Click in the field, then press CTRL+C to copy the HTML code
<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=346131" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>The Wright's Chaste Wife</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">Allemyghty god, maker of alle,<br>Saue you my souereyns in towre & halle,<br>And send you good grace!<br>If ye wylle a stounde blynne,<br>Of a story I wylle begynne,<br>And telle you alle the cas,<br>Meny farleyes ?aue herde,<br>Ye would haue wondyr how yt ferde;<br>Lystyn, and ye schalle here;<br>Of a wryght I wylle you telle<br>That some tyme in thys land gan dwelle,<br>And lyued by hys myster.<br>Whether that he were yn or oute,<br>Of erthely man hadde he no dowte,<br>To werke hows, harowe, nor plowgh,<br>Or other werkes, what so they were,<br>Thous wrought he hem farre and nere,<br>And dyd tham wele I-nough.<br>Thys wryght would wedde no wyfe,<br>Butt yn yougeth to lede hys lyfe<br>In myrthe and o?ody;<br>Ouer alle where he gan wende,<br>Alle they seyd 'welcome, frende,<br>Sytt downe, and do gla[d]ly.'<br>Tylle on a tyme he was wyllyng,<br>As tyme comyth of alle thyng,<br>(So seyth the profesye,)<br>A wyfe for to wedde & haue<br>That myght hys goodes kepe & saue,<br>And for to leue alle foly.<br>Ther dwellyd a wydowe in ?tre<br>That hadde a doughter feyre & fre;<br>Of her, word sprang wyde,<br>For sche was bothe stabylle & trewe,<br>Meke of maners, and feyre of hewe;<br>So seyd men in that tyde.<br>The wryght seyde, 'so god me saue,<br>Such a wyfe would I haue<br>To lye nyghtly by my syde.'<br>He ?to speke wyth ?,<br>And rose erly on a daye<br>And ?an he to ryde.<br>The wryght was welcome to ?,<br>And her saluyd alle so blyve,<br>And so he dyd her doughter fre:<br>For the erand that he for came<br>Tho he spake, ?d yemane;<br>Than to hym seyd sche:<br>The wydow seyd, 'by heuen kyng,<br>I may geue wyth her no ?r> (And ?thynketh me <br>Saue a garlond I wylle the geue,<br>Ye schalle neuer see, whyle ye lyve,<br>None such in thys contre:<br>Haue here thys garlond of roses ryche,<br>In alle thys lond ys none yt lyche,<br>For ytt wylle euer be newe,<br>Wete ?e withowtyn fable,<br>Alle the whyle thy wyfe ys stable<br>The chaplett wolle hold hewe;<br>And yf thy wyfe vse putry,<br>Or tolle eny man to lye her by,<br>Than wolle yt change hewe,<br>And by the garlond ? see,<br>Fekylle or fals yf ?e be,<br>Or ellys yf sche be trewe.'<br>Of thys chaplett hym was fulle fayne,<br>And of hys wyfe, was nott to layne;<br>He weddyd her fulle sone,<br>And ladde her home wyth solempnite,<br>And hyld her brydalle dayes thre.<br>Whan they home come,<br>Thys wryght in hys hart cast,<br>If that he walkyd est or west<br>As he was wonte to done,<br>'My wyfe ?so bryght of ble<br>Men wolle desyre here fro me,<br>And ?tly and sone;'<br>Butt sone he hym by?br> That a chambyr schuld be wrought<br>Bothe of lyme and stone,<br>Wyth wallys strong as eny stele,<br>And dorres sotylly made and wele,<br>He owte framyd yt sone;<br>The chambyr he lett make fast,<br>Wyth plaster of parys ?le last,<br>Such ous know I neuer none;<br>Ther ys kyng ne emperoure,<br>And he were lockyn in ?re,<br>That cowde gete owte of ?ne.<br>Nowe hath he done as he ?<br>And in the myddes of the flore wrought<br>A wondyr strange gyle,<br>A trapdoure rounde abowte<br>That no man myght come yn nor owte;<br>It was made wyth a wyle,<br>That who-so touchyd yt eny thyng,<br>In to ? he schuld flyng<br>Wythyn a lytylle whyle.