The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 98v
4 of 11 folios
930
That saue his wif þer wist þere of no mo
He loued hir most & trist to hir also
He praide hir most þat vnto no creature
Sche schold nouȝt tel of his disfigure
Sche swore him naye for al þis werld to wynne
935
Sche nold do ; þat velany or þat synne
To make hir husbonde haue so foule a name
For reproueinge of him & fowle schame
Bot Naþeles hir þouht þat sche deide
Þat sche solonge scholde a counsel hide
940
Hir þouht it satt so sore aboute hir hert
Þat nedely sum worde hir mot a stert
And seþ sche dorste tel it to no man
Doune to a marese fast sche ranne
Til sche came þer hire hert was a fire
945
And as betoure bebleþ in þe myre
Sche laide hir mouþe in to þe water downe
Be wrye me nouht þou water wiþ þi soune
Qd sche . to þe .I. tel it & no mo
Myne husbonde haþe longe asses eres tuo
950
Nowe is myne hert al hole now it is owte
.I. myht no longer kep it oute of doute
Here mai ȝe see þouhe we a time abide
Ȝit oute it mot ȝwe mowe no counsel hide
Þe remenant of þe tale if ȝe wil here
955
Redeþ ovide & ȝe maie it lere
This knyht of wiche mi tale is speciali
Whan þat he sauh he miht nouht com þere bye
This to seie what wemmen louen most
Wiþ inne his hert sorweful was þe goste
960
Bot home he goþe he miht nouht soiorne
The daie was come þat homward most he torne
And in his wei it happed him to ride
In aƚƚ his care vnder a forest side
Where he sawhe on odaunce go
965
Of ladys foure & twenty & ȝit moo
Towarde þe dawnce he drowhe him ȝerne
In hope þat som wisdome scholde he lerene
Bot certeinly ar he came fully þere
Vanyssched was þe daunce he wist nouht where
970
No creature sawe he þat bare lif
Saue in þe grene he sawhe sittinge a wif