<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=395633" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>The Canterbury Tales; the Wyves tale of Bathe</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">The Prologe of the Wyves tale of Bathe.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Experience, though noon auctoritee<br>Were in this world, were right ynogh to me<br>To speke of wo that is in mariage;<br>For, lordynges, sith I twelf yeer was of age,<br>Thonked be God, that is eterne on lyve,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Housbondes at chirche-dore I have had fyve-<br>For I so ofte have ywedded bee-<br>And alle were worthy men in hir degree.<br>But me was toold, certeyn, nat longe agoon is,<br>That sith that Crist ne wente nevere but onis</div><div style="margin:10px 0">To weddyng in the Cane of Galilee,<br>That by the same ensample, taughte he me,<br>That I ne sholde wedded be but ones.<br>Herkne eek, lo, which a sharpe word for the nones,<br>Biside a welle Jesus, God and Man,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Spak in repreeve of the Samaritan.<br>'Thou hast yhad fyve housbondes,' quod he,<br>'And thilke man the which that hath now thee<br>Is noght thyn housbonde;' thus seyde he, certeyn.<br>What that he mente ther by, I kan nat seyn;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But that I axe, why that the fifthe man<br>Was noon housbonde to the Samaritan?<br>How manye myghte she have in mariage?<br>Yet herde I nevere tellen in myn age<br>Upon this nombre diffinicioun.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Men may devyne, and glosen up and doun,<br>But wel I woot expres withoute lye,<br>God bad us for to wexe and multiplye;<br>That gentil text kan I wel understonde.<br>Eek wel I woot, he seyde, myn housbonde</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Sholde lete fader and mooder, and take me;<br>But of no nombre mencioun made he,<br>Of bigamye, or of octogamye;<br>Why sholde men speke of it vileynye?<br>Lo, heere the wise kyng, daun Salomon;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">I trowe he hadde wyves mo than oon-<br>As, wolde God, it leveful were to me<br>To be refresshed half so ofte as he-<br>Which yifte of God hadde he, for alle hise wyvys?<br>No man hath swich that in this world alyve is.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">God woot, this noble kyng, as to my wit,<br>The firste nyght had many a myrie fit<br>With ech of hem, so wel was hym on lyve!<br>Blessed be God, that I have wedded fyve;<br>Welcome the sixte, whan that evere he shal.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For sothe I wol nat kepe me chaast in al;<br>Whan myn housbonde is fro the world ygon<br>Som cristen man shal wedde me anon.<br>For thanne thapostle seith that I am free,<br>To wedde a Goddes half where it liketh me.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">He seith, that to be wedded is no synne,<br>Bet is to be wedded than to brynne.<br>What rekketh me, thogh folk seye vileynye<br>Of shrewed Lameth and of bigamye?<br>I woot wel Abraham was an hooly man,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And Jacob eek, as ferforth as I kan,<br>And ech of hem hadde wyves mo than two,<br>And many another holy man also.<br>Whanne saugh ye evere in any manere age<br>That hye God defended mariage</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>By expres word? I pray you, telleth me,<br>Or where comanded he virginitee?<br>I woot as wel as ye it is no drede,<br>Thapostel, whan he speketh of maydenhede;<br>He seyde, that precept therof hadde he noon.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Men may conseille a womman to been oon,<br>But conseillyng is no comandement;<br>He putte it in oure owene juggement.<br>For hadde God comanded maydenhede,<br>Thanne hadde he dampned weddyng with the dede;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And certein, if ther were no seed ysowe,<br>Virginitee, wherof thanne sholde it growe?<br>Poul dorste nat comanden, atte leeste,<br>A thyng of which his maister yaf noon heeste.<br>The dart is set up of virginitee;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Cacche who so may, who renneth best lat see.<br>But this word is nat taken of every wight,<br>But ther as God lust gyve it of his myght.<br>I woot wel, the apostel was a mayde;<br>But nathelees, thogh that he wroot and sayde</div><div style="margin:10px 0">He wolde that every wight were swich as he,<br>Al nys but conseil to virginitee;<br>And for to been a wyf, he yaf me leve<br>Of indulgence, so it is no repreve<br>To wedde me, if that my make dye,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Withouten excepcioun of bigamye.<br>'Al were it good no womman for to touche,'<br>He mente, as in his bed or in his couche;<br>For peril is bothe fyr and tow tassemble;<br>Ye knowe what this ensample may resemble.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">This is al and som, he heeld virginitee<br>Moore parfit than weddyng in freletee.<br>Freletee clepe I, but if that he and she<br>Wolde leden al hir lyf in chastitee.<br>I graunte it wel, I have noon envie,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thogh maydenhede preferre bigamye;<br>Hem liketh to be clene, body and goost.<br>Of myn estaat I nyl nat make no boost,<br>For wel ye knowe, a lord in his houshold,<br>He nath nat every vessel al of gold;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Somme been of tree, and doon hir lord servyse.<br>God clepeth folk to hym in sondry wyse,<br>And everich hath of God a propre yifte,<br>Som this, som that, as hym liketh shifte.<br>Virginitee is greet perfeccioun,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And continence eek with devocioun.<br>But Crist, that of perfeccioun is welle,<br>Bad nat every wight he sholde go selle<br>Al that he hadde, and gyve it to the poore,<br>And in swich wise folwe hym and his foore.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">He spak to hem that wolde lyve parfitly,<br>And lordynges, by youre leve, that am nat I.<br>I wol bistowe the flour of myn age<br>In the actes and in fruyt of mariage.<br>An housbonde I wol have, I nyl nat lette,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Which shal be bothe my dettour and my thral,<br>And have his tribulacioun withal<br>Upon his flessh whil that I am his wyf.<br>I have the power durynge al my lyf<br>Upon his propre body, and noght he.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Right thus the Apostel tolde it unto me,<br>And bad oure housbondes for to love us weel.