Imatges de pàgina
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85

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 t'assemble;
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.

90

I graunte it wel, I have noon envye, 95 Thogh maydenhede preferre bigamye;

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He spak to hem that wolde live parfitly;
And lordinges, by your leve, that am nat I.
I wol bistowe the flour of al myn age
In th' actes and in fruit of mariage.

Telle me also, to what conclusioun 115 Were membres maad of generacioun, And for what profit was a wight y-wroght?

Trusteth right wel, they wer nat maad for noght.

Glose who-so wole, and seye bothe up and doun,

That they were maked for purgacioun 120 Of urine, and our bothe thinges smale Were eek to knowe a femele from a male,

And for noon other cause: sey ye no? The experience woot wel it is noght so; So that the clerkes be nat with me wrothe,

I

125

Isey this, that they maked been for bothe, This is to seye, for office, and for ese

Of engendrure, ther we nat god displese. Why sholde men elles in hir bokes sette, That man shal yelde to his wyf hir dette?

130

Now wher-with sholde he make his payement,

If he ne used his sely instrument? Than were they maad up-on a creature, To purge uryne, and eek for engendrure. But I seye noght that every wight is holde, 135 That hath swich harneys as I to yow tolde,

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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 Jesu refresshed many a man. 146
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,

150

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But yet I praye to al this companye,
If that I speke after my fantasye,
As taketh not a-grief of that I seye;
For myn entente nis but for to pleye.
Now sires, now wol I telle forth my
tale.-

As ever mote I drinken wyn or ale,

I shal seye sooth, tho housbondes that I hadde, 195 As three of hem were gode and two were badde.

The three men were gode, and riche, and

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The bacoun was nat fet for hem, I trowe, That som men han in Essex at Dunmowe. I governed hem so wel, after my lawe, That ech of hem ful blisful was and fawe To bringe me gaye thinges fro the fayre. 221 They were ful glad whan I spak to hem fayre ;

For god it woot, I chidde hem spitously.

Now herkneth, how I bar me proprely, Ye wyse wyves, that can understonde. 225 Thus shul ye speke and bere hem wrong

on honde;

For half so boldely can ther no man
Swere and lyen as a womman can.
I sey nat this by wyves that ben wyse,
But-if it be whan they hem misavyse. 230
A wys wyf, if that she can hir good,
Shal beren him on hond the cow is wood,
And take witnesse of hir owene mayde
Of hir assent; but herkneth how I sayde.
"Sir olde kaynard, is this thyn array?
Why is my neighebores wyf so gay? 236
She is honoured over-al ther she goth;
I sitte at hoom, I have no thrifty cloth.
What dostow at my neighebores hous?
Is she so fair? artow so amorous?
What rowne ye with our mayde? ben'-
cite!

240

Sir olde lechour, lat thy japes be!
And if I have a gossib or a freend,
With-outen gilt, thou chydest as a feend,
If that I walke or pleye un-to his hous! 245
Thou comest hoom as dronken as a mous,
And prechest on thy bench, with yvel
preef!

Thou seist to me, it is a greet meschief
To wedde a povre womman, for costage;
And if that she be riche, of heigh parage,
Than seistow that it is a tormentrye 251
To suffre hir pryde and hir malencolye.
And if that she be fair, thou verray knave,
Thou seyst that every holour wol hir have;
She may no whyle in chastitee abyde, 255
That is assailled up-on ech a syde.

Thou seyst, som folk desyre us for richesse,

Som for our shap, and som for our fair

nesse;

And som, for she can outher singe or daunce, 259 And som, for gentillesse and daliaunce;

Som, for hir handes and hir armes smale; Thus goth al to the devel by thy tale. Thou seyst, men may nat kepe a castelwal;

It may so longe assailled been over-al.

And if that she be foul, thou seist that she 265 Coveiteth every man that she may see; For as a spaynel she wol on him lepe, Til that she finde som man hir to chepe; Ne noon so grey goos goth ther in the lake, 269

As, seistow, that wol been with-oute make. And seyst, it is an hard thing for to welde A thing that no man wol, his thankes, helde.

