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What sholde I seye, but, at the monthes ende, This Ioly clerk Iankin, that was so hende, Hath wedded me with greet solempnitee, And to him yaf I al the lond and fee That ever was me yeven ther-bifore; But afterward repented me ful sore. He nolde suffre nothing of my list. By God, he smoot me ones on the list, For that I rente out of his book a leef, That of the strook myn ere wex al deef. Stiborn I was as is a leonesse, And of my tonge a verray Iangleresse, And walke I wolde, as I had doon biforn, From hous to hous, al-though he had it sworn. For which he often tymes wolde preche, And me of olde Romayn gestes teche, How he, Simplicius Gallus, lefte his wyf, And hir forsook for terme of al his lyf, Noght but for open-heeded he hir say Lokinge out at his dore upon a day. What sholde I seye, but, at the monthes ende, This Ioly clerk Iankin, that was so hende, Hath wedded me with greet solempnitee, And to him yaf I al the lond and fee That ever was me yeven ther-bifore; But afterward repented me ful sore. He nolde suffre nothing of my list. By God, he smoot me ones on the list, For that I rente out of his book a leef, That of the strook myn ere wex al deef. Stiborn I was as is a leonesse, And of my tonge a verray Iangleresse, And walke I wolde, as I had doon biforn, From hous to hous, al-though he had it sworn. For which he often tymes wolde preche, And me of olde Romayn gestes teche, How he, Simplicius Gallus, lefte his wyf, And hir forsook for terme of al his lyf, Noght but for open-heeded he hir say Lokinge out at his dore upon a day.
Another Romayn tolde he me by name, That, for his wyf was at a someres game With-oute his witing, he forsook hir eke. And than wolde he upon his Bible seke That ilke proverbe of Ecclesiaste, Wher he comandeth and forbedeth faste, Man shal nat suffre his wyf go roule aboute; Than wolde he seye right thus, with-outen doute, “Who-so that buildeth his hous al of salwes, And priketh his blinde hors over the falwes, And suffreth his wyf to go seken halwes, Is worthy to been hanged on the galwes!” But al for noght, I sette noght an hawe Of his proverbes nof his olde sawe, Ne I wolde nat of him corrected be. I hate him that my vices telleth me, And so do mo, God woot! of us than I. This made him with me wood al outrely; I nolde noght forbere him in no cas. Another Romayn tolde he me by name, That, for his wyf was at a someres game With-oute his witing, he forsook hir eke. And than wolde he upon his Bible seke That ilke proverbe of Ecclesiaste, Wher he comandeth and forbedeth faste, Man shal nat suffre his wyf go roule aboute; Than wolde he seye right thus, with-outen doute, “Who-so that buildeth his hous al of salwes, And priketh his blinde hors over the falwes, And suffreth his wyf to go seken halwes, Is worthy to been hanged on the galwes!” But al for noght, I sette noght an hawe Of his proverbes nof his olde sawe, Ne I wolde nat of him corrected be. I hate him that my vices telleth me, And so do mo, God woot! of us than I. This made him with me wood al outrely; I nolde noght forbere him in no cas.

Original Text

Modern Text

What sholde I seye, but, at the monthes ende, This Ioly clerk Iankin, that was so hende, Hath wedded me with greet solempnitee, And to him yaf I al the lond and fee That ever was me yeven ther-bifore; But afterward repented me ful sore. He nolde suffre nothing of my list. By God, he smoot me ones on the list, For that I rente out of his book a leef, That of the strook myn ere wex al deef. Stiborn I was as is a leonesse, And of my tonge a verray Iangleresse, And walke I wolde, as I had doon biforn, From hous to hous, al-though he had it sworn. For which he often tymes wolde preche, And me of olde Romayn gestes teche, How he, Simplicius Gallus, lefte his wyf, And hir forsook for terme of al his lyf, Noght but for open-heeded he hir say Lokinge out at his dore upon a day. What sholde I seye, but, at the monthes ende, This Ioly clerk Iankin, that was so hende, Hath wedded me with greet solempnitee, And to him yaf I al the lond and fee That ever was me yeven ther-bifore; But afterward repented me ful sore. He nolde suffre nothing of my list. By God, he smoot me ones on the list, For that I rente out of his book a leef, That of the strook myn ere wex al deef. Stiborn I was as is a leonesse, And of my tonge a verray Iangleresse, And walke I wolde, as I had doon biforn, From hous to hous, al-though he had it sworn. For which he often tymes wolde preche, And me of olde Romayn gestes teche, How he, Simplicius Gallus, lefte his wyf, And hir forsook for terme of al his lyf, Noght but for open-heeded he hir say Lokinge out at his dore upon a day.
Another Romayn tolde he me by name, That, for his wyf was at a someres game With-oute his witing, he forsook hir eke. And than wolde he upon his Bible seke That ilke proverbe of Ecclesiaste, Wher he comandeth and forbedeth faste, Man shal nat suffre his wyf go roule aboute; Than wolde he seye right thus, with-outen doute, “Who-so that buildeth his hous al of salwes, And priketh his blinde hors over the falwes, And suffreth his wyf to go seken halwes, Is worthy to been hanged on the galwes!” But al for noght, I sette noght an hawe Of his proverbes nof his olde sawe, Ne I wolde nat of him corrected be. I hate him that my vices telleth me, And so do mo, God woot! of us than I. This made him with me wood al outrely; I nolde noght forbere him in no cas. Another Romayn tolde he me by name, That, for his wyf was at a someres game With-oute his witing, he forsook hir eke. And than wolde he upon his Bible seke That ilke proverbe of Ecclesiaste, Wher he comandeth and forbedeth faste, Man shal nat suffre his wyf go roule aboute; Than wolde he seye right thus, with-outen doute, “Who-so that buildeth his hous al of salwes, And priketh his blinde hors over the falwes, And suffreth his wyf to go seken halwes, Is worthy to been hanged on the galwes!” But al for noght, I sette noght an hawe Of his proverbes nof his olde sawe, Ne I wolde nat of him corrected be. I hate him that my vices telleth me, And so do mo, God woot! of us than I. This made him with me wood al outrely; I nolde noght forbere him in no cas.