The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 101v
10 of 11 folios
Wher in no boke ȝe gentil of honoure
Seine þat men scholde an old wife do fauoure
And sertes clepe her moder for her gentillesse
1185
An Auctours schal .I. finde as .I. gesse
Nowe þere ȝe seine þat .I. am foule & olde
Þan drede ȝowe nouht to be no cokewolde
For filþe & helþe as mot .I. þe
Bene grete werdeins vpon chastite
1190
Bot naþeles sen .I. knowe ȝoure delite
.I. scha ful fiƚƚ ȝoure werly appetite
Chese nowe qd sche one of þis þinges tweye
To haue me foule & olde til þat .I. deie
And be to ȝowe a trewe humble wif
1195
And neuer ȝoue displese in al my lif
Or elles ȝe wil haue me ȝonge & faire
And take ȝoure auenture of þe repaire
That schal com to ȝoure house be cause of me
Or in sume oþere place wel maie be
1200
Nowe chese ȝoure seluen weþer þat ȝou likeþ
This knyht a vised him & sore he sikeþ
Bot att þe last he seide in þis manere
My lady & my loue & wife so dere
.I. putte me in ȝoure wise gouernaunce
1205
Gesseþ ȝoure self whiche maie be most plesaunce
And most \honor/ to ȝowe & me also
.I. do no force wheþer of þe tuo
For as ȝowe likeþ it sufficet me
Than haue .I. gete of ȝo\we þe/ maistre qd sche
1210
Sen .I. may chese & gouerne as me lest
Ȝe sertes wif qd he .I. holde it for þe best
Kisse me qd sche we be no longer wroþe
For be my trowþe .I. wiƚƚ be to ȝowe boþe
Þis is to seine to be to ȝowe boþe feire & goode
1215
.I. praie to god þat .I. mot steruen woode
Bot .I. to ȝowe be also sadde & trewe
As euer was wif sen þat þe werlde was newe
And bot .I. be to morwe also faire to seen
As any lady Emperes or qween
1220
Þat is be twene þe est & eke þe west
Do wiþ my lif & deþe riht as ȝow lest
Kast vp þe kurteyne & loke how it is
And whan þe knyht sauhe al þis