Thus seistow, lorel, whan thow goost to bedde;

And that no wys man nedeth for to wedde, 274

Ne no man that entendeth un-to hevene. With wilde thonder-dint and firy levene Mote thy welked nekke be to-broke!

Thow seyst that dropping houses, and eek smoke,

And chyding wyves, maken men to flee Out of hir owene hous; a! ben'cite! 280 What eyleth swich an old man for to chyde?

Thow seyst, we wyves wol our vyces hyde

Til we be fast, and than we wol hem shewe;

Wel may that be a proverbe of a shrewe! Thou seist, that oxen, asses, hors, and houndes,

285

They been assayed at diverse stoundes; Bacins, lavours, er that men hem bye, Spones and stoles, and al swich housbondrye,

And so been pottes, clothes, and array; But folk of wyves maken noon assay 200 Til they be wedded; olde dotard shrewe! And than, seistow, we wol oure vices shewe.

Thou seist also, that it displeseth me But-if that thou wolt preyse my beautee. And but thou poure alwey up-on my face, 295

And clepe me 'faire dame' in every place;

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And yet of our apprentice Janekyn, For his crisp heer, shyninge as gold sofyn, And for he squiereth me bothe up and doun, 305

Yet hastow caught a fals suspecioun; I wol hym noght, thogh thou were deed to-morwe.

But tel me this, why hydestow, with sorwe,

The keyes of thy cheste awey fro me?
It is my good as wel as thyn, pardee. 310
What wenestow make an idiot of our
dame ?

Now by that lord, that called is seint
Jame,

Thou shalt nat bothe, thogh that thou were wood,

Be maister of my body and of my good; That oon thou shalt forgo, maugree thyne

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What nedeth thee of me to enquere or spyën?

I trowe, thou woldest loke me in thy cheste!

Thou sholdest seye, wyf, go wher thee leste,

Tak your disport, I wol nat leve no talis; I knowe yow for a trewe wyf, dame Alis.' We love no man that taketh kepe or charge 321 Wher that we goon, we wol ben at our large.

Of alle men y-blessed moot he be, The wyse astrologien Dan Ptholome, 324 That seith this proverbe in his Almageste, 'Of alle men his wisdom is the hyeste, That rekketh never who hath the world in honde.'

By this proverbe thou shalt understonde, Have thou y-nogh, what thar thee recche

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For certeyn, olde dotard, by your leve, Ye shul have queynte right y-nough at eve. He is to greet a nigard that wol werne A man to lighte his candle at his lanterne; He shal have never the lasse light, pardee; 335 Have thou y-nough, thee thar nat pleyne thee

Thou seyst also, that if we make us gay With clothing and with precious array. That it is peril of our chastitee;

And yet, with sorwe, thou most enforce thee, 340

And seye thise wordes in the apostles

name,

In habit, maad with chastitee and shame,

Ye wommen shul apparaille yow,' quod he,

'And noght in tressed heer and gay perree,

As perles, ne with gold, ne clothes riche;' After thy text, ne after thy rubriche 346 I wol nat wirche as muchel as a gnat. Thou seydest this, that I was lyk a cat; For who-so wolde senge a cattes skin, Thanne wolde the cat wel dwellen in his in; 350 And if the cattes skin be slyk and gay, She wol nat dwelle in house half a day, But forth she wole, er any day be dawed, To shewe hir skin, and goon a-caterwawed;

This is to seye, if I be gay, sir shrewe, 355 I wol renne out, my borel for to shewe.

Sire olde fool, what eyleth thee to spyën?

Thogh thou preye Argus, with his hundred yën,

To be my warde-cors, as he can best, In feith, he shal nat kepe me but me lest; 360

Yet coude I make his berd, so moot I thee.

Thou seydest eek, that ther ben thinges three,

The whiche thinges troublen al this erthe, And that no wight ne may endure the ferthe:

O leve sir shrewe, Jesu shorte thy lyf! 365 Yet prechestow, and seyst, an hateful wyf

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