynge hym biforn