The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 97r
1 of 11 folios
Lo qd þe Somenor be goddes armes tuo
A frere wil entremete him euer mo
Lo godemen a flye & eke a frere
810
Wiƚƚ fal in euery dissche & eke matere
What spekest þou of perambulacione
What amble or trote or pees or goo sitte adoune
Thou lettest owre disporte in þis manere
Ȝe wil tow so Somenor qd þe frere
815
Nowe be fey I schal or þat I go
Teƚƚ of a somenor suche a tale or tuo
Þat al þe folke schal lawhen in þis place
Nowe elles frere I be schrewe þi face
Qd þis Somenor . & I be schrewe me
820
Bot I teƚƚ þe tales two or þre
Of freres ar I come to sideingborne
Þat I schal make þine herte for to morne
For wele I wote þi pacien is gone
Owre oste cried pees & þat a none
825
And seide lat þe wōman tel hir tale
Ȝe faren as folken bien of ale
Do dame tel forþe ȝowe tale & þat is best
Al redi sire qd sche riht as ȝow lest
Ȝif I haue lycence of þis worþi frere
830
Ȝis dame quod he teƚƚ forþe þi tale I wil here
Incipit fabula vxis de Bathoner .
IN þe olde daies of þe kinge Arthoure
Of whiche þat bretons speken grete honoure .
Aƚƚ was þis land fulfilled of faire
The Elphe queene wiþ hir Ioly compaignie
835
Daunced withe oute in mony a grene mede
Þis was þe olde opinion þat .I. rede
.I. speke of mony a .C. ȝere ago
Bot now can no man see none elues mo
For þe grete charite & þe preiers
840
Of lymytours & of oþer pouere frers
Þat serchen euery lande & euery streme
As þikke as motes in þe sonne beme
Blissinge halles chambres bowres
Citees burghes Castels hihe towres
845
Thorpes bernes schipnes dayeries
Þis makeþ þat þere be no fairies