<br>Al this sentence me liketh every deel,-<br>Up stirte the Pardoner, and that anon,<br>'Now, dame,' quod he, 'by God and by Seint John,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ye been a noble prechour in this cas.<br>I was aboute to wedde a wyf, allas!<br>What sholde I bye it on my flessh so deere?<br>Yet hadde I levere wedde no wyf to-yeere!'<br>'Abyde,' quod she, 'my tale in nat bigonne.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Nay, thou shalt drynken of another tonne,<br>Er that I go, shal savoure wors than ale.<br>And whan that I have toold thee forth my tale<br>Of tribulacioun in mariage,<br>Of which I am expert in al myn age,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">(This to seyn, myself have been the whippe),<br>Than maystow chese wheither thou wolt sippe<br>Of thilke tonne that I shal abroche,<br>For I shal telle ensamples mo than ten.<br>Whoso that nyl be war by othere men,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">By hym shul othere men corrected be.<br>The same wordes writeth Ptholomee;<br>Rede it in his Almageste, and take it there.'<br>'Dame, I wolde praye yow, if youre wyl it were,'<br>Seyde this Pardoner, 'as ye bigan,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Telle forth youre tale, spareth for no man,<br>And teche us yonge men of your praktike.'<br>'Gladly,' quod she, 'sith it may yow like.<br>But yet I praye to al this compaignye,<br>If that I speke after my fantasye,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">As taketh not agrief of that I seye,<br>For myn entente nis but for to pleye.'<br>-Now sire, now wol I telle forth my tale,<br>As evere moote I drynken wyn or ale,<br>I shal seye sooth, tho housbondes that I hadde,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">As thre of hem were goode, and two were badde.<br>The thre men were goode, and riche, and olde;<br>Unnethe myghte they the statut holde<br>In which that they were bounden unto me-<br>Ye woot wel what I meene of this, pradee!</div><div style="margin:10px 0">As help me God, I laughe whan I thynke<br>How pitously anyght I made hem swynke.<br>And by my fey, I tolde of it no stoor,<br>They had me yeven hir gold and hir tresoor;<br>Me neded nat do lenger diligence</div><div style="margin:10px 0">To wynne hir love, or doon hem reverence,<br>They loved me so wel, by God above,<br>That I ne tolde no deyntee of hir love.<br>A wys womman wol sette hire evere in oon<br>To gete hire love, ther as she hath noon.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But sith I hadde hem hoolly in myn hond,<br>And sith they hadde me yeven all hir lond,<br>What sholde I taken heede hem for to plese,<br>But it were for my profit and myn ese?<br>I sette hem so a-werke, by my fey,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That many a nyght they songen weilawey.<br>The bacoun was nat fet for hem, I trowe,<br>That som men han in Essex at Dunmowe.<br>I governed hem so wel after my lawe,<br>That ech of hem ful blisful was, and fawe</div><div style="margin:10px 0">To brynge me gaye thynges fro the fayre.<br>They were ful glad whan I spak to hem faire,<br>For God it woot, I chidde hem spitously.<br>Now herkneth hou I baar me proprely,<br>Ye wise wyves, that kan understonde.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thus shul ye speke and bere hem wrong on honde;<br>For half so boldely kan ther no man<br>Swere and lyen, as a womman kan.<br>I sey nat this by wyves that been wyse,<br>But if it be whan they hem mysavyse.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">A wys wyf, it that she kan hir good,<br>Shal beren hym on hond the cow is wood,<br>And take witnesse of hir owene mayde,<br>Of hir assent; but herkneth how I sayde.<br>'Sir olde kaynard, is this thyn array?</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Why is my neighebores wyf so gay?<br>She is honoured overal ther she gooth;<br>I sitte at hoom, I have no thrifty clooth.<br>What dostow at my neighebores hous?<br>Is she so fair? artow so amorous?</div><div style="margin:10px 0">What rowne ye with oure mayde? benedicite,<br>Sir olde lecchour, lat thy japes be!<br>And if I have a gossib or a freend<br>Withouten gilt, thou chidest as a feend<br>If that I walke or pleye unto his hous.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thou comest hoom as dronken as a mous<br>And prechest on thy bench, with yvel preef!<br>Thou seist to me, it is a greet meschief<br>To wedde a povre womman, for costage,<br>And if she be riche and of heigh parage,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thanne seistow it is a tormentrie<br>To soffren hir pride and hir malencolie.<br>And if she be fair, thou verray knave,<br>Thou seyst that every holour wol hir have;<br>She may no while in chastitee abyde</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That is assailled upon ech a syde.<br>Thou seyst, som folk desiren us for richesse,<br>Somme for oure shape, and somme for oure fairnesse,<br>And som for she kan outher synge or daunce,<br>And som for gentillesse and daliaunce,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Som for hir handes and hir armes smale;<br>Thur goth al to the devel by thy tale.<br>Thou seyst, men may nat kepe a castel wal,<br>It may so longe assailled been overal.<br>And if that she be foul, thou seist that she</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Coveiteth every man that she may se;<br>For as a spaynel she wol on hym lepe<br>Til that she fynde som man hir to chepe;<br>Ne noon so grey goos gooth ther in the lake<br>As, seistow, wol been withoute make;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And seyst, it is an hard thyng for to welde<br>A thyng that no man wole, his thankes, helde.<br>Thus seistow, lorel, whan thow goost to bedde,<br>And that no wys man nedeth for to wedde,<br>Ne no man that entendeth unto hevene-</div><div style="margin:10px 0">With wilde thonderdynt and firy levene<br>Moote thy welked nekke be to-broke!<br>Thow seyst that droppyng houses, and eek smoke,<br>And chidyng wyves maken men to flee<br>Out of hir owene hous, a benedicitee!</div><div style="margin:10px 0">What eyleth swich an old man for to chide?<br>Thow seyst, we wyves wol oure vices hide<br>Til we be fast, and thanne we wol hem shewe.<br>Wel may that be a proverbe of a shrewe!<br>Thou seist, that oxen, asses, hors, and houndes,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">They been assayd at diverse stoundes;<br>Bacyns, lavours, er that men hem bye,<br>Spoones and stooles, and al swich housbondrye,<br>And so been pottes, clothes, and array;<br>But folk of wyves maken noon assay</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Til they be wedded, olde dotard shrewe!