• Lydgate, Disguising at Hertford

on hem, cowardes! When hit komethe to nede, We clayme maystrye by prescripcyoun, Be long tytle of successyoun, Frome wyf to wyf, which we wol not leese. Men may weel gruchche but they shal not cheese. Custume is us for

• Spurious Links

WYF OF BATHE Oure Hoost gan tho to loke up anon. "Gode men," quod he, "herkeneth everichon. As evere mote I drynke wyn or ale, This Marchande hath i-tolde a mery tale, How Januarie hadde a lither jape; His

• John Mirk, Sermon on the Conception of the Virgin Mary

89 fel, happened. 89-90 shulde han a wyf, was about to get married. 90 hadde a mynde, remembered. 93 antyme, antiphon. 94 onest, honorable/virtuous/decorous. 96 And thou wolt, If you will; flesly wyf, earthly/carnal wife. 97 spose, spouse. JOHN MIRK,

• John Mirk, Sermon on St. Anne

preyer to God, God grauntid this Anne a sone that was called Samuel, os I sayde beforon. Anothour Anne was wyf to a man that was callyd Raguel, and haddon a doghtur that was callyd Sara, the wyche Sara hadde

• Osbern Bokenham, Life of St. Anne

it me pleyn, Why thou gost not hom to thy wyf ageyn?" "Yung man," quod Joachym, "I wyl trewly Telle thee now even lyk as yt is. I love my wyf as affectually, I dar wel seyn, as any man

• Lydgate, Bycorne and Chychevache

125 130 My wyf, allas, devowred is; Moost pacyente and mooste peysyble, Sheo never sayde to me amysse, Whome hathe nowe slayne this beest horryble, And for it is an inpossyble To fynde ever suche a wyf, I wil lyve

• The Life of St. Julian Hospitaller

"think" or "expect," taking the prefix for- as a negative intensifier. He also emends the manuscript's of his wyf to to his wyf. But in the OE (and ME) verbs where for- is thus used (e.g., fordon, "kill"; fordruncen, "drunk"),

• Book of Esther

Whyls mony princes of price ware in that same semlé. 1379. The kyng toke yt to grett dedyne that his wyf wold not werke his wyll; And to princes he con hym pleyne and bad thei suld take tent thertyll

• John Mirk, Sermon on St. Mary Magdalen

of is so grete of mythe as thou sayste, pray to Hym that I may have a chylde be my wyf that is bareyne, and I wyl leven on Hym." Than graunted Magdaleyne; and so wythinne a schorte tyme the

• The N-Town Plays: Play 31, Satan and Pilate’s Wife; Second Trial before Pilate

all) a whyte clothe and ledyn hym abowth the place and than to Pylat, be (by) the tyme that hese wyf hath pleyd. (see note) 5 *490 10 15 *501 20 25 *511 30 35 *521 40 45 *531 50

• Book of Tobias

dyffend was he full fayn. Bot sone fro frendes he fled of ferre for dred of dede, And thore a wyf he wede comyn of his awn kynred. 1274. That wyfe heyght Ana, as I herd say, that ever in

• Interludium de clerico et puella

mayden sayct, And hi sal gef thee of my nayct, So that hever al thi lyf Saltu be the better wyf. So help me Crist, and hy may spede, Riche saltu haf thi mede." Mome Elwis "A, son, wat saystu?

• The Cook's Tale

of the reviser are clearly exposed in this couplet, which concluded Chaucer's fragment with the authentic reading: "And hadde a wyf that heeld for contenance / A shoppe, and swyved for hir sustenance." 90 Originally, a member of a religious

• 7. Zabyon

shulde kepe him from weddynge of a feyre wyffe, for many oon wolde have her love, and by that the wyf might sette thee lasse by here husbande." And seith that alle evell is in dilectacion of money. And oon

• The York Corpus Christi Plays: Play 4, The Prohibition of the Tree of Knowledge

For here is welthe at wyll. Thys tre that beres the fruyte of lyfe, Luke nother thowe nor Eve thy wyf Lay ye no handes theretyll. Forwhy it is knowen Bothe of good and yll, This frute but ye lett

• The Storie of Asneth

God an hihe Afore his espousailes in no wyse with his wyf to lye." Joseph ros up tymely, to kynge Pharao he goos, And said, "Graunte me to wyf Asneth, the maide reverent, The douhter of preest Putifar of Olinpoleos."

• The Dialogue of Solomon and Marcolf

is a yifte of God. A wyse wyf and a stylle is a grace aboven graces. (8) A good, shamefast and an honeste wyf is lyke the sonne clymmyng up to God. A wyf of good condicyons is the ornament

• Book of Ruth

doles wher scho myght do no dere. He asked of them ylkon whethyn was that woman fayre. The sayd, “The wyf of Maalon; to Emalec next hayre. 379. “Scho sojourns in this same cety with Neomy, thy nevow grett.” Unto

• Caxton, The Game and Playe of the Chesse, Book Two

the castel to hym yf he wold take her to his wyf and wedde her. And he agreed therto and sware that he wold have her to his wyf on that condicion. Whan than the kyng was in the castel,

• Select Secular Lyrics

is yll said. Cuius contrarium verum est. Explicit The Trials of Marriage What, why dedyst thou wynk whan thou a wyf toke? Thou haddest never mor ned brodde to loke! A man that wedyth a wyfe whan he wynkyth, But