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But I seye noght that every wight is holde, That hath swich harneys as I to yow tolde, To goon and usen hem in engendrure; Than sholde men take of chastitee no cure. Crist was a mayde, and shapen as a man, And many a seint, sith that the world bigan, Yet lived they ever in parfit chastitee. I nil envye no virginitee; Lat hem be breed of pured whete-seed, And lat us wyves hoten barly-breed; And yet with barly-breed, Mark telle can, Our lord Iesu refresshed many a man. In swich estaat as God hath cleped us I wol persevere, I nam nat precious. In wyfhode I wol use myn instrument As frely as my maker hath it sent. If I be daungerous, God yeve me sorwe! Myn housbond shal it have bothe eve and morwe, Whan that him list com forth and paye his dette. An housbonde I wol have, I nil nat lette, Which shal be bothe my dettour and my thral, And have his tribulacioun with-al Upon his flessh, whyl that I am his wyf. I have the power duringe al my lyf Upon his propre body, and noght he. Right thus the apostel tolde it unto me; And bad our housbondes for to love us weel. Al this sentence me lyketh every-deel’— But I seye noght that every wight is holde, That hath swich harneys as I to yow tolde, To goon and usen hem in engendrure; Than sholde men take of chastitee no cure. Crist was a mayde, and shapen as a man, And many a seint, sith that the world bigan, Yet lived they ever in parfit chastitee. I nil envye no virginitee; Lat hem be breed of pured whete-seed, And lat us wyves hoten barly-breed; And yet with barly-breed, Mark telle can, Our lord Iesu refresshed many a man. In swich estaat as God hath cleped us I wol persevere, I nam nat precious. In wyfhode I wol use myn instrument As frely as my maker hath it sent. If I be daungerous, God yeve me sorwe! Myn housbond shal it have bothe eve and morwe, Whan that him list com forth and paye his dette. An housbonde I wol have, I nil nat lette, Which shal be bothe my dettour and my thral, And have his tribulacioun with-al Upon his flessh, whyl that I am his wyf. I have the power duringe al my lyf Upon his propre body, and noght he. Right thus the apostel tolde it unto me; And bad our housbondes for to love us weel. Al this sentence me lyketh every-deel’—

Original Text

Modern Text

But I seye noght that every wight is holde, That hath swich harneys as I to yow tolde, To goon and usen hem in engendrure; Than sholde men take of chastitee no cure. Crist was a mayde, and shapen as a man, And many a seint, sith that the world bigan, Yet lived they ever in parfit chastitee. I nil envye no virginitee; Lat hem be breed of pured whete-seed, And lat us wyves hoten barly-breed; And yet with barly-breed, Mark telle can, Our lord Iesu refresshed many a man. In swich estaat as God hath cleped us I wol persevere, I nam nat precious. In wyfhode I wol use myn instrument As frely as my maker hath it sent. If I be daungerous, God yeve me sorwe! Myn housbond shal it have bothe eve and morwe, Whan that him list com forth and paye his dette. An housbonde I wol have, I nil nat lette, Which shal be bothe my dettour and my thral, And have his tribulacioun with-al Upon his flessh, whyl that I am his wyf. I have the power duringe al my lyf Upon his propre body, and noght he. Right thus the apostel tolde it unto me; And bad our housbondes for to love us weel. Al this sentence me lyketh every-deel’— But I seye noght that every wight is holde, That hath swich harneys as I to yow tolde, To goon and usen hem in engendrure; Than sholde men take of chastitee no cure. Crist was a mayde, and shapen as a man, And many a seint, sith that the world bigan, Yet lived they ever in parfit chastitee. I nil envye no virginitee; Lat hem be breed of pured whete-seed, And lat us wyves hoten barly-breed; And yet with barly-breed, Mark telle can, Our lord Iesu refresshed many a man. In swich estaat as God hath cleped us I wol persevere, I nam nat precious. In wyfhode I wol use myn instrument As frely as my maker hath it sent. If I be daungerous, God yeve me sorwe! Myn housbond shal it have bothe eve and morwe, Whan that him list com forth and paye his dette. An housbonde I wol have, I nil nat lette, Which shal be bothe my dettour and my thral, And have his tribulacioun with-al Upon his flessh, whyl that I am his wyf. I have the power duringe al my lyf Upon his propre body, and noght he. Right thus the apostel tolde it unto me; And bad our housbondes for to love us weel. Al this sentence me lyketh every-deel’—
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