| | Here endith the wyff of Bathes prologe . | |
| | And here begynnyth her tale . | |
| | I | N olde dayes of king Artur | |
| | Of whiche britous spekith gret honour | |
| | Al was this lond fulfilled of fayrye | |
| | The elf quene with her ioly companye | |
| 835 | Daunced ful ofte in meny a greue mede | |
| | This was the olde oppinion as I rede | |
| | I speke of many an hundrid yeris a goo | |
| | But now can noman se elphis mo | |
| | For now the grete charite and praiers | |
| 840 | Of limytours and eke of othir freris | |
| | That serchen euery lond and euery streme | |
| | As thicke as motis in the sonne beem | |
| | Blissinge hallis chambris kechens and bowris | |
| | Citees Burghis castellis and eek touris | |
| 845 | Shoppis bernys Shepens and deyries | |
| | This makith that ther be no feyries | |
| | For there as wont was to walke an elf | |
| | There walkith now the limytour hym self | |
| | In vndermelis and in mornyngis | |
| 850 | And seith his matyns and his thyngis | |
| | As he goth forth in his limytacion | |
| | A woman may go sauely vp and doun | |
| | Vnder euery bussh or vnder euery tre | |
| | There is none other incubus but he | |
| 855 | And he ne wolde do hem ony dishonour | |
| | And so befil that this kyng Artour | |
| | Hadde in his hous a lusty bacheler | |