<br>For hys wyfe he made that place,<br>That no man schuld beseke her of grace,<br>Nor her to begyle.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>By ?e ? of the towne<br>Hadde ordeynyd tymbyr redy bowne,<br>An halle to make of tre.<br>After the wryght the lord lett sende<br>For ?schuld wyth hym lende<br>Monythys two or thre.<br>The lord seyd, 'woult ?e ??<br>I wylle send after her blyve<br>That sche may com to the.'<br>The wryght hys garlond hadde take wyth hym,<br>That was bryght and no ?mme,<br>Yt wes feyre on to see.<br>The lord axyd hym as he satt,<br>'Felowe, where hadyst ? hatte<br>That ys so feyre and newe?'<br>The wryght answerd alle so blyue,<br>And seyd, 'syr, I hadde yt wyth my wyfe,<br>And ?e me neuere rewe;<br>Syr, by my garlond I may see<br>Fekylle or fals yf ?e be,<br>Or yf ?e be trewe;<br>And yf my wyfe loue a paramoure,<br>Than wylle my garlond vade coloure,<br>And change wylle yt the hewe.'<br>The lord ?'by godys myght,<br>That wylle I wete thys same nyght<br>Whether thys tale be trewe.'<br>To the wryghtys howse anon he went,<br>He fonde the wyfe ther-in presente<br>That was so bryght and schene;<br>Sone he hayled her trewly,<br>And so dyd sche the lord curtesly:<br>Sche seyd, 'welcome ye be;'<br>Thus seyd the wyfe of the hows,<br>'Syr, howe faryth my swete spowse<br>That hewyth vppon youre tre?'<br>'Sertes, dame,' he seyd, 'wele,<br>And I am come, so haue I hele,<br>To wete the wylle of the;<br>My loue ys so vppon the cast<br>That me thynketh my hert wolle brest,<br>It wolle none otherwyse be;<br>Good dame, graunt me thy grace<br>To pley with the in some preuy place<br>For gold and eke for fee.'<br>'Good syr, lett be youre fare,<br>And of such wordes speke no mare<br>For hys loue ?d on tre;<br>Hadde we onys begonne ?,<br>My husbond by his garlond myght see;<br>For sorowe he would wexe woode.'<br>'Certes, dame,' he seyd, 'naye;<br>Loue me, I pray you, in ?maye:<br>For godys loue change thy mode,<br>Forty marke schalle be youre mede<br>Of syluer and of gold [so] rede,<br>And that schalle do the good.'<br>'Syr, that deede schalle be done;<br>Take me that mony here anone.'<br>'I swere by the holy rode<br>I thought when I cam hyddere<br>For to bryng yt alle to-gyddere,<br>As I mott breke my heele.'<br>Ther sche toke xl marke<br>Of syluer and gold styff and sterke:<br>Sche toke yt feyre and welle;<br>Sche seyd, 'in to the chambyr wylle we,<br>Ther no man schalle vs see;<br>No lenger wylle we spare.'<br>Vp the steyer they gan hye:<br>The stepes were made so queyntly<br>That farther myght he nott fare.<br>The lord stumbyllyd as he went in hast,<br>He felle doune in to ?ste<br>Forty fote and somedele more.<br>The lord began to crye;<br>The wyfe seyd to hym in hye,<br>'Syr, what do ye there?'<br>'Dame, I can nott seye howe<br>That I am come hydder nowe<br>To thys hows ?so newe;<br>I am so depe in thys sure flore<br>That I ne can come owte att no dore;<br>Good dame, on me ?e!'<br>'Nay,' sche seyd, 'so mut y the,<br>Tylle myne husbond come and se,<br>I schrewe hym ??'<br>The lord arose and lokyd abowte<br>If he myght eny where gete owte,<br>But yt holpe hym ryght noght,<br>The wallys were so thycke wythyn,<br>That he no where myght owte wynne<br>But helpe to hym were brought;<br>And euer the lord made euylle chere,<br>And seyd, 'dame, ?alt by thys dere.'