• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

foul or feir And ek my wyf vnto myn hom comyng Crist whan him lust may sende me an heyr Moore greable than this to my lykyng This lettre he seleth priuely wepyng Which to the Messager was take sone

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

dance Whan that she wist wherfore was that sonde Vnneth vpon hir feet she myght stonde Whan alla saw his wyf fair he hir gret And wept that it was routh for to se For at the first look he

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

euery wyse As ferforth as his konnyng may suffice The morwe cam and alla gan him dresse And ek his wyf this Emperour to mete And forth thei ryde in ioy and gladnesse And whan she saugh hir fadyr in

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

lyf I bere it noght in mynde This kyng alla whan he his tyme say Wyth his Custance his holy wyf so swete To Engelond ben thei come the ryght wey Ther as thei lyue in ioy and in quyete

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

of bras For that Symkyn sholde in his blood allye She was yfostred in a Nonnerye For Symkyn wolde no wyf as he seide But she were wel norisshed and a mayde To sauen his estate of yemanrye And she

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

the sak a doun he layth Aleyn spak first alhail symond in faith How fares thi fair doughter and thi wyf Aleyn welcome quod symkyn bi my lyf And Iohn also how now what do ye here By god quod

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

corn Al was out of his mynde his husbondrye What whilke wey is he gane he gan to crye The wyf cam lepyng Inward wyth a renne She seide allas your hors goth to the fenne Wyth wilde mares as

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

the Miller saugh that thei were gon He half a busshel of hir flour hath take And bade his wyf go knede it in a kake He seide I trow the clerkes were a ferd Yit can a Miller make

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

nose As he were on the quakke or on the pose To bedde he goth and wyth him goth his wyf As any iay she light was and Iolyf So was hir ioly whistel wel I wet The cradyl at

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

His wyf bar him a burdoun a ful stronge Men myght hir routyng heren a forlonge The wenche routeth per compaignye Aleyn the clerk that herd this melodye He poketh Iohn and seide slepestow Herd thow euyr slik a sang

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

that I go nat aryght I wot wel by the cradel I haue misgo Here lith the Miller and his wyf also And forth he goth on twenty deuelway Vn to the bedde ther as the miller lay He wend

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

miller sporned at a ston And doun he fil bakward vpon his wyf That wist no thing of this nyce stryf For she was falle a sleep alitel wyght Wyth Iohn the Clerk that waked had al nyght And wyth

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

denys That riche was for which men hild him wis A wyf he had of excellent beaute And compaynable and reuerent was she Which is a thing that causeth more dispence Than worth is al the cheer and reuerence That

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

han lost her lyues For stryuyng wyth hir lemmannes and hir wyues Now sith ye haue so holy meke a wyf What nedeth yow thomras to make stryf Ther nys I wis no serpent so cruwel Whan man tret on

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

whan that I bigynne To lyue vertuously and weyue synne And ther as ye of pouerte me reperue The high god on whom that we beleue In wilful pouerte ches to lyue his lif And certes euery mayden and wyf

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

haue me olde and foul til that I dye And be to yow a trewe humble wyf And neuer yow displese in al my lif Or elles ye wol han me yonge and faire And take your auenture of the

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

at þe dore and after þat cam sche And to þe poeple he sayde in þis manere þis is my wyf qd he þat stondeþ heere Honoureþ hire and loueþ eek I preye Who so me loueþ þer is no

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

mo When þat þis childe had souked but a þrowe This marquys in his herte longeþ so To tempte his wyf hir sadnesse for to knowe þat he ne might out of his herte þrowe This merueylous desir his wijf

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

drede God schilde such a lordes wijf to take Anoþer man to housbonde or to make And of ȝoure newe wyf god of his grace So graunte ȝou wele and heigh prosperite For I wille gladly ȝelden hire my place

• The Norman Blake Editions of The Canterbury Tales

And þan at erst amonges hem þey seye That walter was no fool þough þat him liste To chaunge his wyf for it was for þe beste For sche is fairer as þey demen all þan is Grisilde and more