Words of the Host Folio 105v 1 of 1 folios
10
To wryte of ȝow / a storie of swicħ meruaille
As of Grisilde / pacient and kynde
Off-set of a paraph mark in red in the gutter.
Lest Chechiuache / ȝow swelwe / in hire entraille
But euer e answeretħ / at the counter taille
15
Betħ nat be daffed / for ȝoure Innocence
But sharply taketħ on ȝow / the gouer naille
Emprentetħ wel / this lesson / in ȝoure mynde
For comune profyt / sithe it may a vaille
20
Syn ȝe ben stronge / as is a gret Camaille
Ne suffretħ nat / that men ȝow do Corrected from: oxx enceoffenceoence
Betħ egre / as a Tigre is be ȝonde in Inde
Ay clappetħ as a Mille / I ȝow counsaille
25
For thougħ thyn husbonde / armed be in maille
The arwes of thyn crabbed / eloquence
Shal perse his brest / and eke his auentaille
In ielousye / I rede eke thow hi
30
And þ u shalt make hī couche / as dotħ a quaille
Shewe thow thy vysage / and thyn apparaille
If thow be foule / be free of thyn dispence
35
Be ay of chere as ligħ t / as lef on lynde
Pricking next to the line.
Oure host seyde / and swor by goddes bones
Me were leuere / than a Barel of ale
My wyf at hom / had herd this legend ones
5
This is a gentil tale / for the nones
But thyng
The incipit was written at the end of the folio ca. three lines before the ruling line at the bottom of the frame. Note also that of the Marchau~t is in English whereas explicit and incipit is in Latin. The 'Envoy' is accomodated in a blank space, defined by two prickings. One the end of L13 and onother one at the end of L14, both located in the left margin.