The Wife of Bath's Tale
Folio 80v
10 of 10 folios
1175
Maketħ his god / and eke hī self to knowe
Pouerte / a spectakil is / as thynketħ me
Thurgħ whicħ he may / his verray frendes se
And þerfore sire / syn that I nouȝt ȝow greue
Of my pouerte / no more ȝe me repreeue
1180
Now sire / of elde ȝe repreeue me
And certes Sire / thougħ non auctorite
Were in no bok / ȝe gentiles of honour
Seyn / þt men shulde / an olde wygħt do fauour
And clepe hī fader / for ȝoure gentilnesse
1185
And auctoures shal I fynden / as I gesse
Now there as ȝe seyn / þat I am foul and old
Than drede ȝow nougħt / to ben a Cokewold
For filthe and elde / also mot I the
Ben grete wardeyns / vp on chastite
1190
But neueretheles / syn I knowe ȝoure delite
I shal fulfille / ȝoure worldly appetite
Chese now qd she / on of theise thynges twey
To han me foul and old / til that I Corrected from: deydydey
And be to ȝow / a trewe humble wyf
1195
And neuere ȝow displese / in al my lyf
Or ellis ȝe wyl han me / ȝong and faire
And take ȝoure auenture / of the repaire
That shal be to ȝoure hous / by cause of me
Or in som other place / it may wel be
1200
Now chese ȝoure self / wheiþer that ȝow liketħ
This knygħt auysetħ hī / & sore syketħ
But at the last / he seide in this manere
My lady & my loue / and wyf so dere
I putte me / in ȝoure wyse gouernaunce
1205
Chesetħ ȝoure self / whicħ may be most plesaunce
And most honour / to ȝow and me also
I do no force / wheither of the two
For as ȝow liketħ / it suffisetħ me
Than haue I get of ȝow / the maistrye qd she
1210
Syn I may chese / and gouerne as me list
Ȝe certes wyf qd he / I holde it the best
Kisse me qd she / we be no lengere wrothe
For be my trouthe / I shal be to ȝow bothe
This is to seyn / ȝe bothe fair and good
1215
I preye to god / that I mot steruen wood
But I to ȝow / be also good and trewe
As euere was wyf / sithe þt the world was newe
And but I be to morwe / as fair to sene
As any lady / Emperesse or Quene
1220
That is be twix the Est / & eke the west
Do witħ my lif and detħ / rigħt as ȝow list