<br>Sche seyd that sche ne rought;<br>Sche seyd 'I recke nere<br>Whyle I am here and ? there,<br>I schrewe herre ?doth drede.'<br>The lord was sone owte of her ?<br>The wyfe went in to her lofte,<br>Sche satte and dyd here dede.<br>Than yt felle on ?r daye<br>Of mete and drynke he gan her pray,<br>There of he hadde gret nede.<br>He seyd, 'dame, for seynt charyte,<br>Wyth some mete ?fort me.'<br>Sche seyd, 'nay, so god me spede,<br>For I swere by swete seynt Iohne,<br>Mete ne drynke ne getyst ?e<br>Butt ?t swete or swynke;<br>For I haue both hempe and lyne,<br>And a betyngstocke fulle fyne,<br>And a swyngylle good and grete;<br>If ?t worke, tell me sone.'<br>'Dame, bryng yt forthe, yt schalle be done,<br>Fulle gladly would I ete.'<br>Sche toke the stocke in her honde,<br>And in to the pytt sche yt sclang<br>Wyth a grete hete:<br>Sche brought the lyne and hempe on her backe,<br>'Syr lord,' sche seyd, 'haue ?,<br>And lerne for to swete.'<br>Ther sche toke hym a bonde<br>For to occupy hys honde,<br>And bade hym fast on to bete.<br>He leyd yt downe on the stone,<br>And leyd on strockes welle good wone,<br>And sparyd nott on to leyne.<br>Whan ?hadde wrought a thraue,<br>Mete and drynke he gan to craue,<br>And would haue hadde yt fayne;<br>'That I hadde somewhat for to ete<br>Now after my gret swete;<br>Me thynketh yt were ryght,<br>For I haue labouryd nyght and daye<br>The for to plese, dame, I saye,<br>And therto putt my myght.'<br>The wyfe seyd 'so mutt I haue hele,<br>And yf ?e be wrought wele<br>Thou schalt haue to dyne.'<br>Mete and drynke sche hym bare,<br>Wyth a thrafe of flex mare<br>Of fulle long boundyn lyne.<br>So feyre the wyfe the lord gan praye<br>That he schuld be werkyng aye,<br>And nought ?schuld blynne;<br>The lord was fayne to werke tho,<br>Butt hys men knewe nott of hys woo<br>Nor of ?des pyne.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>The stuard to ?ht gan saye,<br>'Sawe ?e of my lord to-daye,<br>Whether that he ys wende?'<br>The wryght answerde and seyd 'naye;<br>I sawe hym nott syth yesterdaye;<br>I trowe ?be schent.'<br>The stuard stode ?ht by,<br>And of hys garlond hadde ferly<br>What ?be-mente.<br>The stuard seyd, 'so god me saue,<br>Of thy garlond wondyr I haue,<br>And who yt hath the sent.'<br>'Syr,' he seyd, 'be the same hatte<br>I can knowe yf my wyfe be badde<br>To me by eny other man;<br>If my floures ou?e or falle,<br>Then doth my wyfe me wrong wyth-alle,<br>As many a woman can.'<br>The stuard ?'by godes myght,<br>That schalle I preue thys same nyght<br>Whether ?s or banne,'<br>And in to hys chambyr he gan gone,<br>And toke tresure fulle good wone,<br>And forth he spedde hem than.<br>Butt he ne stynt att no stone<br>Tylle he vn-to ?htes hows come<br>That ylke same nyght.<br>He mett the wyfe amydde the gate,<br>Abowte ?e he gan her take,<br>And seyd 'my dere wyght,<br>Alle the good ?myne<br>I wylle the geue to be thyne<br>To lye by the alle nyght.'<br>Sche seyd, 'syr, lett be thy fare,<br>My husbond wolle wete wyth-owtyn mare<br>And I hym dyd that vnryght;<br>I would nott he myght yt wete<br>For alle the good that I myght gete,<br>So Ihesus mutt me spede;<br>For, and eny man lay me by,<br>My husbond would yt wete truly,<br>It ys wythowtyn eny drede.'