The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 100v
8 of 11 folios
Wele can þe wise Poet of Florens
Þat hiht Dante spekeþ in þis sentens
1100
Lo in Suche maner rim is dantes tale
Ful selde vp riseþ be his braunche\s/ smale
Prowes of man for god of his prouesse
Wil þat we of cleime oure gentillesse
For of oure helders maie we no þinge cleime
1105
Bot temperal þinge þat man maie hirte & maheime
Eke euery white wote þis as wele as .I.
If gentillesse were planted naturalye
Into a certeine lignage doune þe line
Preue & aperte þan wold hey neuer fyne
1110
To done of gentillesse þe faire ofice
Thei myhten do no velany nor vice
Tak fire & bere it in þe derkest house
Be twex þis & þe mount of Caucasouse
And let men schette þe dore & go þenne
1115
Ȝit wil þe fire ly as fair & brenne
As þouh a .M. men myht it be holde
His office naturele ay wil it holde
Vp peril of lif til þat it deie
Here maie ȝe se wele howe þat genterye
1120
Is nouht anexed to possession
Seþ folke doþ nouht her operacion
Alweie as doþe þe fire lo in his kinde
For god it wote men maie ful often finde
Alorde sone do schame & velanye
1125
And he þat wil haue prise of his gentirye
For he was borne of a gentil hous
And hadde his heldres noble & vertuous
And nyl him seluen do no gentil dedes
Ne folowe his gentiƚƚ ancestre þat dedes
1130
He is nouht gentil be he duc or Erle
For veleyns sinful dede mak a cherle
For gentillesse ne is bot reuente
Of þine Auncestres for hire bente
Whiche is a stronge þinge for þi persōne
1135
The gentilles comeþ fro god alone
Than comeþ oure verraie gentilles of grace
He was no þinge bequeþe vs wiþ oure place
Thinkeþ howe noble as seiþ valerius
Was þilke tullius hostilius .