<br>Thanne, seistow, we wol oure vices shewe.<br>Thou seist also, that it displeseth me<br>But if that thou wolt preyse my beautee,<br>And but thou poure alwey upon my face,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And clepe me `faire dame' in every place,<br>And but thou make a feeste on thilke day<br>That I was born, and make me fressh and gay,<br>And but thou do to my norice honour,<br>And to my chamberere withinne my bour,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And to my fadres folk and hise allyes-<br>Thus seistow, olde barel ful of lyes!<br>And yet of oure apprentice Janekyn,<br>For his crisp heer, shynynge as gold so fyn,<br>And for he squiereth me bothe up and doun,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Yet hastow caught a fals suspecioun.<br>I wol hym noght, thogh thou were deed tomorwe.<br>But tel me this, why hydestow, with sorwe,<br>The keyes of my cheste awey fro me?<br>It is my good as wel as thyn, pardee;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">What wenestow make an ydiot of oure dame?<br>Now, by that lord that called is seint Jame,<br>Thou shalt nat bothe, thogh that thou were wood,<br>Be maister of my body and of my good;<br>That oon thou shalt forgo, maugree thyne eyen.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">What nedeth thee of me to enquere or spyen?<br>I trowe thou woldest loke me in thy chiste.<br>Thou sholdest seye, `Wyf, go wher thee liste,<br>Taak youre disport, I wol not leve no talys,<br>I knowe yow for a trewe wyf, dame Alys.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">We love no man that taketh kepe or charge<br>Wher that we goon, we wol ben at our large.<br>Of alle men yblessed moot he be,<br>The wise astrologien, Daun Ptholome,<br>That seith this proverbe in his Almageste:</div><div style="margin:10px 0">`Of alle men his wysdom is the hyeste,<br>That rekketh nevere who hath the world in honde.'<br>By this proverbe thou shalt understonde,<br>Have thou ynogh, what thar thee recche or care<br>How myrily that othere folkes fare?</div><div style="margin:10px 0">He is to greet a nygard, that wolde werne<br>A man to lighte his candle at his lanterne;<br>He shal have never the lasse light, pardee,<br>Have thou ynogh, thee thar nat pleyne thee.<br>Thou seyst also, that if we make us gay</div><div style="margin:10px 0">With clothyng and with precious array,<br>That it is peril of oure chastitee;<br>And yet, with sorwe, thou most enforce thee,<br>And seye thise wordes in the apostles name,<br>`In habit, maad with chastitee and shame,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ye wommen shul apparaille yow,' quod he,<br>`And noght in tressed heer and gay perree,<br>As perles, ne with gold, ne clothes riche.'<br>After thy text, ne after thy rubriche<br>I wol nat wirche, as muchel as a gnat!</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thou seydest this, that I was lyk a cat;<br>For whoso wolde senge a cattes skyn,<br>Thanne wolde the cat wel dwellen in his in.<br>And if the cattes skyn be slyk and gay,<br>She wol nat dwelle in house half a day,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But forth she wole, er any day be dawed,<br>To shewe hir skyn, and goon a caterwawed.<br>This is to seye, if I be gay, sire shrewe,<br>I wol renne out, my borel for to shewe.<br>Sire olde fool, what eyleth thee to spyen,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thogh thou preye Argus, with hise hundred eyen,<br>To be my wardecors, as he kan best,<br>In feith he shal nat kepe me but me lest;<br>Yet koude I make his berd, so moot I thee.<br>Thou seydest eek, that ther been thynges thre,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">The whiche thynges troublen al this erthe,<br>And that no wight ne may endure the ferthe.<br>O leeve sire shrewe, Jesu shorte thy lyf!<br>Yet prechestow, and seyst, an hateful wyf<br>Yrekened is for oon of thise meschances.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Been ther none othere maner resemblances<br>That ye may likne youre parables to,<br>But if a sely wyf be oon of tho?<br>Thou likenest wommenes love to helle,<br>To bareyne lond, ther water may nat dwelle.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thou liknest it also to wilde fyr;<br>The moore it brenneth, the moore it hath desir<br>To consume every thyng that brent wole be.<br>Thou seyst, right as wormes shendeth a tree,<br>Right so a wyf destroyeth hir housbond.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">This knowe they, that been to wyves bonde.'<br>Lordynges, right thus, as ye have understonde,<br>Baar I stifly myne olde housbondes on honde,<br>That thus they seyden in hir dronkenesse,<br>And al was fals, but that I took witnesse</div><div style="margin:10px 0">On Janekyn and on my nece also.<br>O lord, the pyne I dide hem, and the wo<br>Ful giltelees, by Goddes sweete pyne!<br>For as an hors I koude byte and whyne,<br>I koude pleyne, thogh I were in the gilt,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Or elles often tyme hadde I been spilt.<br>Who so that first to mille comth first grynt;<br>I pleyned first, so was oure werre ystynt.<br>They were ful glad to excuse hem ful blyve<br>Of thyng of which they nevere agilte hir lyve.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Of wenches wolde I beren hym on honde,<br>Whan that for syk unnethes myghte he stonde,<br>Yet tikled it his herte, for that he<br>Wende that I hadde of hym so greet chiertee.<br>I swoor that al my walkynge out by nyghte</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Was for tespye wenches that he dighte.<br>Under that colour hadde I many a myrthe;<br>For al swich thyng was yeven us in oure byrthe,<br>Deceite, wepyng, spynnyng, God hath yeve<br>To wommen kyndely whil they may lyve.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And thus of o thyng I avaunte me,<br>Atte ende I hadde the bettre in ech degree,<br>By sleighte, or force, or by som maner thyng,<br>As by continueel murmure or grucchyng.<br>Namely a bedde hadden they meschaunce;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ther wolde I chide and do hem no plesaunce,<br>I wolde no lenger in the bed abyde,<br>If that I felte his arm over my syde<br>Til he had maad his raunsoun unto me;<br>Thanne wolde I suffre hym do his nycetee.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And therfore every man this tale I telle,<br>Wynne who so may, for al is for to selle.<br>With empty hand men may none haukes lure,-<br>For wynnyng wolde I al his lust endure<br>And make me a feyned appetit;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And yet in bacoun hadde I nevere delit;<br>That made me that evere I wolde hem chide.