moche louyd hym and dred hym, herd wel the word. And it was so that they bygan to ete, and there was no salt vpon the table. And the goode man sayd to his wyf, “Sail sur table.”[1] And the good wyf, which hadde fere to disobey hym, sprang vpon the table and ouerthrewe table, mete, wyn, and plater to the ground. "How!” said the good man, “Is this the manere? Cone ye none other playe but this? Are ye mad, oute of youre wyt?” “Syre,” said she, “I haue done youre coma?dement; haue ye not said youre comaudement shold be done, what somever it was? Certaynly I haue it done to my power, how be it that it is youre harme and hurte as moche as myn. For ye said to me that I shold sprynge on the table.” “I?” said he, “I sayd ther lacked salt vpon the table.” “In good feyth, I vnderstode,” said she, “for to spryng.” Thene was ther laughter ynous, and al was taken for a bourd and a mocquerye. Thenne the other two Marchauntes said it was nonede to late her sprynge in the basyn, for she had done ynough, and that her husbond had wonne the wager. And she was more preised than the other two that wold not do the commaundement of theyr husbondes. For moyen peple chastysen theyr wyues by buffetys and strokes, but gentyls wymmen ought to be chastised by fayre semblaunt and by curtosye that she obeyeth and hath euer doubte to disobeye, leste ony harme come or might happen or falle to her. For the other two wyues obeyed not thir husbondes lyke as the good wyf dyde to the thyrdde marchaunt, whiche for fere of disobeysaunce to her husbond sprange vpon the table and threwe doune alle. And thus ought euery good woman to fere and obeye her lord & husbonde, and
- ↑ Sail sur table, Old French for "Salt on the table", but the wife mistook this sentence for "Style sur table", i.e., "Leap onto the table".
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