• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

I was born why nere I deed O dere wyf o gemme of lustyhed That were to me so sad and eek so trewe Now list þou deed with face pale of hewe Ful gulteles þat dorst I swere I

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

men may warm wax with hondes plye Wher for I say ȝow plenerly in a clause I wil noon old wyf han right for þat cause For if so were I hadde so meschaunce þat I in hir couþe haue

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

whan þat him list he it vnschette And whan he wolde pay his wyf hir dette , In somer sesoun þider wold he go And may his wyf and no wight but þay tuo And þinges which . þat weren

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

him sette Vpon a bench of turues freissh and greene And right anoon þus sayd he to his queene My wyf quod he þer may no wight say nay Thexperiens so preueth euery day The tresoun which þat wōman doth

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

þus þis sweete clerk his tyme spente After his frendes fyndyng and his rente This carpenter had weddid newe a wyf Which þat he loued more þan his lyf Of eyȝteteene ȝeer sche was of age Gelous he was and

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

heende Nicholas Fil wiþ þis ȝonge wyf to rage and pleye Whil þat hir housbond was at Oseneye As clerkes ben ful sotil and ful queynte And pryuely he caught hir by þe queynte And seyde I wis but if

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

his herte such a loue longyng That of no wyf ne took he noon offryng , For curtesy he seyde he wolde noon The moone at night ful cleer and brighte schoon And absolon his giterne haþ I take For

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

wiþ his felaschipe That he hadde or he gat his wyf to schipe Him hadde wel leuer I dar wel vndertake , At þilke tyme þan all his weþeres blake That sche hadde a schip hir self allone And þerfore

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

pitee And eek his wyf þey wepeden for rouþe Sche was so diligent wiþouten slouþe , To serue and plese euer in þat place That alle hir louen þat loken on hir face The Constable and dame hermegyld his wyf

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

Castel of þe which I tolde And askeþ wher his wyf and his child ys The Constable gan aboute his herte colde And playnly al þe maner he him tolde As ȝe han herd , I can telle it no

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

, sche nolde seye Of hire astaat al þough sche scholde deye He bryngeþ hir to Rome and to his wyf He ȝaf hir and hir ȝonge sone also And wiþ þe Senatour lad sche hir lyf Thus can our

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

and mele , And þat a sleigh and vsyng for to stele , His name was hoote deynous Symekyn A wyf he hadde , come of noble kyn The persoū of þe toun hir fader was With hire he ȝaf

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

As he were on þe quakke or on þe pose , To bed he goþ and wiþ him goþ his wyf As eny Iay sche light was and iolyf So was his ioly whistel wel y wet The cradil at

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

þe morn also And in the gardyn walkith to and fro And haþ his þinges said ful curteisly This good wyf com walkyng ful priuely In to a gardyn þer he walkeþ softe And him salueth as sche haþ doon

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

of oure priuete God schilde I scholde telle it for his grace , A wyf ne schal not say of hir housbonde But al honour as I can vnderstonde Saue vnto ȝow þus moche telle I schal As help me

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

êuaūt euerydel Thankyd be god þat ȝow ȝaf soule and lif ȝit saugh I not þis day so fair a wyf In al þe chirche god so saue me . ȝe god amend defautes sir quod sche , Algates welcome

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

as me list , ȝe certis wyf quod he I hold it best Kys me quod sche we ben no lenger wroþe For by my trouþe . I wol be to ȝow boþe This is to say ȝe boþe fair

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

entente That neuere yet refuseden thyn heste And we wol lord , if þt ye wol assente Chese yow a wyf in short tyme at the leeste Born of the gentileste , and of the meeste Of al this lond

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

lest To tempte his wyf , yet ofter , if he may O nedelees , was she tempted in assay But wedded men , ne knowe no mesure Whan þt they fynde , a pacient creature Wyf quod this Markys

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

name But natheles , for ernest ne for game He , of his cruel purpos nolde stente To tempte his wyf , was set al his entente Whan that this doghter , .xij. yer was of age He to the