¶ The murye wordes of the Hoost/ to the Monk/ . [on leaf 172]
Whan ended / was my tale / of Melibee
Line 3079
And of Prudence / and hire benignytee
Oure hoost seyde / as I am feithful man
And by that precious corpus Madrian
I hadde leuere / than a barel ale
That good lief my wyf / hadde herd this tale
Line 3084
She nys no thyng / of swich pacience
As was this Melibeus wyf Prudence
By goddes bones / whan I bete my knaues
She bryngeth me forth / the grete clobbed staues
Line 3088
And crieth / slee the dogges euerichoon
And brek/ hem / bothe bak and euery boon
¶ And if that any neighebore of myne
Wol nat in chirche / to my wyf enclyne
Line 3092
Or be so hardy / to hire to trespace
Whan she comth [home] / she rampeth in my face
And crieth / false coward / wrek thy wyf/
By corpus bones / I wol haue thy knyf/
Line 3096
And thou shalt haue my distaf and go spynne
ffro day to nyght / right thus she wol bigynne
Allas she seith / that euere þat I was shape
To wedden a Milksope / or a coward ape
Line 3100
That wol been ouerlad with euery wight
Thou darst nat stonden by thy wyues right
¶ This is my lif but if that I wol fighte
And out at dore / anon I moot me dighte
Line 3104
Or elles I am but lost but if that I
Be lik a wilde leon fool-hardy
I woot wel / she wol do me slee som day
Som neighebore / and thanne go my way
Line 3108
ffor I am perilous / with knyf in honde
Al be it that I dar hire nat withstonde
