| Sire olde fool, what eyleth thee to spyen, |
| Thogh thou preye Argus, with his hundred eyen, |
| 365 | To be my warde-cors, as he kan best, |
| In feith,he shal nat kepe me but me lest; |
| Yet koude I make his berd, so moot I thee. |
| Thou seydest eek, that ther been thynges thre, |
| The whiche thynges troublen al this erthe, |
| 370 | And that no wight ne may endure the ferthe. |
| O leeve sire shrewe, Jesu shorte thy lyf! |
| Yet prechestow, and seyst an hateful wyf |
| Yrekened is for oon of thise meschances. |
| Been ther none othere maner resemblances |
| 375 | That ye may likne youre parables to, |
| But if a sely wyf be oon of tho? |
| Thou likenest wommenes love to helle, |
| To bareyne lond, ther water may nat dwelle. |
| Thou liknest it also to wilde fyr; |
| 380 | The moore it brenneth, the moore it hath desir |
| To consume every thyng that brent wole be. |
| Thou seyest, right as wormes shende a tree, |
| Right so a wyf destroyeth hir housbond. |
| This knowe they, that been to wyves bonde." |
|
| Sir Ancient Fool, what ails you with your spies? |
| Though you pray Argus, with his hundred eyes, |
| 365 | To be my bodyguard and do his best, |
| Faith, he sha'n't hold me, save I am modest; |
| I could delude him easily- trust me! |
| You said, also, that there are three things- three- |
| The which things are a trouble on this earth, |
| 370 | And that no man may ever endure the fourth: |
| O dear Sir Rogue, may Christ cut short your life! |
| Yet do you preach and say a hateful wife |
| Is to be reckoned one of these mischances. |
| Are there no other kinds of resemblances |
| 375 | That you may liken thus your parables to, |
| But must a hapless wife be made to do? |
| You liken woman's love to very Hell, |
| To desert land where waters do not well. |
| You liken it, also, unto wildfire; |
| 380 | The more it burns, the more it has desire |
| To consume everything that burned may be. |
| You say that just as worms destroy a tree, |
| Just so a wife destroys her own husband; |
| Men know this who are bound in marriage band." |
|
