The Monk's Tale
Folio 193v
9 of 23 folios
With any yong man were he neuer so wight
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Ther myght no thing in hir armes stonde
She kepte hir maydenhed from euery wight
To no man deygne hir for to be bonde
But atte last hir frendes han hir maryed
To onedake a prince of that contree
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Al were it so that she him longe taryed
And ye shal vnderstanden how that he
Hadde swich fantasies as had she
But nathalees whan thei were knyt in fere
Thei lyued in Ioy and felicitee
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For eche of hem hadde other leef and dere
Sauyng o thing she wolde neuer assente
By no wey that he sholde bi hir lye
But onys for it was hir pleyn entente
To haue a childe the world to multiplie
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And also soone / as that she myght espie
That she was nat with child with that dede
Thanne wolde she suffren him doon his fantasye
Eft sone and noght but ones out of drede
And yif she were with child at thilke caste
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No moore shulde he pleyen thilk game
Til fully fourty dayes weren past
Thanne wolde she ones suffre him do the same
Al were this Onedake wilde or tame
He gat no moore of hir for thus she seide
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It was to wyues lecherye and shame
In other cas yif that men with hem pleide
Two sones bi this Onedake had she
The which she kepte in vertue and lettrure
But now vn to our tale turne we
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I sey so worshipful a creature
And wis ther with / and large wt mesure
So penyble in the werre and curteys eke
Ne moore labour myght in werre endure
Was non thogh al this world men shold seke