The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 101v
9 of 11 folios
Which is a straunge þing to þy persone
1135
Thy gentilesce comeþ fro god alloone
Than comþ oure verray gentilesse of grace
It was no þing biquethe vs wiþ oure place
Thinkeþ how nobil as saith valerius
Was þilke tullius hostilius
1140
That out of pouert ros to high noblesse
Redith Senek . and redith eek Boece /.
Ther schuln ȝe se expresse þat no dred is
That he is gentil þat doþ gentil dedis
And þerfor lieue housbond I conclude
1145
Al were it þat myn auncestres wer rude
Ȝit may þe highe god and so hope I
Graunte me grace to lyue vertuously
Than am I gentil whan þat I bygynne
To lyue vertuously and weyuen synne
1150
And þer as ȝe of pouert me repreue
The heighe god on whom þat we bilieue
In wilful pouert ches to lese his lif /
And certes euery man . mayden or wif
May vnderstonde þat Iħc heuen king
1155
Ne wold not chese . a vicious lyuyng
Glad pouert is an honest þing certayn
This wol Senek and oþer clerkes sayn
Who þat holt him payd of his pouert
I hold him riche . al had he nouȝt a schert
1160
He þat coueitith is a pore wight
For he wold haue þat is not in his migħt
But he þat nouȝt haþ . ne coueyteþ nouȝt to haue
Is riche al þough ȝe hold him but a knaue /
Verray pouert is synne proprely
1165
Iuuenal saith of pouert merily /
¶ The pore man whan he goþ by þe way
Bifore þe theues he may synge and play
Pouert is hateful and as I gesse /
A ful gret brynger out of busynesse /
1170
A gret amender eek of Sapiens
To him þat takiþ it in paciens /