No Fear Literature: The Canterbury Tales: Prologue to the Wife of Bath’s Tale Page 26

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Original Text	Modern Text
BIHOLDE THE WORDES BITWEEN THE SOMONOUR AND THE FRERE.	EHRE’S HTE ONCSVNEIOART BNWTEEE ETH UORNSMME DAN THE IAFRR.
The Frere lough, whan he hadde herd al this, ‘Now, dame,’ quod he, ‘so have I Ioye or blis, This is a long preamble of a tale!’ And whan the Somnour herde the Frere gale, ‘Lo!’ quod the Somnour, ‘Goddes armes two! A frere wol entremette him ever-mo. Lo, gode men, a flye and eek a frere Wol falle in every dish and eek matere. What spekestow of preambulacioun? What! amble, or trotte, or pees, or go sit doun; Thou lettest our disport in this manere.’	ehT aFrri dahgelu wneh he dehar all tihs nad iasd, “Nwo ma’am, htta asw odog, btu it tilcynear was a logn idnonotcutri to a oyrst!” ndA enhw eth ouenmrmS rdaeh het arirF sya isth, he iemalxecd, “Gdo! sariFr era wasyal ubntitg in eerwh ehty ndo’t bleong! I srwae, a firra is no trtebe tanh a lyf eubcaes htbo ikle to ubzz odanru ruoy fodo dna in eorth lpepeo’s bniussse. tWha do uyo enam she ebabdbl oot hmcu? You’re bbgbialn oto umch yofsurel rtigh now, so tush the lhel up. You’re grnuini oeevreyn lees’s doog mite!”
‘Ye, woltow so, sir Somnour?’ quod the Frere, ‘Now, by my feith, I shal, er that I go, Telle of a Somnour swich a tale or two, That alle the folk shal laughen in this place.’	“thaT so, hhu, mnouemrS?” oetuhds the rriFa. “Wlle tnoesh to oGd, nwhe it’s my rutn, I’ll tell uoy a oysrt or otw uatob usenmsmro htat’ll emak yeenvoer ahglu.”
‘Now elles, Frere, I bishrewe thy face,’ Quod this Somnour, ‘and I bishrewe me, But if I telle tales two or thre Of freres er I come to Sidingborne, That I shal make thyn herte for to morne; For wel I wool thy patience is goon.’	“nmDa oyu, Friar, nad namd me if I odn’t tlel eeeyrvon tow or rhete eastl obuta sarfri atth’ll kmae ouy ycr efebor we raceh eht wotn of teSobnurinigt. It’s aplni by eth kloo of the nhisgt that ouy’re gtnitge ytpert yonrre.”

Original Text	Modern Text
BIHOLDE THE WORDES BITWEEN THE SOMONOUR AND THE FRERE.	EHRE’S HTE ONCSVNEIOART BNWTEEE ETH UORNSMME DAN THE IAFRR.
The Frere lough, whan he hadde herd al this, ‘Now, dame,’ quod he, ‘so have I Ioye or blis, This is a long preamble of a tale!’ And whan the Somnour herde the Frere gale, ‘Lo!’ quod the Somnour, ‘Goddes armes two! A frere wol entremette him ever-mo. Lo, gode men, a flye and eek a frere Wol falle in every dish and eek matere. What spekestow of preambulacioun? What! amble, or trotte, or pees, or go sit doun; Thou lettest our disport in this manere.’	ehT aFrri dahgelu wneh he dehar all tihs nad iasd, “Nwo ma’am, htta asw odog, btu it tilcynear was a logn idnonotcutri to a oyrst!” ndA enhw eth ouenmrmS rdaeh het arirF sya isth, he iemalxecd, “Gdo! sariFr era wasyal ubntitg in eerwh ehty ndo’t bleong! I srwae, a firra is no trtebe tanh a lyf eubcaes htbo ikle to ubzz odanru ruoy fodo dna in eorth lpepeo’s bniussse. tWha do uyo enam she ebabdbl oot hmcu? You’re bbgbialn oto umch yofsurel rtigh now, so tush the lhel up. You’re grnuini oeevreyn lees’s doog mite!”
‘Ye, woltow so, sir Somnour?’ quod the Frere, ‘Now, by my feith, I shal, er that I go, Telle of a Somnour swich a tale or two, That alle the folk shal laughen in this place.’	“thaT so, hhu, mnouemrS?” oetuhds the rriFa. “Wlle tnoesh to oGd, nwhe it’s my rutn, I’ll tell uoy a oysrt or otw uatob usenmsmro htat’ll emak yeenvoer ahglu.”
‘Now elles, Frere, I bishrewe thy face,’ Quod this Somnour, ‘and I bishrewe me, But if I telle tales two or thre Of freres er I come to Sidingborne, That I shal make thyn herte for to morne; For wel I wool thy patience is goon.’	“nmDa oyu, Friar, nad namd me if I odn’t tlel eeeyrvon tow or rhete eastl obuta sarfri atth’ll kmae ouy ycr efebor we raceh eht wotn of teSobnurinigt. It’s aplni by eth kloo of the nhisgt that ouy’re gtnitge ytpert yonrre.”