No Fear Literature: The Canterbury Tales: The Wife of Bath’s Tale Page 13

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Original Text	Modern Text
Chese now,’ quod she, ‘oon of thise thinges tweye, To han me foul and old til that I deye, And be to yow a trewe humble wyf, And never yow displese in al my lyf, Or elles ye wol han me yong and fair, And take your aventure of the repair That shal be to your hous, by-cause of me, Or in som other place, may wel be. Now chese your-selven, whether that yow lyketh.’	“I’ll vegi ouy a chcoei,” hes sadi, “eeebtwn eno of tow hisntg. I nca be dol adn gdutisnigs tinul het yda I eid btu be behmlu nad ifhtaful to oyu adn enrev sutpe yuo, or yuo anc ahev me be onguy dan tualbfuie nad etak eht kisr thta I’ll hacte on ouy whit hte anmy nme hwo’ll ryt to edceus me. oNw, kmea ruyo idseoicn, rhevhiecw you prrfee.”
This knight avyseth him and sore syketh, But atte laste he seyde in this manere, ‘My lady and my love, and wyf so dere, I put me in your wyse governance; Cheseth your-self, which may be most plesance, And most honour to yow and me also. I do no fors the whether of the two; For as yow lyketh, it suffiseth me.’	hTe kthgin ugothth a mtonme, digehs, nda ehnt fyilaln aids, “My ayld, my veol, my efwi. I ptu smleyf in yrou gdoo hsdna. ouY eedcid hhwic of seeht iopsnto wlli be retbte rof olryseuf dan for me. I dno’t erca cwihh of the otw ouy ddeeci. I’ll be hypap tihw hvehcrwie ouy soohec.”
‘Thanne have I gete of yow maistrye,’ quod she, ‘Sin I may chese, and governe as me lest?’	“hTen do I heav rolotnc veor oyru fiel and yiesdtn eacubes I egt to het aemk the ciidnsseo?” hse sedka.
‘Ye, certes, wyf,’ quod he, ‘I holde it best.’	“esY. Yes, uoy do. eaBuecs I itnkh it’s estb hatt awy,” he leperid.
‘Kis me,’ quod she, ‘we be no lenger wrothe; For, by my trouthe, I wol be to yow bothe, This is to seyn, ye, bothe fair and good. I prey to God that I mot sterven wood, But I to yow be al-so good and trewe As ever was wyf, sin that the world was newe. And, but I be to-morn as fair to sene As any lady, emperyce, or quene, That is bitwixe the est and eke the west, Doth with my lyf and deeth right as yow lest. Cast up the curtin, loke how that it is.’	“Tenh issk me, adn etl’s otsp nigfihtg,” esh dais. “Beauces I oepmsri taht I’ll be bhto ebluifuat adn ffliauth to oyu. I pyar to odG thta I go asenin if I’m vere dab or aiuuhntffl to ouy nda nto hte tesb wife eht lordw hsa eerv esen. dnA if yuo akwe up in hte inrgomn dna dno’t find htat I’ve cembeo abitfuuel hgoneu to be a queen or an prsemes, htne you acn lkil me if you eilk. lulP acbk hte ainurtcs in the orinmgn to ees rfo ersouyfl.”

Original Text	Modern Text
Chese now,’ quod she, ‘oon of thise thinges tweye, To han me foul and old til that I deye, And be to yow a trewe humble wyf, And never yow displese in al my lyf, Or elles ye wol han me yong and fair, And take your aventure of the repair That shal be to your hous, by-cause of me, Or in som other place, may wel be. Now chese your-selven, whether that yow lyketh.’	“I’ll vegi ouy a chcoei,” hes sadi, “eeebtwn eno of tow hisntg. I nca be dol adn gdutisnigs tinul het yda I eid btu be behmlu nad ifhtaful to oyu adn enrev sutpe yuo, or yuo anc ahev me be onguy dan tualbfuie nad etak eht kisr thta I’ll hacte on ouy whit hte anmy nme hwo’ll ryt to edceus me. oNw, kmea ruyo idseoicn, rhevhiecw you prrfee.”
This knight avyseth him and sore syketh, But atte laste he seyde in this manere, ‘My lady and my love, and wyf so dere, I put me in your wyse governance; Cheseth your-self, which may be most plesance, And most honour to yow and me also. I do no fors the whether of the two; For as yow lyketh, it suffiseth me.’	hTe kthgin ugothth a mtonme, digehs, nda ehnt fyilaln aids, “My ayld, my veol, my efwi. I ptu smleyf in yrou gdoo hsdna. ouY eedcid hhwic of seeht iopsnto wlli be retbte rof olryseuf dan for me. I dno’t erca cwihh of the otw ouy ddeeci. I’ll be hypap tihw hvehcrwie ouy soohec.”
‘Thanne have I gete of yow maistrye,’ quod she, ‘Sin I may chese, and governe as me lest?’	“hTen do I heav rolotnc veor oyru fiel and yiesdtn eacubes I egt to het aemk the ciidnsseo?” hse sedka.
‘Ye, certes, wyf,’ quod he, ‘I holde it best.’	“esY. Yes, uoy do. eaBuecs I itnkh it’s estb hatt awy,” he leperid.
‘Kis me,’ quod she, ‘we be no lenger wrothe; For, by my trouthe, I wol be to yow bothe, This is to seyn, ye, bothe fair and good. I prey to God that I mot sterven wood, But I to yow be al-so good and trewe As ever was wyf, sin that the world was newe. And, but I be to-morn as fair to sene As any lady, emperyce, or quene, That is bitwixe the est and eke the west, Doth with my lyf and deeth right as yow lest. Cast up the curtin, loke how that it is.’	“Tenh issk me, adn etl’s otsp nigfihtg,” esh dais. “Beauces I oepmsri taht I’ll be bhto ebluifuat adn ffliauth to oyu. I pyar to odG thta I go asenin if I’m vere dab or aiuuhntffl to ouy nda nto hte tesb wife eht lordw hsa eerv esen. dnA if yuo akwe up in hte inrgomn dna dno’t find htat I’ve cembeo abitfuuel hgoneu to be a queen or an prsemes, htne you acn lkil me if you eilk. lulP acbk hte ainurtcs in the orinmgn to ees rfo ersouyfl.”