<br>For thogh the pope hadde seten hem biside,<br>I wolde nat spare hem at hir owene bord,<br>For by my trouthe I quitte hem word for word.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">As help me verray God omnipotent,<br>Though I right now sholde make my testament,<br>I ne owe hem nat a word, that it nys quit.<br>I broghte it so aboute by my wit,<br>That they moste yeve it up as for the beste,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Or elles hadde we nevere been in reste.<br>For thogh he looked as a wood leoun,<br>Yet sholde he faille of his conclusioun.<br>Thanne wolde I seye, 'Goode lief, taak keepe,<br>How mekely looketh Wilkyn oure sheepe!</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Com neer, my spouse, lat me ba thy cheke,<br>Ye sholde been al pacient and meke,<br>And han a sweete spiced conscience,<br>Sith ye so preche of Jobes pacience.<br>Suffreth alwey, syn ye so wel kan preche,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And but ye do, certein we shal yow teche<br>That it is fair to have a wyf in pees.<br>Oon of us two moste bowen, doutelees,<br>And sith a man is moore resonable,<br>Than womman is, ye moste been suffrable.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Swiche maneer wordes hadde we on honde.<br>Now wol I speken of my fourthe housbonde.<br>My fourthe housbonde was a revelour,<br>This is to seyn, he hadde a paramour,<br>And I was yong and ful of ragerye,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Stibourne and strong, and joly as a pye.<br>Wel koude I daunce to an harpe smale,<br>And synge, ywis, as any nyghtyngale,<br>Whan I had dronke a draughte of sweete wyn.<br>Metellius, the foule cherl, the swyn,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That with a staf birafte his wyf hire lyf,<br>For she drank wyn, thogh I hadde been his wyf,<br>He sholde nat han daunted me fro drynke.<br>And after wyn on Venus moste I thynke,<br>For al so siker as cold engendreth hayl,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">A likerous mouth moste han a likerous tayl.<br>In wommen vinolent is no defence,<br>This knowen lecchours by experience.<br>But, Lord Crist! whan that it remembreth me<br>Upon my yowthe and on my jolitee,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">It tikleth me aboute myn herte-roote.<br>Unto this day it dooth myn herte boote<br>That I have had my world, as in my tyme.<br>But age, allas, that al wole envenyme,<br>Hath me biraft my beautee and my pith!</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Lat go, fare-wel, the devel go therwith!<br>The flour is goon, ther is namoore to telle,<br>The bren as I best kan, now moste I selle;<br>But yet to be right myrie wol I fonde.<br>Now wol I tellen of my fourthe housbonde.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">I seye, I hadde in herte greet despit<br>That he of any oother had delit;<br>But he was quit, by God and by Seint Joce!<br>I made hym of the same wode a croce;<br>Nat of my body in no foul manere,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But certeinly, I made folk swich cheere<br>That in his owene grece I made hym frye<br>For angre and for verray jalousye.<br>By God, in erthe I was his purgatorie,<br>For which I hope his soule be in glorie,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For God it woot, he sat ful ofte and song<br>Whan that his shoo ful bitterly hym wrong!<br>Ther was no wight save God and he, that wiste<br>In many wise how soore I hym twiste.<br>He deyde whan I cam fro Jerusalem,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And lith ygrave under the roode-beem,<br>Al is his tombe noght so curyus<br>As was the sepulcre of hym Daryus,<br>Which that Appelles wroghte subtilly.<br>It nys but wast to burye hym preciously,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Lat hym fare-wel, God yeve his soule reste,<br>He is now in his grave, and in his cheste.<br>Now of my fifthe housbonde wol I telle.<br>God lete his soule nevere come in helle!<br>And yet was he to me the mooste shrewe;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That feele I on my ribbes al by rewe,<br>And evere shal, unto myn endyng day.<br>But in oure bed he was ful fressh and gay,<br>And therwithal so wel koude he me glose<br>Whan that he solde han my bele chose,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That thogh he hadde me bet on every bon<br>He koude wynne agayn my love anon.<br>I trowe I loved hym beste, for that he<br>Was of his love daungerous to me.<br>We wommen han, if that I shal nat lye,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">In this matere a queynte fantasye;<br>Wayte what tthyng we may nat lightly have,<br>Ther-after wol we crie al day and crave.<br>Forbede us thyng, and that desiren we;<br>Preesse on us faste, and thanne wol we fle;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">With daunger oute we al oure chaffare.<br>Greet prees at market maketh deere ware,<br>And to greet cheep is holde at litel prys;<br>This knoweth every womman that is wys.<br>My fifthe housbonde, God his soule blesse,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Which that I took for love and no richesse,<br>He somtyme was a clerk of Oxenford,<br>And hadde left scole, and wente at hom to bord<br>With my gossib, dwellynge in oure toun,<br>God have hir soule! hir name was Alisoun.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">She knew myn herte and eek my privetee<br>Bet than oure parisshe preest, as moot I thee.<br>To hir biwreyed I my conseil al,<br>For hadde myn housbonde pissed on a wal,<br>Or doon a thyng that sholde han cost his lyf,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">To hir, and to another worthy wyf,<br>And to my nece, which that I loved weel,<br>I wolde han toold his conseil every deel.<br>And so I dide ful often, God it woot!<br>That made his face ful often reed and hoot</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For verray shame, and blamed hym-self, for he<br>Had toold to me so greet a pryvetee.<br>And so bifel that ones, in a Lente-<br>So often tymes I to my gossyb wente,<br>For evere yet I loved to be gay,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And for to walke in March, Averill, and May,<br>Fro hous to hous to heere sondry talys-<br>That Jankyn Clerk and my gossyb, dame Alys,<br>And I myself into the feeldes wente.<br>Myn housbonde was at London al that Lente;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">I hadde the bettre leyser for to pleye,<br>And for to se, and eek for to be seye<br>Of lusty folk; what wiste I, wher my grace<br>Was shapen for to be, or in what place?