No Fear Literature: The Canterbury Tales: The Wife of Bath's Tale Prologue to the Wife of Bath’s Tale Page 26

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Original Text	Modern Text
BIHOLDE THE WORDES BITWEEN THE SOMONOUR AND THE FRERE.	BIHOLDE THE WORDES BITWEEN THE SOMONOUR AND THE FRERE.
The Frere lough, whan he hadde herd al this, ‘Now, dame,’ quod he, ‘so have I Ioye or blis, This is a long preamble of a tale!’ And whan the Somnour herde the Frere gale, ‘Lo!’ quod the Somnour, ‘Goddes armes two! A frere wol entremette him ever-mo. Lo, gode men, a flye and eek a frere Wol falle in every dish and eek matere. What spekestow of preambulacioun? What! amble, or trotte, or pees, or go sit doun; Thou lettest our disport in this manere.’	The Frere lough, whan he hadde herd al this, ‘Now, dame,’ quod he, ‘so have I Ioye or blis, This is a long preamble of a tale!’ And whan the Somnour herde the Frere gale, ‘Lo!’ quod the Somnour, ‘Goddes armes two! A frere wol entremette him ever-mo. Lo, gode men, a flye and eek a frere Wol falle in every dish and eek matere. What spekestow of preambulacioun? What! amble, or trotte, or pees, or go sit doun; Thou lettest our disport in this manere.’
‘Ye, woltow so, sir Somnour?’ quod the Frere, ‘Now, by my feith, I shal, er that I go, Telle of a Somnour swich a tale or two, That alle the folk shal laughen in this place.’	‘Ye, woltow so, sir Somnour?’ quod the Frere, ‘Now, by my feith, I shal, er that I go, Telle of a Somnour swich a tale or two, That alle the folk shal laughen in this place.’
‘Now elles, Frere, I bishrewe thy face,’ Quod this Somnour, ‘and I bishrewe me, But if I telle tales two or thre Of freres er I come to Sidingborne, That I shal make thyn herte for to morne; For wel I wool thy patience is goon.’	‘Now elles, Frere, I bishrewe thy face,’ Quod this Somnour, ‘and I bishrewe me, But if I telle tales two or thre Of freres er I come to Sidingborne, That I shal make thyn herte for to morne; For wel I wool thy patience is goon.’

Original Text	Modern Text
BIHOLDE THE WORDES BITWEEN THE SOMONOUR AND THE FRERE.	BIHOLDE THE WORDES BITWEEN THE SOMONOUR AND THE FRERE.
The Frere lough, whan he hadde herd al this, ‘Now, dame,’ quod he, ‘so have I Ioye or blis, This is a long preamble of a tale!’ And whan the Somnour herde the Frere gale, ‘Lo!’ quod the Somnour, ‘Goddes armes two! A frere wol entremette him ever-mo. Lo, gode men, a flye and eek a frere Wol falle in every dish and eek matere. What spekestow of preambulacioun? What! amble, or trotte, or pees, or go sit doun; Thou lettest our disport in this manere.’	The Frere lough, whan he hadde herd al this, ‘Now, dame,’ quod he, ‘so have I Ioye or blis, This is a long preamble of a tale!’ And whan the Somnour herde the Frere gale, ‘Lo!’ quod the Somnour, ‘Goddes armes two! A frere wol entremette him ever-mo. Lo, gode men, a flye and eek a frere Wol falle in every dish and eek matere. What spekestow of preambulacioun? What! amble, or trotte, or pees, or go sit doun; Thou lettest our disport in this manere.’
‘Ye, woltow so, sir Somnour?’ quod the Frere, ‘Now, by my feith, I shal, er that I go, Telle of a Somnour swich a tale or two, That alle the folk shal laughen in this place.’	‘Ye, woltow so, sir Somnour?’ quod the Frere, ‘Now, by my feith, I shal, er that I go, Telle of a Somnour swich a tale or two, That alle the folk shal laughen in this place.’
‘Now elles, Frere, I bishrewe thy face,’ Quod this Somnour, ‘and I bishrewe me, But if I telle tales two or thre Of freres er I come to Sidingborne, That I shal make thyn herte for to morne; For wel I wool thy patience is goon.’	‘Now elles, Frere, I bishrewe thy face,’ Quod this Somnour, ‘and I bishrewe me, But if I telle tales two or thre Of freres er I come to Sidingborne, That I shal make thyn herte for to morne; For wel I wool thy patience is goon.’