The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 77v
4 of 10 folios
Where as he hopetħ/ for to fynden grace
To lerne what thyng / wommen louen moost
895
But he ne coude / aryuen in no coost
Where as he mygħt fynde / in this matere
Two creatures / accordynge in fere
Some seyden
/ wommen louen best richesse
There is a cross in dry point in the left margin, it takes 2-3 lines.ODR
Some seiden honour / some seyden Iolynesse
900
Some seiden riche aray / some seiden lust a bedde
And ofte tymes to be wydewe / and wedde
Some seiden that oure hert / is most eased
Whan that we ben / I flatered / and I plesed
He gotħ ful ny the sothe / I wol nat lye
905
A man shal wynne vs best / witħ flaterie
And witħ attendaunce / and besynesse
Ben we I lymed / bothe more & lesse
And some seyn / that we louen best
For to be free / & do rigħt as vs list
910
And that noman / repreeue vs / of oure vice
But seye / þat we ben wyse / & no thyng nyce
For trewely / there is noon of vs alle
If ony wygħt / wyl clawe vs on the galle
That we nyl kyke / for he seitħ vs sotħ
915
Assay / and he shal fynde it / þt so dotħ
For be we neu
ere
/ so vicious wit
ħ Inne
There is a cross in dry point in the left margin, it takes 4-5 lines.ODR
We wol be holden / wys / and clene of synne
And some seiden / that gret delyt han we
For to be holden stable / and eke secree
920
And on a purpos / stedfastly to dwelle
And nougħt be wreye thyng / that men vs telle
But that tale is nougħt wortħ / a rake stele
Parde / we wommen / conne no thyng hele
Wytnesse on Myda
/ wol
ȝe here the tale
There is a pointing hand in the left margin.Est
925
Ouyde a monges / othere thynges smale
Seide / Myda had / vnder his longe heeres
Growyng vp on his hed / two asses eres
The whicħ vice he hid / as he best mygħt
Ful sotilly / fro euery mannes sigħt
930
That saw his wyf / there wyst of it no moo
He loued hire most / and trosted hire also
He preyede hire / that to no creature
She shulde tellen / of his disfigure
She swor hī nay / for al this world to wynne
935
She nolde do / that velanye or synne
To make hire husbonde / han so foul a name
She nolde nat telle it / for hire owen shame
But natheles / hire thougħt rigħt that he deyed
That she so longe / shulde a counseil hide