<br>Therfore I made my visitaciouns</div><div style="margin:10px 0">To vigilies and to processiouns,<br>To prechyng eek, and to thise pilgrimages,<br>To pleyes of myracles, and to mariages;<br>And wered upon my gaye scarlet gytes.<br>Thise wormes ne thise motthes, ne thise mytes,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Upon my peril, frete hem never a deel-<br>And wostow why? for they were used weel!<br>Now wol I tellen forth what happed me.<br>I seye, that in the feeldes walked we,<br>Til trewely we hadde swich daliance,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">This clerk and I, that of my purveiance<br>I spak to hym, and seyde hym, how that he,<br>If I were wydwe, sholde wedde me.<br>For certeinly, I sey for no bobance,<br>Yet was I nevere withouten purveiance</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Of mariage, nof othere thynges eek.<br>I holde a mouses herte nat worth a leek<br>That hath but oon hole for to sterte to,<br>And if that faille, thanne is al ydo.<br>I bar hym on honde, he hadde enchanted me-</div><div style="margin:10px 0">My dame taughte me that soutiltee.<br>And eek I seyde, I mette of hym al nyght,<br>He wolde han slayn me as I lay upright,<br>And al my bed was ful of verray blood;<br>But yet I hope that he shal do me good,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For blood bitokeneth gold, as me was taught-<br>And al was fals, I dremed of it right naught,<br>But as I folwed ay my dames loore<br>As wel of this, as of othere thynges moore.<br>But now sir, lat me se, what I shal seyn?</div><div style="margin:10px 0">A ha, by God! I have my tale ageyn.<br>Whan that my fourthe housbonde was on beere,<br>I weep algate, and made sory cheere,<br>As wyves mooten-for it is usage-<br>And with my coverchief covered my visage;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But for that I was purveyed of a make,<br>I wepte but smal, and that I undertake.<br>To chirche was myn housbonde born amorwe<br>With neighebores that for hym maden sorwe;<br>And Janekyn oure clerk was oon of tho.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">As help me God, whan that I saugh hym go<br>After the beere, me thoughte he hadde a paire<br>Of legges and of feet so clene and faire,<br>That al myn herte I yaf unto his hoold.<br>He was, I trowe, a twenty wynter oold,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And I was fourty, if I shal seye sooth,<br>But yet I hadde alwey a coltes tooth.<br>Gat-tothed I was, and that bicam me weel,<br>I hadde the prente of Seinte Venus seel.<br>As help me God, I was a lusty oon,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And faire, and riche, and yong, and wel bigon,<br>And trewely, as myne housbondes tolde me,<br>I hadde the beste quonyam myghte be.<br>For certes, I am al Venerien<br>In feelynge, and myn herte is Marcien.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Venus me yaf my lust, my likerousnesse,<br>And Mars yaf me my sturdy hardynesse.<br>Myn ascendent was Taur, and Mars therinne,<br>Allas, allas, that evere love was synne!<br>I folwed ay myn inclinacioun</div><div style="margin:10px 0">By vertu of my constellacioun;<br>That made me I koude noght withdrawe<br>My chambre of Venus from a good felawe.<br>Yet have I Martes mark upon my face,<br>And also in another privee place.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For God so wys be my savacioun,<br>I ne loved nevere by no discrecioun,<br>But evere folwede myn appetit,<br>Al were he short, or long, or blak, or whit.<br>I took no kepe, so that he liked me,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">How poore he was, ne eek of what degree.<br>What sholde I seye, but at the monthes ende<br>This joly clerk Jankyn, that was so hende,<br>Hath wedded me with greet solempnytee,<br>And to hym yaf I al the lond and fee</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That evere was me yeven therbifoore;<br>But afterward repented me ful soore,<br>He nolde suffre nothyng of my list.<br>By God, he smoot me ones on the lyst<br>For that I rente out of his book a leef,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That of the strook myn ere wax al deef.<br>Stibourne I was as is a leonesse,<br>And of my tonge a verray jangleresse,<br>And walke I wolde, as I had doon biforn,<br>From hous to hous, although he had it sworn,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For which he often-tymes wolde preche,<br>And me of olde Romayn geestes teche,<br>How he Symplicius Gallus lefte his wyf,<br>And hir forsook for terme of al his lyf,<br>Noght but for open-heveded he hir say,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Lookynge out at his dore, upon a day.<br>Another Romayn tolde he me by name,<br>That for his wyf was at a someres game<br>Withoute his wityng, he forsook hir eke.<br>And thanne wolde he upon his Bible seke</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That like proverbe of Ecclesiaste,<br>Where he comandeth, and forbedeth faste,<br>Man shal nat suffre his wyf go roule aboute,<br>Thanne wolde he seye right thus, withouten doute:<br>'Who so that buyldeth his hous al of salwes,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And priketh his blynde hors over the falwes,<br>And suffreth his wyf to go seken halwes,<br>Is worthy to been hanged on the galwes!'<br>But al for noght, I sette noght an hawe<br>Of his proverbes, nof his olde lawe,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ne I wolde nat of hym corrected be.<br>I hate hym that my vices telleth me;<br>And so doo mo, God woot, of us than I!<br>This made hym with me wood al outrely,<br>I nolde noght forbere hym in no cas.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now wol I seye yow sooth, by seint Thomas,<br>Why that I rente out of his book a leef,<br>For which he smoot me so that I was deef.<br>He hadde a book that gladly, nyght and day,<br>For his desport he wolde rede alway.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">He cleped it `Valerie and Theofraste,'<br>At whiche book he lough alwey ful faste.<br>And eek ther was som tyme a clerk at Rome,<br>A cardinal that highte Seint Jerome,<br>That made a book agayn Jovinian,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">In whiche book eek ther was Tertulan,<br>Crisippus, Trotula, and Helowys,<br>That was abbesse nat fer fro Parys,<br>And eek the Parables of Salomon,<br>Ovides Art, and bookes many on,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And alle thise were bounden in o volume,<br>And every nyght and day was his custume<br>Whan he hadde leyser and vacacioun<br>From oother worldly occupacioun<br>To reden on this book of wikked wyves.