<br>The stuard seyd 'for hym ?wrought,<br>There-of, dame, drede the noght<br>Wyth me to do that dede;<br>Haue here of me xx marke<br>Of gold and syluer styf and starke,<br>Thys tresoure schalle be thy mede.'<br>'Syr, and I graunt ?you,<br>Lett no man wete butt we two nowe.'<br>He seyd, 'nay, wythowtyn drede.'<br>The stuard ? 'sykerly<br>Women beth both queynte & slye.'<br>The mony he gan her bede;<br>He ?wele to haue be spedde,<br>And of his erand he was onredde<br>Or he were fro hem I-gone.<br>Vp the sterys sche hym leyde<br>Tylle he saw the wryghtes bedde:<br>Of tresoure rought he none;<br>He went and stumblyd att a stone,<br>In to ?ere he fylle sone<br>Downe to the bare flore.<br>The lord seyd 'what deuylle art ?> And ?est falle on me nowe,<br>Thowe hadest hurt me fulle sore.'<br>The stuard stert and staryd abowte<br>If he myght ower gete owte<br>Att hole lesse or mare.<br>The lord seyd, 'welcome, and sytt be tyme,<br>For ?alt helpe to dyght thys lyne<br>For alle thy fers fare.'<br>The stuard lokyd on the knyght,<br>He seyd, 'syr, for godes myght,<br>My lord, what do you here?'<br>He seyd 'felowe, wyth-owtyn oth,<br>For o erand we come bothe,<br>The sothe wolle I nott lete.'<br>Tho cam the wyfe them vn-to,<br>And seyd, 'syres, what do you to,<br>Wylle ye nott lerne to swete?'<br>Than seyd ? her vn-to,<br>'Dame, youre lyne ys I-doo,<br>Nowe would I fayne ete:<br>And I haue made yt alle I-lyke,<br>Fulle clere, and no ?ycke,<br>Me thynketh yt gret payne.'<br>The stuard seyd 'wyth-owtyn dowte,<br>And euer I may wynne owte,<br>I wyll breke her brayne.'<br>'Felowe, lett be, and sey nott so,<br>For ?alt worke or euer ?,<br>Thy wordes ?ne agayne,<br>Fayne ?alt be so to doo,<br>And thy good wylle put ?br> As a man buxome and bayne<br>Thowe schalt rubbe, rele, and spynne,<br>And ?t eny mete wynne,<br>That I geue to god a gyfte.'<br>The stuard seyd, 'then haue I wondyr;<br>Rather would I dy for hungyr<br>Wyth-owte hosylle or shryfte.'<br>The lord seyd, 'so haue I hele,<br>Thowe wylt worke, yf ?gyr welle,<br>What worke ? be brought.'<br>The lord satt and dyd hys werke,<br>The stuard drewe in to the derke,<br>Gret sorowe was in hys ?<br>The lord seyd, 'dame, here ys youre lyne,<br>Haue yt in godes blessyng and myne,<br>I hold yt welle I-wrought.'<br>Mete and drynke sche gaue hym yn,<br>'The stuard,' sche seyd, 'wolle he nott spynne,<br>Wylle he do ryght noght?'<br>The lord seyd, 'by swete sen Ione,<br>Of thys mete schalle he haue none<br>That ye haue me hydder brought.'<br>The lord ete and dranke fast,<br>The stuard hungeryd att ?,<br>For he gaue hym nought.<br>The stuard satt alle in a stody,<br>Hys lord hadde forgote curtesy:<br>Tho seyd ?rd, 'geue me some.'<br>The lord seyd, 'sorow haue ?elle or sope<br>That schalle come in thy throte;<br>Nott so much as a crome!<br>Butt ?t helpe to dyght ?e,<br>Much hungyr yt schalle be thyne<br>Though ?e much mone.'<br>Vp he rose, and went therto,<br>'Better ys me ?doo<br>Whyle yt must nedys be do.'<br>The stuard began fast to knocke,<br>The wyfe ?m a swyngelyng stocke,<br>Hys mete ? to wyn;<br>Sche brought a swyngylle at ?,<br>'Good syres,' sche seyd, 'swyngylle on fast;<br>For no ?at ye blynne.'<br>Sche gaue hym a stocke to sytt vppon,<br>And seyd 'syres, ?ke must nedys be done,<br>Alle that that ys here yn.'<br>The stuard toke vp a stycke to saye,<br>'Sey, seye, swyngylle better yf ye may,<br>Hytt wylle be the better to spynne.'