[6-text p 357]
And whan þat I hadde geten vnto me
By maistrie al þe souerainte
þan he seyde myn owne trewe wyf [leaf 114, back, at bottom of the page]
Do as þou list þe terme of alle þy lif / [leaf 101 b. for 110]
kepe þin honour and keep eek myn estate /
After þat day we hadde neuer debate /
God help me so I was to him as kynde
As eny wijf from Denmark in to ynde
Line 824
And al so trewe and so was he to me /
I pray to god þat sitte in mageste
So blisse his soule for his mercy deere
Now wol I telle my tale if ȝe wol heere
Line 828
¶ Here endeþ þe prologe of þe gode wif of Baþe
[The Wrangle between the Summoner and Friar.]
The frere lowh whan he haþ herd al þis
Now dame quod he so haue I ioye or blis
This is a long preamble of a tale
And whan þis somnour herde þe freere gale /
Line 832
Lo quod þe somnour goddes armes tuo
A freere wille entremette him euermo
lo goode men a flye and eek a freere
Wille falle in euery dissche and eek/ matiere /
Line 836
What spekest þou of preambulacion
What amble or trotte or pees or go sit doun
Thou lettest/ oure disport in þis manere /
ȝe woltow so þou sompnour quod þe ffrere /
Line 840
Now by my fay I schal er þat I go
Telle of a Somnour such a tale or tuo
That alle þe folk schulle laughen in þis place
Now elles frere I beschrewe þy face
Line 844
Quod þis somnour and I byschrewe me /
But if I telle þe tales tuo or þre
Of freres or I come to Sydyngborne
þat I schal make þin herte for to morne
Line 848