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">He knew of hem mo legendes and lyves<br>Than been of goode wyves in the Bible.<br>For trusteth wel, it is an inpossible<br>That any clerk wol speke good of wyves,<br>But if it be of hooly seintes lyves,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ne noon oother womman never the mo.<br>Who peyntede the leoun, tel me, who?<br>By God, if wommen hadde writen stories,<br>As clerkes han withinne hire oratories,<br>They wolde han writen of men moore wikkednesse</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Than all the mark of Adam may redresse.<br>The children of Mercurie and Venus<br>Been in hir wirkyng ful contrarius,<br>Mercurie loveth wysdam and science,<br>And Venus loveth ryot and dispence.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And for hire diverse disposicioun<br>Ech falleth in otheres exaltacioun,<br>And thus, God woot, Mercurie is desolat<br>In Pisces, wher Venus is exaltat;<br>And Venus falleth ther Mercurie is reysed.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Therfore no womman of no clerk is preysed.<br>The clerk, whan he is oold and may noght do<br>Of Venus werkes worth his olde sho,<br>Thanne sit he doun, and writ in his dotage<br>That wommen kan nat kepe hir mariage.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But now to purpos, why I tolde thee<br>That I was beten for a book, pardee.<br>Upon a nyght Jankyn, that was oure sire,<br>Redde on his book as he sat by the fire<br>Of Eva first, that for hir wikkednesse</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Was al mankynde broght to wrecchednesse,<br>For which that Jesu Crist hymself was slayn,<br>That boghte us with his herte-blood agayn.<br>Lo, heere expres of womman may ye fynde,<br>That womman was the los of al mankynde.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Tho redde he me how Sampson loste hise heres,<br>Slepynge, his lemman kitte it with hir sheres,<br>Thurgh whiche tresoun loste he bothe hise eyen.<br>Tho redde he me, if that I shal nat lyen,<br>Of Hercules and of his Dianyre,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That caused hym to sette hymself afyre.<br>No thyng forgat he the penaunce and wo<br>That Socrates hadde with hise wyves two,<br>How Xantippa caste pisse up-on his heed.<br>This sely man sat stille as he were deed;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">He wiped his heed, namoore dorste he seyn<br>But, 'er that thonder stynte, comth a reyn.'<br>Of Phasifpha, that was the queene of Crete,<br>For shrewednesse hym thoughte the tale swete-<br>Fy, speke namoore! it is a grisly thyng</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Of hir horrible lust and hir likyng.<br>Of Clitermystra for hire lecherye,<br>That falsly made hir housbonde for to dye,<br>He redde it with ful good devocioun.<br>He tolde me eek for what occasioun</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Amphiorax at Thebes loste his lyf.<br>Myn housbonde hadde a legende of his wyf<br>Eriphilem, that for an ouche of gold<br>Hath prively unto the Grekes told<br>Wher that hir housbonde hidde hym in a place,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For which he hadde at Thebes sory grace.<br>Of Lyma tolde he me, and of Lucye,<br>They bothe made hir housbondes for to dye,<br>That oon for love, that oother was for hate.<br>Lyma hir housbonde, on an even late,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Empoysoned hath, for that she was his fo.<br>Lucia likerous loved hir housbonde so,<br>That for he sholde alwey upon hire thynke,<br>She yaf hym swich a manere love-drynke<br>That he was deed, er it were by the morwe.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And thus algates housbondes han sorw.<br>Thanne tolde he me, how that Latumyus<br>Compleyned unto his felawe Arrius,<br>That in his gardyn growed swich a tree,<br>On which he seyde how that hise wyves thre</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Hanged hemself, for herte despitus.<br>'O leeve brother,' quod this Arrius,<br>'Yif me a plante of thilke blissed tree,<br>And in my gardyn planted it shal bee.'<br>Of latter date of wyves hath he red,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That somme han slayn hir housbondes in hir bed,<br>And lete hir lecchour dighte hir al the nyght,<br>Whan that the corps lay in the floor upright.<br>And somme han dryve nayles in hir brayn<br>Whil that they slepte, and thus they han hem slayn.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Somme han hem yeve poysoun in hir drynke.<br>He spak moore harm than herte may bithynke,<br>And therwithal he knew of mo proverbes<br>Than in this world ther growen gras or herbes.<br>'Bet is,' quod he, 'Thyn habitacioun</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Be with a leoun, or a foul dragoun,<br>Than with a womman usynge for to chyde.'<br>'Bet is,' quod he, 'hye in the roof abyde<br>Than with an angry wyf doun in the hous,<br>They been so wikked and contrarious.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">They haten that hir housbondes loveth ay.'<br>He seyde, 'a womman cast hir shame away<br>Whan she cast of hir smok,' and forther mo,<br>'A fair womman, but she be chaast also,<br>Is lyk a goldryng in a sowes nose.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Who wolde leeve, or who wolde suppose<br>The wo that in myn herte was, and pyne?<br>And whan I saugh he wolde nevere fyne<br>To reden on this cursed book al nyght,<br>Al sodeynly thre leves have I plyght</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Out of his book, right as he radde, and eke<br>I with my fest so took hym on the cheke,<br>That in oure fyr he ril bakward adoun.<br>And he up-stirte as dootha wood leoun,<br>And with his fest he smoot me on the heed</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That in the floor I lay, as I were deed.<br>And whan he saugh how stille that I lay,<br>He was agast, and wolde han fled his way,<br>Til atte laste out of my swogh I breyde.<br>'O, hastow slayn me, false theef,' I seyde,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'And for my land thus hastow mordred me?<br>Er I be deed, yet wol I kisse thee.'<br>And neer he cam and kneled faire adoun,<br>And seyde, 'deere suster Alisoun,<br>As help me God, I shal thee nevere smyte.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That I have doon, it is thyself to wyte,<br>Foryeve it me, and that I thee biseke.'<br>And yet eftsoones I hitte hym on the cheke,<br>And seyde, 'theef, thus muchel am I wreke;<br>Now wol I dye, I may no lenger speke.