No Fear Literature: The Canterbury Tales: The Wife of Bath's Tale The Wife of Bath’s Tale Page 7

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Original Text	Modern Text
‘My lige lady, generally,’ quod he, ‘Wommen desyren to have sovereyntee As wel over hir housbond as hir love, And for to been in maistrie him above; This is your moste desyr, thogh ye me kille, Doth as yow list, I am heer at your wille.’	‘My lige lady, generally,’ quod he, ‘Wommen desyren to have sovereyntee As wel over hir housbond as hir love, And for to been in maistrie him above; This is your moste desyr, thogh ye me kille, Doth as yow list, I am heer at your wille.’
In al the court ne was ther wyf ne mayde, Ne widwe, that contraried that he sayde, But seyden, ‘he was worthy han his lyf.’	In al the court ne was ther wyf ne mayde, Ne widwe, that contraried that he sayde, But seyden, ‘he was worthy han his lyf.’
And with that word up stirte the olde wyf, Which that the knight saugh sittinge in the grene: ‘Mercy,’ quod she, ‘my sovereyn lady quene! Er that your court departe, do me right. I taughte this answere unto the knight; For which he plighte me his trouthe there, The firste thing I wolde of him requere, He wolde it do, if it lay in his might. Bifore the court than preye I thee, sir knight,’ Quod she, ‘that thou me take unto thy wyf; For wel thou wost that I have kept thy lyf. If I sey fals, sey nay, upon thy fey!’	And with that word up stirte the olde wyf, Which that the knight saugh sittinge in the grene: ‘Mercy,’ quod she, ‘my sovereyn lady quene! Er that your court departe, do me right. I taughte this answere unto the knight; For which he plighte me his trouthe there, The firste thing I wolde of him requere, He wolde it do, if it lay in his might. Bifore the court than preye I thee, sir knight,’ Quod she, ‘that thou me take unto thy wyf; For wel thou wost that I have kept thy lyf. If I sey fals, sey nay, upon thy fey!’
This knight answerde, ‘allas! and weylawey! I woot right wel that swich was my biheste. For Goddes love, as chees a newe requeste; Tak al my good, and lat my body go.’	This knight answerde, ‘allas! and weylawey! I woot right wel that swich was my biheste. For Goddes love, as chees a newe requeste; Tak al my good, and lat my body go.’

Original Text	Modern Text
‘My lige lady, generally,’ quod he, ‘Wommen desyren to have sovereyntee As wel over hir housbond as hir love, And for to been in maistrie him above; This is your moste desyr, thogh ye me kille, Doth as yow list, I am heer at your wille.’	‘My lige lady, generally,’ quod he, ‘Wommen desyren to have sovereyntee As wel over hir housbond as hir love, And for to been in maistrie him above; This is your moste desyr, thogh ye me kille, Doth as yow list, I am heer at your wille.’
In al the court ne was ther wyf ne mayde, Ne widwe, that contraried that he sayde, But seyden, ‘he was worthy han his lyf.’	In al the court ne was ther wyf ne mayde, Ne widwe, that contraried that he sayde, But seyden, ‘he was worthy han his lyf.’
And with that word up stirte the olde wyf, Which that the knight saugh sittinge in the grene: ‘Mercy,’ quod she, ‘my sovereyn lady quene! Er that your court departe, do me right. I taughte this answere unto the knight; For which he plighte me his trouthe there, The firste thing I wolde of him requere, He wolde it do, if it lay in his might. Bifore the court than preye I thee, sir knight,’ Quod she, ‘that thou me take unto thy wyf; For wel thou wost that I have kept thy lyf. If I sey fals, sey nay, upon thy fey!’	And with that word up stirte the olde wyf, Which that the knight saugh sittinge in the grene: ‘Mercy,’ quod she, ‘my sovereyn lady quene! Er that your court departe, do me right. I taughte this answere unto the knight; For which he plighte me his trouthe there, The firste thing I wolde of him requere, He wolde it do, if it lay in his might. Bifore the court than preye I thee, sir knight,’ Quod she, ‘that thou me take unto thy wyf; For wel thou wost that I have kept thy lyf. If I sey fals, sey nay, upon thy fey!’
This knight answerde, ‘allas! and weylawey! I woot right wel that swich was my biheste. For Goddes love, as chees a newe requeste; Tak al my good, and lat my body go.’	This knight answerde, ‘allas! and weylawey! I woot right wel that swich was my biheste. For Goddes love, as chees a newe requeste; Tak al my good, and lat my body go.’