The Canterbury Tales · The Wife of Bath’s Tale · The Prologue 1741 (4/4)

The Friar laugh’d when he had heard all this:

“Now, Dame,” quoth he, “so have I joy and bliss,

This is a long preamble of a tale.”

And when the Sompnour heard the Friar gale,2010

“Lo,” quoth this Sompnour, “Goddë’s armës two,

A friar will intermete2011 him evermo’:

Lo, goodë men, a fly and eke a frere

Will fall in ev’ry dish and eke mattére.

What speak’st thou of perambulatioún?2012

What? amble or trot; or peace, or go sit down:

Thou lettest2013 our disport in this mattére.”

“Yea, wilt thou so, Sir Sompnour?” quoth the Frere;

“Now by my faith I shall, ere that I go,

Tell of a Sompnour such a tale or two,

That all the folk shall laughen in this place.”

“Now do, else, Friar, I beshrew2014 thy face,”

Quoth this Sompnour; “and I beshrewë me,

But if2015 I tellë talës two or three

Of friars, ere I come to Sittingbourne,

That I shall make thine heartë for to mourn:

For well I wot thy patience is gone.”

Our Hostë criëd, “Peace, and that anon;”

And saidë, “Let the woman tell her tale.

Ye fare2016 as folk that drunken be of ale.

Do, Dame, tell forth your tale, and that is best.”

“All ready, sir,” quoth she, “right as you lest,2017

If I have licence of this worthy Frere.”

“Yes, Dame,” quoth he, “tell forth, and I will hear.”