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But atte laste, with muchel care and wo,<br>We fille acorded by us selven two.<br>He yaf me al the bridel in myn hond,<br>To han the governance of hous and lond,<br>And of his tonge, and of his hond also,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And made hym brenne his book anon right tho.<br>And whan that I hadde geten unto me<br>By maistrie, al the soveraynetee,<br>And that he seyde, 'myn owene trewe wyf,<br>Do as thee lust the terme of al thy lyf,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Keepe thyn honour, and keep eek myn estaat,'<br>After that day we hadden never debaat.<br>God help me so, I was to hym as kynde<br>As any wyf from Denmark unto Ynde,<br>And also trewe, and so was he to me.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">I prey to God, that sit in magestee,<br>So blesse his soule for his mercy deere.<br>Now wol I seye my tale, if ye wol heere.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Biholde the wordes bitwene the Somonour and the Frere.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">The Frere lough whan he hadde herd al this.-<br>'Now dame,' quod he, 'so have I joye or blis,<br>This is a long preamble of a tale.'<br>And whan the Somonour herde the Frere gale,<br>'Lo,' quod the Somonour, 'Goddes armes two,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">A frere wol entremette hym evere-mo.<br>Lo goode men, a flye and eek a frere<br>Wol falle in every dyssh and eek mateere.<br>What spekestow of preambulacioun?<br>What, amble, or trotte, or pees, or go sit doun,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thou lettest oure disport in this manere.'<br>'Ye, woltow so, sire Somonour?' quod the frere,<br>'Now by my feith, I shal er that I go<br>Telle of a Somonour swich a tale or two<br>That alle the folk shal laughen in this place.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Now elles, frere, I bishrewe thy face,'<br>Quod this Somonour, 'and I bishrewe me,<br>But if I telle tales two or thre<br>Of freres, er I come to Sidyngborne,<br>That I shal make thyn herte for to morne,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For wel I woot thy pacience in gon.'<br>Oure Hooste cride, 'Pees, and that anon!'<br>And seyde, 'lat the womman telle hire tale,<br>Ye fare as folk that dronken were of ale.<br>Do, dame, telle forth youre tale, and that is best.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Al redy, sire,' quod she, 'right as yow lest,<br>If I have licence of this worthy frere.'<br>'Yis, dame,' quod he, 'tel forth, and I wol heere.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Heere endeth the Wyf of Bathe hir Prologe.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Part 20</div><div style="margin:10px 0">THE TALE OF THE WYF OF BATH</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Here bigynneth the Tale of the Wyf of Bathe.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">In tholde dayes of the Kyng Arthour,<br>Of which that Britons speken greet honour,<br>All was this land fulfild of Fayerye.<br>The elf-queene, with hir joly compaignye,<br>Daunced ful ofte in many a grene mede;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">This was the olde opinion, as I rede.<br>I speke of manye hundred yeres ago;<br>But now kan no man se none elves mo,<br>For now the grete charitee and prayeres<br>Of lymytours, and othere hooly freres,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That serchen every lond and every streem<br>As thikke as motes in the sonne-beem,<br>Blessynge halles, chambres, kichenes, boures,<br>Citees, burghes, castels, hye toures,<br>Thropes, bernes, shipnes, dayeryes,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">This maketh that ther been no Fayeryes.<br>For ther as wont to walken was an elf,<br>Ther walketh now the lymytour hymself<br>In undermeles and in morwenynges,<br>And seyth his matyns and his hooly thynges</div><div style="margin:10px 0">As he gooth in his lymytacioun.<br>Wommen may go saufly up and doun;<br>In every bussh or under every tree<br>Ther is noon oother incubus but he,<br>And he ne wol doon hem but dishonour.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And so bifel it that this kyng Arthour<br>Hadde in his hous a lusty bachelor,<br>That on a day cam ridynge fro ryver;<br>And happed that, allone as she was born,<br>He saugh a mayde walkynge hym biforn,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Of whiche mayde anon, maugree hir heed,<br>By verray force he rafte hir maydenhed;<br>For which oppressioun was swich clamour<br>And swich pursute unto the kyng Arthour,<br>That dampned was this knyght for to be deed</div><div style="margin:10px 0">By cours of lawe, and sholde han lost his heed,<br>Paraventure, swich was the statut tho,<br>But that the queene and othere ladyes mo<br>So longe preyeden the kyng of grace,<br>Til he his lyf hym graunted in the place,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And yaf hym to the queene al at hir wille,<br>To chese, wheither she wolde hym save or spille.<br>The queene thanketh the kyng with al hir myght,<br>And after this thus spak she to the knyght,<br>Whan that she saugh hir tyme, upon a day,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Thou standest yet,' quod she, 'in swich array<br>That of thy lyf yet hastow no suretee.<br>I grante thee lyf, if thou kanst tellen me<br>What thyng is it that wommen moost desiren.<br>Be war and keep thy nekke-boon from iren,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And if thou kanst nat tellen it anon,<br>Yet shal I yeve thee leve for to gon<br>A twelf-month and a day to seche and leere<br>An answere suffisant in this mateere;<br>And suretee wol I han, er that thou pace,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thy body for to yelden in this place.'<br>Wo was this knyght, and sorwefully he siketh,<br>But what! he may nat do al as hym liketh;<br>And at the laste he chees hym for to wende,<br>And come agayn right at the yeres ende,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">With swich answere as God wolde hym purveye;<br>And taketh his leve, and wendeth forth his weye.<br>He seketh every hous and every place,<br>Where as he hopeth for to fynde grace<br>To lerne what thyng wommen loven moost;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But he ne koude arryven in no coost<br>Wher as he myghte fynde in this mateere<br>Two creatures accordynge in feere.<br>Somme seyde, wommen loven best richesse,<br>Somme seyde honour, somme seyde jolynesse,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Somme riche array, somme seyden lust abedde,<br>And oftetyme to be wydwe and wedde.