Manuscript images © Cambridge University Library. Reproduction is strictly prohibited.
- You are now viewing the graphical version of the manuscript
1. The General Prologue
2. The Knight's Tale
3. The Miller's Prologue
4. The Miller's Tale
5. The Reeve's Prologue
6. The Reeve's Tale
7. The Cook's Prologue
8. The Cook's Tale
9. Introduction to the Man of Law's Tale
10. The Man of Law's Tale
11. The Wife of Bath's Prologue
12. The Wife of Bath's Tale
13. The Friar's Prologue
14. The Friar's Tale
15. The Summoner's Prologue
16. The Summoner's Tale
17. The Clerk's Tale
18. Lenvoye de Chaucer
19. Words of the Host
20. The Merchant's Prologue
21. The Merchant's Tale
22. Epilogue to the Merchant's Tale
23. The Squire's Tale
24. The Franklin's Tale
25. The Physician's Tale
26. Introduction to the Pardoner's Tale
27. The Pardoner's Prologue & Tale
28. The Shipman's Tale
29. The Prioress' Tale
30. The Tale of Sir Thopas
31. Here the Host 'stynteth' Chaucer's Tale of Sir Thopas
32. The Tale of Melibeus
33. The Monk's Prologue
34. The Monk's Tale
35. The Nun's Priest's Prologue
36. The Nun's Priest's Tale
37. Epilogue to the Nun's Priest's Tale
38. The Second Nun's Tale
39. The Canon's Yeoman's Prologue
40. The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
The Wife of Bath's Prologue Folio 71r 20 of 20 folios
The transcription of the Wife of Bath's Prologue was created by Orietta Da Rold and has no relationship to the transcription which appears on the Cambridge University Press CD-ROM.
Ȝe shuln haue queynte rigħ t I now / at eeue
He is to gret a nygard / that wol werne
A man to ligħ t a candele / at his lanterne
335
He shal haue / neuer e the lasse ligħ t / par dee
Haue thow I now / the thar nat pleyne thee
Thow seist also / if that we make vs gay
Witħ clothynge / or witħ precious array
That it is per ile / of oure chastitee
340
And seyn theise wordes / in the Aposteles name
In habyt mad / witħ chastite and shame
Ȝe wommen / shulde apparaille ȝow qd he
And nat in tressed heer / and riche perre
345
After thy text / ne after thy rubriche
I wol nat werche / as meche as dotħ a gnat
Thow seist als / I walke out lyke a kat
For who so wolde senge / the Cattes skyn
350
Than wolde the kat / dwellen in his In
And if the kattes skyn / be slyke and gay
She wol nat dwelle / in house half a day
But fortħ she wol / or any day be dawed
To shewe hire skyn / & go on Caterwawed
355
This is to seyn / if I be gay sire shrewe
I wol renne out / my borel for to shewe
Sire olde foole / what helpetħ the to aspyen
Thougħ thow preye Argus / wt his hundred eyen
To be my wardecors / as he can best
360
In feitħ he shal nat kepe me / but me list
Ȝet coude I make his berd / also mote I thee
Thow seidest eke / þ at there ben thynges three
The whiche thynges / troublen al this erthe
And that no wygħ t / may endure the ferthe
365
O leue sire shrewe / Iħ c short thy lyf
Ȝet precest þ u and seist / an hateful wyf
I rekened is / for oon of theise meschaunces
Betħ there noone othere / resemblaunces
That ȝe may likne / ȝoure parables to
370
But if a seely wyf / be on of thoo
Thow likenest eke / wom annes loue to helle
To bareyn lond / there water may nat dwelle
Thow likenest it also / to wylde fyre
The more it brennetħ / the more it hatħ desire
375
To consume euer y thyng / that wol brent be