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

                                
                                     [6-text p 451] 
                                  
                                  To whom / he yeueth his lond / or his catel
                                
                                  And syn I oghte / auyse me right wel
                                
                                  To whom I yeue my good / awey fro me
                                
                                  Wel muchel moore / I oghte auysed be
                                  Line 1528 
                                
                                  To whom I yeue my body / for alwey
                                
                                  I warne yow wel / it is no childes pley
                                
                                  To take a wyf with-outen auysement
                                
                                  Men moste enquere / this is myn assent
                                  Line 1532 
                                
                                  Wher she be wys / or sobre / or dronkelewe
                                
                                  Or proud / or elles ootherweys a shrewe
                                
                                  A chidestere / or wastour of thy good
                                
                                  Or riche / or poore / or elles mannyssh wood
                                  Line 1536 
                                
                                  Al be it so / that no man fynden shal
                                
                                  Noon in this world / that trotteth hool in al
                                
                                  Ne man ne beest/ which as men koude deuyse
                                
                                  But nathelees / it oghte ynough suffise
                                  Line 1540 
                                
                                  With any wyf/ if so were that she hadde
                                
                                  Mo goode thewes / than hire vices badde
                                
                                  And al this / axeth leyser / for tenquere [folio 110a] 
                                
                                  ffor god it woot I haue wept many a teere
                                  Line 1544 
                                
                                  fful pryuely / syn I haue had a wyf
                                
                                  Preyse who so wole / a wedded mannes lyf
                                
                                  Certein I fynde in it but cost and care
                                
                                  And obseruances / of alle blisses bare
                                  Line 1548 
                                
                                  And yet god woot my neighebores aboute
                                
                                  And namely / of wommen many a route
                                
                                  Seyn þat I haue / the mooste stedefast wyf
                                
                                  And eek/ the mekeste oon / that bereth lyf
                                  Line 1552 
                                
                                  But I woot best where wryngeth me my sho
                                
                                  Ye mowe for me / right as yow liketh do
                                
                                  Auyseth yow / ye been a man of age
                                
                                  How that ye entren / in to mariage
                                  Line 1556 
                                
                                  And namely / with a yong wyf/ and a fair
                                
                                  By hym þat made water / erthe / and air
                                
                                  The yongeste man / þat is in al this route
                                
                                  Is bisy ynough / to bryngen it aboute

                                  Line 1560

Pages

Index

About this Item

Title: The Ellesmere ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.
Author: Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.
Canvas: Page 285
Publication: London :: Published for the Chaucer Society by N. Trübner,; 1868-1879.

Technical Details

Collection: Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/agz8232.0001.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/agz8232.0001.001/316:6

Rights and Permissions

The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials are in the public domain. If you have questions about the collection, please contact [email protected]. If you have concerns about the inclusion of an item in this collection, please contact [email protected].

DPLA Rights Statement: No Copyright - United States

IIIF

Manifest: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/api/manifest/cme:agz8232.0001.001

Cite this Item

Full citation: "The Ellesmere 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/agz8232.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 16, 2025.

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

Annotations Tools

Actions

About this Item

Technical Details

Rights and Permissions

Related Links

IIIF

Cite this Item