<br>Were ? neuer so gret,<br>Yet was he fayne to werke for hys mete<br>Though he were neuer so sadde;<br>Butt ?rd ? so stowde,<br>Was fayne to swyngelle ?es owte,<br>Ther-of he was nott glad.<br>The lordys meyne ?e att home<br>Wyst nott where he was bycome,<br>They were fulle sore adrad.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>The proctoure of ?sche chyrche ryght<br>Came and lokyd on ?ht,<br>He lokyd as he were madde;<br>Fast ?toure gan hym frayne,<br>'Where hadest ? garlond gayne?<br>It ys euer lyke newe.'<br>The wryght gan say 'felowe,<br>Wyth my wyfe, yf ?t knowe;<br>That dare me nott rewe;<br>For alle the whyle my wyfe trew ys,<br>My garlond wolle hold hewe I-wys,<br>And neuer falle nor fade;<br>And yf my wyfe take a paramoure,<br>Than wolle my garlond vade ?re,<br>That dare I ley myne hede.'<br>The proctoure ? 'in good faye<br>That schalle I wete thys same daye<br>Whether yt may so be.'<br>To the wryghtes hows he went,<br>He grete ? wyth feyre entente,<br>Sche seyd 'syr, welcome be ye.'<br>'A! dame, my loue ys on you fast<br>Syth the tyme I sawe you last;<br>I pray you yt may so be<br>That ye would graunt me of youre grace<br>To play wyth you in some priuy place,<br>Or ellys to deth mutt me.'<br>Fast ?toure gan to pray,<br>And euer to hym sche seyd 'naye,<br>That wolle I nott doo.<br>Hadest ?e ?e wyth me,<br>My spouse by hys garlond myght see,<br>That schuld torne me to woe.'<br>The proctoure seyd, 'by heuen kyng,<br>If he sey to the any ?> He schalle haue sorowe vnsowte;<br>Twenty marke I wolle ?,<br>It wolle ?e welle to lyue,<br>The mony here haue I brought.'<br>Nowe hath sche the tresure tane,<br>And vp ?re be they gane,<br>(What helpyth yt to lye?)<br>The wyfe went the steyre be-syde,<br>The proctoure went a lytylle to wyde<br>He felle downe by and by.<br>Whan he in to ?er felle,<br>He wente to haue sonke in to helle,<br>He was in hart fulle sory.<br>The stuard lokyd on the knyght,<br>And seyd 'proctoure, for godes myght,<br>Come and sytt vs by.'<br>The proctoure began to stare,<br>For he was he wyst neuer whare,<br>Butt wele he knewe ?ht<br>And the stuard ?ngelyd ?.<br>He seyd 'syres, for godes pyne,<br>What do ye here thys nyght?'<br>The stuard seyd, 'god geue the care,<br>Thowe camyst to loke howe we fare,<br>Nowe helpe ?e were dyght.'<br>He stode stylle in a gret ?<br>What to answer he wyst noght:<br>'By mary fulle of myght,'<br>The proctoure seyd, 'what do ye in ?br> For to bete thys wyfes lyne?<br>For Jhesus loue, fulle of myght,'<br>The proctoure seyd ryght as he ?<br>'For me yt schalle be euylle wrought<br>And I may see aryght,<br>For I lernyd neuer in londe<br>For to haue a swyngelle in hond<br>By day nor be nyght.'<br>The stuard seyd, 'as good as ? We hold vs that be here now,<br>And lett preue yt be syght;<br>Yet must vs worke for owre mete,<br>Or ellys schalle we none gete,<br>Mete nor drynke to owre honde.'<br>The lord seyd, 'why flyte ye two?<br>I trowe ye wylle werke or ye goo<br>Yf yt be as I vndyrstond.'<br>Abowte he goys twyes or thryes;<br>They ete & drynke in such wyse<br>That ?e hym ryght noght.<br>The proctoure seyd, 'thynke ye no schame,<br>Yheue me some mete, (ye be to blame,)<br>Of that the wyfe ye brought.'<br>The stuard seyd 'euylle spede the soppe<br>If eny morcelle come in thy throte<br>Butt ?h vs hadest wrought.'