The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 97v
2 of 11 folios
For þer as was wonte to walke an elfe
Þer walkeþ nowe þe limitor him selfe
In vndermeles & in morneynges
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And seiþe his Matines & his holy þinges
As he goþ in his visitaciōne
Wemmen maie go nowe sauely vpe & doune
In euery bossche or vnder euerey tre
There is none oþer Incubz bot he
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And he wil do hem bot disonoure
And so fel it þat þis kinge Arþoure
Had in his house a lusty bachellier
Þat on adaie cam rideinge fro þe reuere
And happed alone as sche was borne
860
He sawhe a maiden walkinge him be forne
Of whiche maiden maugrene hire hede
Be verrei force he raft hir hir maidenhede
For wiche oppression was suche clamoure
And suche pursuyt vnto kinge Arthoure
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That dampned was þis knyht for to be dede
Be cours of lawe & scholde haue lost his hede
Parauenture suche was þe statute þo
Bot þat þe queene and oþer ladies mo
So longe preide þe kinge of grace
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Til he his him gaunted in þe place
And ȝaue to þe qwene al att hir wiƚƚ
To chese weþer sche wolde him saue or spiƚƚ
The queen þonked þe kinge wiþ al here myht
And after þis þus spak sche to þe knyht
Whan þat sche seihe her time vpon a daye
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Thou stondest ȝit qd sche in suche araye
Þat of þi lyf ȝit hast þou no surte
.I. graunte þe lif ; if þu canst tel me
What þinge is þat wēmen moste desiren
Be war & kepe þi nekke bone from yren
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And if þou can nouȝt tel it me anone
Ȝit wil .I. ȝeue þe leue for to gone
A twelmoþ & adaie to seke & lere
An ansewere sufficiant in þis matier
And surte wil .I. haue ar þat þou pace
885
Thi body for to ȝelden in þis place
Woo was þis knyht & sorwful he sikeþ
Bot whate he may nouht do al as him likeþ