The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 99v
5 of 11 folios
Plight me þy trouth . her in mȳ hond quod sche /
The nexte þing þat I require þe /
Thou schalt it doo if it be in þy migħt
985
And I wol telle it þe er it be night
Haue her my trouþe quod þe knigħt I gaunte
Thanne quod sche I dar me wel auaunte
Þy lif is sauf for I wol stonde þer by
Vpon my lif þe queen wol say as I
990
Let se which is þe proudest of hem alle
Þat werith on a couerchief or a calle
Þat dar say nay of þing I schal þe teche
Let vs go forth wiþouten more speche
Tho rowned sche a pistil in his eere
995
And bad him to be glad and haue no fere
Whan þay ben comen to þe court þis knigħt
Sayd he had holde . þat day þat he higħt
Al redy was his answer as he sayde
Ful many a noble wyf and many a mayde
1000
And many a wydow for þat þey ben wyse
The queen hirself sittyng as a Iustise
Assemblid ben his answer for to hiere
And afterward þis knight was bode appiere
To euery wight comaundid was cilence
1005
And þat þe knight schuld telle in audience
What þing þat worldly wōmen louen best
¶ Þe knight ne stood not stille as doþ a best
But to þe questioū anoon answerde
Wiþ manly voys þat al þe court it herde
1010
My liege lady generally quod he
Wōmen desiren to haue soueraynte
As wel ouer hir housbond as ouer hir loue
And for to be in maystry him aboue
This is þe most desir þough ȝe me kille /
1015
Doþ as ȝow list I am heer at ȝour wille
In al þe court ne was þer wyf ne mayde /
Ne wydow þat contraried þat he sayde
But sayden he . was worþy haue his lif
And wiþ þat word vp start þat olde wif