<br>The proctoure stode in a stody<br>Whether he myght worke hem by;<br>And so to torne hys ?<br>To the lord he drewe nere,<br>And to hym seyd wyth myld chere,<br>'That mary mott the spede.'<br>The proctoure began to knocke,<br>The good wyfe rawte hym a rocke,<br>For therto hadde sche nede;<br>Sche seyd 'whan I was mayde att home,<br>Other werke cowde I do none<br>My lyfe ther-wyth to lede.'<br>Sche gaue hym in hande a rocke hynde,<br>And bade hem fast for to wynde<br>Or ellys to lett be hys dede.<br>'Yes, dame,' he seyd, 'so haue I hele,<br>I schalle yt worke both feyre & welle<br>As ye haue taute me.'<br>He wauyd vp a strycke of lyne,<br>And he span wele and fyne<br>By-fore the swyngelle tre.<br>The lord seyd '?nnest to grete,<br>Therfor ?alt haue no mete,<br>That ?alt welle see.'<br>Thus ?t and wrought fast<br>Tylle ? dayes were past;<br>Then the wryght, home came he,<br>And as he cam by hys hows syde<br>He herd noyse that was not ryde<br>Of persons two or thre;<br>One of hem knockyd lyne,<br>A-nothyr swyngelyd good and fyne<br>By-fore the swyngylle tre,<br>The thyrde did rele and spynne,<br>Mete and drynke ther-wyth to wynne,<br>Gret nede ther-of hadde he.<br>Thus ?ht stode herkenyng;<br>Hys wyfe was ware of hys comyng,<br>And ageynst hym went sche.<br>'Dame,' he seyd, 'what ys ?ne?<br>I here gret noyse here wythynne;<br>Telle me, so god the spede.'<br>'Syr,' sche seyd, 'workemen thre<br>Be come to helpe you and me,<br>Ther-of we haue gret nede;<br>Fayne would I wete what they were.'<br>But when he sawe hys lord there,<br>Hys hert bygan to drede<br>To see hys lord in ?ce,<br>He ?yt was a strange cas,<br>And seyd, 'so god hym spede,<br>What do ye here, my lord and knyght?<br>Telle me nowe for godes myght<br>Howe cam thys vn-to?'<br>The knyght seyd 'What ys best rede?<br>Mercy I aske for my mysdede,<br>My hert ys wondyr wo.'<br>'So ys myne, verament,<br>To se you among thys flex and hempe,<br>Fulle sore yt ruyth me;<br>To se you in such hevynes,<br>Fulle sore myne hert yt doth oppresse,<br>By god in trinite.'<br>The wryght bade hys wyfe lett hym owte,<br>'Nay, ?owe come on my snowte<br>If they passe hens to-daye<br>Tylle that my lady come and see<br>Howe ?ld haue done wyth me,<br>Butt nowe late me saye.'<br>Anon sche sent after the lady bryght<br>For to fett home her lord and knyght,<br>Therto sche seyd noght;<br>Sche told her what they hadde ment,<br>And of ther purpos & ther intente<br>That they would haue wrought.<br>Glad was ?y of that tydyng;<br>When sche wyst her lord was lyuyng,<br>Ther-of sche was fulle fayne:<br>Whan sche came vn-to ?re abouen,<br>Sche lokyd vn-to ?er downe,<br>And seyd,-?nott to leyne,-<br>'Good syres, what doo you here?'<br>'Dame, we by owre mete fulle dere,<br>Wyth gret trauayle and peyne;<br>I pray you helpe ?were owte,<br>And I wylle swere wythowtyn dowte<br>Neuer to come here agayne.'<br>The lady spake the wyfe vn-tylle,<br>And seyd 'dame, yf yt be youre wylle,<br>What doo thes meyny here?'<br>The carpentarys wyfe her answerd sykerly,<br>'Alle they would haue leyne me by,<br>Euerych in ther manere,<br>Gold and syluer they me brought,<br>And forsoke yt, and would yt noght,<br>The ryche gyftes so clere.<br>Wyllyng ?e to do me schame,<br>I toke ther gyftes wyth-owtyn blame,<br>And ther they be alle thre.'