The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 98v
3 of 11 folios
And with attendaunce and busynesse
Ben we y limed boþe more and lesse /
And sōme sayen þat we louen best
For to be fre and to doon as vs lest
910
And þat no man repreue vs of oure vice
But say þat we ben wys and no þing nyce
For trewely þer is noon of vs aƚƚ
If eny wigħt wold claw vs on þe galle /
That we nyl like for he saith vs soþ
915
Assay and he schal fynd it þat so doþ
For be we neuer so vicious wiþinne
We schuln be holde wys and clene of synne
And sōme sayn þat gret delit han we /
For to be holden stabil and secre /
920
And in oon perpos stedfastly to duelle /
And nougħt bywreye þing þat men vs telle /
But þt tale is not . worth a rakes stele
Par dy we wȳmen . can right no þing hele
Witnes on myda wil ȝe here þe tale /
925
Ouyd among his oþer þinges smale /
Sayde Myda had . vnder his lange heris
Growyng vpon his heed tuo asses eeris
The whiche vice he hid as he best migħt
Ful subtilly fro euery mannes sigħt
930
That saue his wyf þer wist of þat no mo
He loued hir most . and trusted hir also /
He prayed hir . þat to no creature
Sche schulde tellen . of his disfigure /
Sche swor him nay for al þis world to wynne
935
Sche nolde do þat vilony or synne
To make hir housbond haue so foul a name
Sche wold not tel it for hir oughne schame
But natheles hir þoughte þat sche dyde
That sche so long a counseil scholde hyde
940
Hir þought it swal . so sore about / hir hert
That needely som word hir most astert
And sins sche dorst not tel it vn to man
Doun to a marreys fasteby sche ran