| | The knyght answerde and sayde wel awey | |
| | I woot right weel that suche was my behest | |
| | For goddis loue chees a newe request | |
| | Take al my good and lat my body go | |
| 1035 | Nay than quod she I shrewe vs bothe two | |
| | For though that I be foul old and poor | |
| | I wol not for al the metal and the oor | |
| | That vnder the grounde lith othir aboue | |
| | But y thy wyf were and eke thy loue | |
| 1040 | My loue quod he nay parde my dampnacion | |
| | Allas that euer ony of my nacion | |
| | So foule sholde euer disperaged be | |
| | But al for nought the ende is thus that he | |
| | Constreyned was nedis muste he wedde | |
| 1045 | And take his olde wif and go to bedde | |
| | Now wolde som men sayn parauenture | |
| | For myn negligence I do no cure | |
| | To telle you the ioye and al the aray | |
| | That atte feste was that ilke day | |
| 1050 | To whiche thing shortly I answer shal | |
| | I say there was no feste ne ioye at al | |
| | There nas but heuynes and muchel sorow | |
| | For priuely he weddid here by the morow | |
| | And al day aftir hidde hym as an owle | |
| 1055 | So wo was hym his wif lokid so foule | |
| | Gret was the wo that the knyght had in thought | |
| | When he was with his wif a bedde y brought | |
| | He walowith and he turnyth to and fro | |
| | His olde wif lay simylinge euer mo | |