<br>The lady answerd her anon,<br>'I haue thynges to do att home<br>Mo than two or thre;<br>I wyst my lord neuer do ryght noght<br>Of no ?t schuld be wrought,<br>Such as fallyth to me.'<br>The lady lawghed and made good game<br>Whan they came owte alle in-same<br>From the swyngylle tre.<br>The knyght seyd 'felowys in fere,<br>I am glad ?be here,<br>By godes dere pyte;<br>Dame, and ye hadde bene wyth vs,<br>Ye would haue wrought, by swete Ihesus,<br>As welle as dyd we.'<br>And when they cam vp abouen<br>They turnyd abowte and lokyd downe,<br>The lord seyd, 'so god saue me,<br>Yet hadde I neuer such a fytte<br>As I haue hadde in ?e pytte;<br>So mary so mutt me spede.'<br>The knyght and thys lady bryght,<br>Howe they would home that nyght,<br>For no thyng they would abyde;<br>And so they went home;<br>Thys seyd Adam of Cobsam.<br>By the weye as they rode<br>Throwe a wode in ther playeng,<br>For to here the fowlys syng<br>They hovyd stylle and bode.<br>The stuard sware by godes ore,<br>And so dyd the proctoure much more,<br>That neuer in ther lyfe<br>Would they no more come in ?ne<br>Whan they were onys thens come,<br>Thys forty yere and fyve.<br>Of the tresure that they brought<br>The lady would geue hem ryght noght,<br>Butt gaue yt to the wryghtes wyfe.<br>Thus the wryghtes garlond was feyre of hewe,<br>And hys wyfe bothe good and trewe:<br>There-of was he fulle blythe;<br>I take wytnes att gret and smalle,<br>Thus trewe bene good women alle<br>That nowe bene on lyve,<br>So come thryste on ther hedys<br>Whan they mombylle on ther bedys<br>Ther pater noster ryue.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Here ys wretyn a geste of the wryght<br>That hadde a garlond welle I-dyght,<br>The coloure wylle neuer fade.<br>Now god ?heuyn kyng<br>Graunt vs alle hys dere blessyng<br>Owre hertes for to glade;<br>And alle tho that doo her husbondys ryght,<br>Pray we to Ihesu fulle of myght,<br>That feyre mott hem byfalle,<br>And that they may come to heuen blys,<br>For thy dere moderys loue ther-of nott to mys,<br>Alle good wyues alle.<br>Now alle tho that thys tretys hath hard,<br>Ihesu graunt hem for her reward<br>As trew louers to be<br>As was the wryght vn-to hys wyfe<br>And sche to hym duryng her lyfe.<br>Amen, for charyte.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>Here endyth the wryghtes processe trewe<br>Wyth hys garlond feyre of hewe<br>That neuer dyd fade the coloure.<br>It was made by the avyse<br>Of hys wywes moder wytty and wyse<br>Of flourys most of honoure,<br>Of roses whyte ?le nott fade,<br>Whych floure alle ynglond doth glade<br>Wyth trewloues medelyd in syght;<br>Vn-to the whych floure I-wys<br>The loue of god and of the comenys<br>Subdued bene of ryght.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>EXPLICIT</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=Anonymous+Olde+English">Anonymous Olde English</a><div class=q>
<img src="https://www.citatepedia.ro/g/32share.png" style="float:left" alt="Share">
<script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=346131" data-title="The Wright's Chaste Wife de Anonymous Olde English" data-description="Allemyghty god, maker of alle,
Saue you my souereyns in towre & halle,
And send you good grace!
If ye wylle a stounde blynne,
Of a story I wylle begynne,
And telle you alle the cas,
Meny farleyes ?aue herde,
Ye would haue wondyr how yt ferde;
Lyst..."></div>
</div>
</div>