The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 98r
2 of 11 folios
So longe preyeden \þay/ þe kyng of grace
870
Til he his lif haþ gaunted in þe place /
And ȝaf him to þe queen al at hir wille
To chese wethir sche wold him saue or spille
The queen thanked þe kyng wiþ al hir migħt
And after þus sche spak vnto þe knight
Whan þat sche saugh hir tyme vpon a day
875
Thow stondest ȝet quod he in such array
Þat of þy lyf hastow no sewerte
I graunte þy lif if þou canst telle me
What þing is it þat wōmen most desiren
Be war and keep þy nek bon fro þe Iren
880
And if þou canst not tellen it anoon
Ȝet wol I ȝiue þe leue for to goon
A twelf month and a day it for to lere
An answar suffisaunt in þis matiere
And seurte wol I haue er þat þou pace
885
Thy body for to ȝelden in þis place
Wo was þis knight and sorwfully he siked
But what . he may not doon al as him liked
And atte last he ches him for to wende
And cam aȝein right at þe ȝeres ende /
890
Wiþ swich answer as god him wolde purueye
And takith his leue and wendith forþ his weye
He sekith euery hous and euery place
Wher so he hopith for to fynde grace
To lerne what þing wōmen louen most
895
But he ne couþe arryuen in no cost
Wher as he mighte fynde þis matiere
To þese þinges accordyng in fere
Sōme sayden wōme louen best richesse
Sōme sayde honour and some sayde iolynesse
900
Sōme sayde riche array some sayden lust on bedde /
And ofte tyme to be wydow and wedde
Sōme sayden oure herte is most I eased
Whan we ben y flaterid and y pleased
He goþ ful neigh þe soth I wil nat lye
905
A man schal wynne vs best wiþ flaterye