The Lansdowne ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

                                
                                     [6-text p 336] 
                                  
                                  Be expresse worde .I. praie ȝowe telleþ me
                                
                                  Or where commaunded he virginite
                                
                                  .I. wote as wele as ȝe it is no drede
                                
                                  The Apostle whan he spekeþe of Maidenhede
                                  Line 64 
                                
                                  He seide þere-of precept had .I. none
                                
                                  Men mai consel a womman to bene one
                                
                                  Bott counseillinge is no comandement
                                
                                  He put it in owre owen Iugement
                                  Line 68 
                                
                                  For had god commanded maidenhede
                                
                                  þan hadde he dampned wedinge wiþ þe dede
                                
                                  And certes if þere were no sede .I.-sowe
                                
                                  virginite þan where-of schold it growe
                                  Line 72 
                                
                                  Poule dorst nouht commanden att þe leste
                                
                                  A þinge of whiche his maistre ȝaf him none heste
                                
                                  The darte is sett vp for virginitee
                                
                                  Chase who so maye . who so renneþ best let see
                                  Line 76 
                                
                                  Bot þis worde is nouht take of euery whiht
                                
                                  Bot þere as god wolde gif it of his myht
                                
                                  .I. wote wele þat þe Apostle was a maide
                                
                                  Bot Naþeles þouhe þat he wrote or saide
                                  Line 80 
                                
                                  He wolde þat euery wight were suche as he
                                
                                  All ne is bot counseill to virginite
                                
                                  And for to be a wif he ȝaue me leue
                                
                                  Of Indulgence so is it of no repreue
                                  Line 84 
                                
                                  To wedde me if þat my . make dye
                                
                                  Wiþ-oute excepcione of bigamye
                                
                                  Al were it goode no womman for to touche
                                
                                  He ment as in his body or his couche
                                  Line 88 
                                
                                  For perill is boþe to touche and for to assemble
                                
                                  Ȝe knowe what þis ensample maie resemble
                                
                                  Þis all and somme he helde virginite
                                
                                  Mor perfite þan wedded in frelete.
                                  Line 92 
                                
                                  Freelte clepe .I. nouht bot þat he and sche [folio 88b] 
                                
                                  Wolde lede here life al in chastite
                                
                                  .I. graunte it wele .I. haue none envye
                                
                                  þouhe maidenhed prefer bygamye

                                  Line 96

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Title: The Lansdowne ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.
Author: Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.
Canvas: Page 215
Publication: London :: Published for the Chaucer Society by N. Trübner,; 1867-1879.

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Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/agz8236.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/agz8236.0001.001/243:6.1.1

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Full citation: "The Lansdowne ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/agz8236.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 3, 2025.

The Lansdowne ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

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