And yaf him to the quene, all at hire will To chefe whether she wold him fave or fpill. 6480 The quene thanketh the king with al hire might; And after this thus fpake fhe to the knight, Whan that fhe faw hire time upon a day. Thou ftandeft yet (quod fhe) in swiche array, That of thy lif yet hast thou not seuretee; I grant thee lif if thou canft tellen me What thing is it that women moit defiren: 6485 6490 A twelvemonth and a day to feke and lere An anfwer fuffifant in this matere; And feuretee wol I have, or that thou pace, Wo was the knight, and forwefully he liketh: 6495 6500 Wher as he hopeth for to finden grace, To lernen what thing women loven mofe; But he ne coude ariven in no cofte Wher as he mighte find in this matere 6505 Two creatures according in fere. Som faiden women loven best richeffe," Som riche array, som faiden luft a-bedde, And oft time to be widewe and to be wedde. 6510 And fom men faiden that we loven best 6515 For to be free, and do right as us left, But say that we ben wife and nothing nice; 6520 For trewely ther n'is non of us all, If any wight wol claw us on the gall, For be we never fo vicious withinne 6525 We wol be holden wife and clene of finne. And fom faiden that gret delit han we For to be holden ftable and eke fecre, And in o purpos ftedfaftly to dwell, And not bewreyen thing that men us tell; 6530 Said Mida had under his longe heres Growing upon his hed two affes eres, 6535 He loved hire most, and trusted hire also; 6540 He praied hire that to no creature She u'olde tellen of his disfigure. She wore him Nay, for all the world to winne She nolde do that vilanie ne finne, To make hire hufbond han fo foule a name: 6545 She n'olde not tell it for hire owen fhame. But natheles hire thoughte that she dide That the fo longe fhuld a confeil hide; Hire thought it swal fo fore aboute hire herte, 6550 6555 Bewrey me not, thou water, with thy foun, Quod fhe; to thee I tell it, and no mo, Min hufbond hath long affes eres two. 6560 The remenant of the Tale, if ye wol here, This knight, of which my Tale is fpecially, 6565 Whan that he saw he might not come therby, (This is to sayn, what women loven most) Within his breft ful forweful was his goft. But home he goth, he mighte not fojourne; The day was come that homward must he turne. And in his way it happed him to ride, 6571 In all his care, under a foreft fide,' Wheras he faw upon a dance go Of ladies foure-and-twenty, and yet mo. 657,5 In hope that he fom wisdom fhulde lerne; But certainly er he came fully there Yvanished was this dance he n'ifte not wher; No creature faw he that bare lif, Save on the grene he faw fitting a wif, 6580 A fouler wight ther may no man devife. Againe this knight this olde wif gan arise, And faid, Sire Knight, here forth ne lith no way. Paraventure it may the better be: Thife olde folk con mochel thing, quod fhe. 6585 My leve mother, quod this knight, certain I n'am but ded but if that I can fain What thing it is that women moft defire: Coude ye me wiffe I wold quite wel your hire. 6590 Plight me thy trouthe here in myn hond, quod fhe, The nexte thing that I requere of thee Thou shalt it do, if it be in thy might, And I wol tell it you or it be night. 6596 Have here my trouthe, quod the knight, I graunte. Let see which is the proudest of hem alle, Tho rowned the a pistel in his ere, 6600 And bad him to be glad, and have no fere. Whan they ben comen to the court, this knight Said he had hold his day as he had hight, 6666 And redy was his anfwere, as he faide. Ful many a noble wif, and many a maide, And many a widewe, for that they ben wife, (The quene hirefelf fitting as a juftice) 6610 Affembled ben his answer for to here, And afterward this knight was bode appere. To every wight commanded was filence, And that the knight fhuld tell in audience What thing that worldly women loven beft. 6615 With manly vois, that all the court it herd. |