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‘Ey! goddes mercy!’ seyde our Hoste tho,
‘Now swich a wyf I pray god kepe me fro! 2420
Lo, whiche sleightes and subtilitees
In wommen been! for ay as bisy as bees
Ben they, us sely men for to deceyve,
And from a sothe ever wol they weyve;
By this Marchauntes Tale it preveth weel. 2425
But doutelees, as trewe as any steel
I have a wyf, though that she povre be;
But of hir tonge a labbing shrewe is she, (10)
And yet she hath an heep of vyces mo;
Ther-of no fors, lat alle swiche thinges go. 2430
But, wite ye what? in conseil be it seyd,
Me reweth sore I am un-to hir teyd.
For, and I sholde rekenen every vyce
Which that she hath, y-wis, I were to nyce,
And cause why; it sholde reported be 2435
And told to hir of somme of this meynee;
Of whom, it nedeth nat for to declare,
Sin wommen connen outen swich chaffare; (20)
And eek my wit suffyseth nat ther-to
To tellen al; wherfor my tale is do.’ 2440
HEADING. E. The Prologe of the Squieres Tale; Hn. Here folwen the
Wordes of the Worthy Hoost to the Frankeleyn; Pt. The prologe of the
Fraunkeleyn. 2419. E. oure Hoost; Hl. our hoste. 2421. Hl.
subtilitees; E. Hn. subtiltees. 2424. E. Hn. sooth; Pt. Hl. soth
(_not_ sothe); _see_ G. 167, 662.
[461: T. 10315-10334.]
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