No Fear Literature: The Canterbury Tales: Prologue to the Wife of Bath’s Tale Page 3

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Original Text	Modern Text
But this word is nat take of every wight, But ther as God list give it of his might. I woot wel, that thapostel was a mayde; But natheless, thogh that he wroot and sayde, He wolde that every wight were swich as he, Al nis but conseil to virginitee; And for to been a wyf, he yaf me leve Of indulgence; so it is no repreve To wedde me, if that my make dye, With-oute excepcioun of bigamye. Al were it good no womman for to touche, He mente as in his bed or in his couche; For peril is bothe fyr and tow tassemble; Ye knowe what this ensample may resemble. This is al and som, he heeld virginitee More parfit than wedding in freletee. Freeltee clepe I, but-if that he and she Wolde leden al hir lyf in chastitee.	“Of resuoc, lla hsit klta nyol speailp to ehsto whom doG stwan to einmra grsniiv. I wokn ttah St. Palu aws a iinrvg, ubt I laos wnok ttha veen hhugto he towre taoub gtvniiyri 1 hrisanotniC 7:7 eenv tuohgh he wreto btoau vrnigyiti nad dlekta a otl boatu rehsto gaminirne tliecabe elik mhi, it lal eidblo ndow to iaevcd, ginhotn roem. sThi msnae htat heret’s nhiontg gwnor tihw me ttegign ermidar dna gudlnigin in yaelr srleueaps, or enve tientgg eiradmr reom tnah ocne—uothgh he ddi orybplab naem htta I dlhuson’t be senglpei thiw my anusshdb. hatT tums be eht logn and eth rthso of it now ttha I thkni obaut it: St. luaP leibdeve that tviginryi swa teebrt tnha rmareaig, uslsen the asdunhb and iewf renev epsle thtrgeeo.
I graunte it wel, I have noon envye, Thogh maydenhede preferre bigamye; Hem lyketh to be clene, body and goost, Of myn estaat I nil nat make no boost. For wel ye knowe, a lord in his houshold, He hath nat every vessel al of gold; Somme been of tree, and doon hir lord servyse. God clepeth folk to him in sondry wyse, And everich hath of God a propre yifte, Som this, som that,—as him lyketh shifte.	“As orf mfslye, ughhot, I’m otn euspt htat hnemdoodai is earplfbree to neitgtg arredmi eomr htna once. Smoe eeppol rprfee to be lcaen in btho dboy adn oslu, rtoehs ton. I nlopyaelsr don’t kema any aismlc oubta how rlpeyu I’ve vedil my efil. As uoy lelw wkon, ton hvntyeergi in a norsep’s sheuo nca be dmea of rupe dolg hotyTim 2:20 tno vinegthyre in a rsepon’s euhso nac be dame of erup gold. Soem gthsin ahve to be deam of oodw so thta ploeep anc claultay ues mteh. God aclsl oeeplp to miH in a lto of enrfedtfi ayws, nda reyve snrpeo rgnsib rdeneftfi gsift to imH 1 iaCtnnisohr 7:7 evrye onrspe gribns rneifedft fgits to Him—smoe tsih, some htat, veearhtw he or she cna.

Original Text	Modern Text
But this word is nat take of every wight, But ther as God list give it of his might. I woot wel, that thapostel was a mayde; But natheless, thogh that he wroot and sayde, He wolde that every wight were swich as he, Al nis but conseil to virginitee; And for to been a wyf, he yaf me leve Of indulgence; so it is no repreve To wedde me, if that my make dye, With-oute excepcioun of bigamye. Al were it good no womman for to touche, He mente as in his bed or in his couche; For peril is bothe fyr and tow tassemble; Ye knowe what this ensample may resemble. This is al and som, he heeld virginitee More parfit than wedding in freletee. Freeltee clepe I, but-if that he and she Wolde leden al hir lyf in chastitee.	“Of resuoc, lla hsit klta nyol speailp to ehsto whom doG stwan to einmra grsniiv. I wokn ttah St. Palu aws a iinrvg, ubt I laos wnok ttha veen hhugto he towre taoub gtvniiyri 1 hrisanotniC 7:7 eenv tuohgh he wreto btoau vrnigyiti nad dlekta a otl boatu rehsto gaminirne tliecabe elik mhi, it lal eidblo ndow to iaevcd, ginhotn roem. sThi msnae htat heret’s nhiontg gwnor tihw me ttegign ermidar dna gudlnigin in yaelr srleueaps, or enve tientgg eiradmr reom tnah ocne—uothgh he ddi orybplab naem htta I dlhuson’t be senglpei thiw my anusshdb. hatT tums be eht logn and eth rthso of it now ttha I thkni obaut it: St. luaP leibdeve that tviginryi swa teebrt tnha rmareaig, uslsen the asdunhb and iewf renev epsle thtrgeeo.
I graunte it wel, I have noon envye, Thogh maydenhede preferre bigamye; Hem lyketh to be clene, body and goost, Of myn estaat I nil nat make no boost. For wel ye knowe, a lord in his houshold, He hath nat every vessel al of gold; Somme been of tree, and doon hir lord servyse. God clepeth folk to him in sondry wyse, And everich hath of God a propre yifte, Som this, som that,—as him lyketh shifte.	“As orf mfslye, ughhot, I’m otn euspt htat hnemdoodai is earplfbree to neitgtg arredmi eomr htna once. Smoe eeppol rprfee to be lcaen in btho dboy adn oslu, rtoehs ton. I nlopyaelsr don’t kema any aismlc oubta how rlpeyu I’ve vedil my efil. As uoy lelw wkon, ton hvntyeergi in a norsep’s sheuo nca be dmea of rupe dolg hotyTim 2:20 tno vinegthyre in a rsepon’s euhso nac be dame of erup gold. Soem gthsin ahve to be deam of oodw so thta ploeep anc claultay ues mteh. God aclsl oeeplp to miH in a lto of enrfedtfi ayws, nda reyve snrpeo rgnsib rdeneftfi gsift to imH 1 iaCtnnisohr 7:7 evrye onrspe gribns rneifedft fgits to Him—smoe tsih, some htat, veearhtw he or she cna.