GROUP D. FRAGMENT V.
§ 1. WIFE OF BATH'S PREAMBLE.
LANSDOWNE MS.
Incipit prologus vxoris/. de Bathe. [on leaf 87]
THan schortly ansewarde þe wife of Bathe [spurious link]
Line 1*
And swore a wonder grete haþe [spurious link]
Line 2*
Be goddes bones .I. wil tel next [spurious link]
Line 3*
.I. will nouht glose bot saye þe text [spurious link]
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Experiment þouhe none auctorite
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Where in þis werlde is riht y-nouhe for me
To speke of woo þat is in mariage
For lordeinges sen .I. twelue ȝere was of Age
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Þonked be god þat eterne alyue
Hosbondes att þe cherche dor .I. haue hadde five
If .I. so oft myht haue wedded be
Bot al were worþi men in here degre.
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Bot me was tolde certein nouȝt longe a-gon es [folio 87b]
Þat seþen criste ne went neuer bot ones
To weddeinge in þe Cane of Galile
That be þilke ensample tauht he me
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Þat .I. ne scholde wedded bue bot ones
Herke eke loo suche a scharpe worde for þe nones
Be side a well ihesu god and man
Spak in repreue of þe Samaritan
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Þou hast hi-hadde fyve husbondes quod he
And þat ilke man þat nowe haþe þe
Is nouht þin husbonde þus seide he serteine
What he ment þerby .I. kan nouht seine
Line 20
Well . Bot þat .I. ax. whi þe fift mane
Was none husbonde to þe Semaritane
How many myht sche haue in mariage
Ȝit herd .I. neuer tell in myne age
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