The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations Preface

‘My lige lady, generally,’ quod he,
‘Wommen desiren to have sovereynetee
As wel over hir housbond as hir love.’
‘The Canterbury Tales’ ‘The Wife of Bath’s Tale’ l. 1037
That he is gentil that dooth gentil dedis.
‘The Canterbury Tales’ ‘The Wife of Bath’s Tale’ l. 1170
Venus clerk Ovide,
That hath ysowen wonder wide
The grete god of Loves name.
‘The House of Fame’ l. 1487
A thousand tymes have I herd men telle
That ther ys joy in hevene and peyne in helle,
And I acorde wel that it ys so;
But, natheles, yet wot I wel also
That ther nis noon dwellyng in this contree
That eyther hath in hevene or helle ybe,
Ne may of hit noon other weyes witen
But as he hath herd seyd or founde it writen;
For by assay ther may no man it preve.
But God forbede but men shulde leve
Wel more thing then men han seen with ye!
Men shal not wenen every thing a lye
But yf himself yt seeth, or elles dooth;
For, God wot, thing is never the lasse sooth,
Thogh every wight ne may it nat ysee.
Bernard the monk ne saugh nat all, pardee!
‘The Legend of Good Women’ ‘The Prologue’ l. l
And as for me, though that I konne but lyte,
On bokes for to rede I me delyte,
And to hem yive I feyth and ful credence,
And in myn herte have hem in reverence
So hertely, that ther is game noon
That fro my bokes maketh me to goon,
But yt be seldom on the holyday,
Save, certeynly, whan that the month of May
Is comen, and that I here the foules synge,
And that the floures gynnen for to sprynge,
Farewel my bok and my devocioun!
‘The Legend of Good Women’ ‘The Prologue’ l. 29
Of al the floures in the mede,