<br>Somme seyde, that oure hertes been moost esed<br>Whan that we been yflatered and yplesed-<br>He gooth ful ny the sothe, I wol nat lye,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">A man shal wynne us best with flaterye;<br>And with attendance and with bisynesse<br>Been we ylymed, bothe moore and lesse.-<br>And somme seyn, how that we loven best<br>For to be free, and do right as us lest,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And that no man repreve us of oure vice,<br>But seye that we be wise, and nothyng nyce.<br>For trewely, ther is noon of us alle,<br>If any wight wol clawe us on the galle,<br>That we nel kike; for he seith us sooth;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Assay, and he shal fynde it that so dooth.<br>For be we never so vicious withinne,<br>We sol been holden wise, and clene of synne.<br>And somme seyn, that greet delit han we<br>For to been holden stable and eke secree,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And in o purpos stedefastly to dwelle,<br>And nat biwerye thyng that men us telle.<br>But that tale is nat worth a rake-stele,<br>Pardee, we wommen konne no thyng hele.<br>Witnesse on Myda-wol ye heere the tale?</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ovyde, amonges othere thynges smale,<br>Seyde, Myda hadde under his longe heres<br>Growynge upon his heed two asses eres,<br>The whiche vice he hydde, as he best myghte,<br>Ful subtilly from every mannes sighte;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That, save his wyf, ther wiste of it namo,<br>He loved hir moost and trusted hir also.<br>He preyede hir, that to no creature<br>She sholde tellen of his disfigure.<br>She swoor him nay, for al this world to wynne,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">She nolde do that vileynye or synne,<br>To make hir housbonde han so foul a name,<br>She nolde nat telle it for hir owene shame!</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But nathelees, hir thoughte that she dyde,<br>That she so longe sholde a conseil hyde,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Hir thoughte it swal so soore aboute hir herte<br>That nedely som word hir moste asterte.<br>And sith she dorste telle it to no man,<br>Doun to a mareys faste by she ran,<br>Til she came there, hir herte was afyre,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And as a bitore bombleth in the myre,<br>She leyde hir mouth unto the water doun;-<br>'Biwreye me nat, thou water, with thy soun,'<br>Quod she, 'to thee I telle it and namo,<br>Myn housbonde hath longe asses erys two!</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now is myn herte al hool, now is it oute,<br>I myghte no lenger kepe it, out of doute.'<br>Heere may ye se, thogh we a tyme abyde,<br>Yet out it moot, we kan no conseil hyde.-<br>The remenant of the tale, if ye wol heere,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Redeth Ovyde, and ther ye may it leere.-<br>This knyght, of which my tale is specially,<br>Whan that he saugh he myghte nat come therby,<br>This is to seye, what wommen love moost,<br>Withinne his brest ful sorweful was the goost.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But hoom he gooth, he myghte nat sojourne;<br>The day was come that homward moste he tourne,<br>And in his wey it happed hym to ryde<br>In al this care under a forest syde,<br>Wher as he saugh upon a daunce go</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Of ladyes foure and twenty, and yet mo;<br>Toward the whiche daunce he drow ful yerne,<br>In hope that som wysdom sholde he lerne.<br>But certeinly, er he came fully there,<br>Vanysshed was this daunce, he nyste where;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">No creature saugh he that bar lyf,<br>Save on the grene he saugh sittynge a wyf,<br>A fouler wight ther may no man devyse.<br>Agayn the knyght this olde wyf gan ryse,<br>And seyde, 'Sire knyght, heer-forth ne lith no wey;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Tel me what that ye seken, by your fey.<br>Paraventure it may the bettre be,<br>Thise olde folk kan muchel thyng,' quod she.<br>'My leeve mooder,' quod this knyght, 'certeyn,<br>I nam but deed, but if that I kan seyn</div><div style="margin:10px 0">What thyng it is, that wommen moost desire.<br>Koude ye me wisse, I wolde wel quite youre hire.'<br>'Plight me thy trouthe, heere in myn hand,' quod she,<br>'The nexte thyng that I requere thee,<br>Thou shalt it do, if it lye in thy myght,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And I wol telle it yow, er it be nyght.'<br>'Have heer my trouthe,' quod the knyght, 'I grante.'<br>'Thanne,' quod she, 'I dar me wel avante,<br>Thy lyf is sauf, for I wol stonde therby<br>Upon my lyf, the queene wol seye as I.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Lat se which is the proudeste of hem alle,<br>That wereth on a coverchief or a calle,<br>That dar seye nay of that I shal thee teche.<br>Lat us go forth withouten lenger speche.'<br>Tho rowned she a pistel in his ere,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And bad hym to be glad and have no fere.<br>Whan they be comen to the court, this knyght<br>Seyde he had holde his day, as he hadde hight,<br>And redy was his answere, as he sayde.<br>Ful many a noble wyf, and many a mayde,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And many a wydwe, for that they been wise,<br>The wueene hirself sittynge as a justise,<br>Assembled been, his answere for to heere;<br>And afterward this knyght was bode appeere.<br>To every wight comanded was silence,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And that the knyght sholde telle in audience<br>What thyng that worldly wommen loven best.<br>This knyght ne stood nat stille, as doth a best,<br>But ot his questioun anon answerde<br>With manly voys, that al the court it herde:</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'My lige lady, generally,' quod he,<br>'Wommen desiren to have sovereynetee<br>As wel over hir housbond as hir love,<br>And for to been in maistrie hym above.<br>This is youre mooste desir, thogh ye me kille,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Dooth as yow list, I am heer at youre wille.'<br>In al the court ne was ther wyf ne mayde<br>Ne wydwe that contraried that he sayde,<br>But seyden he was worthy han his lyf.<br>And with that word up stirte the olde wyf,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Which that the knyght saugh sittynge in the grene.<br>'Mercy,' quod she, 'my sovereyn lady queene,<br>Er that youre court departe, do me right.<br>I taughte this answere unto the knyght,<br>For which he plighte me his trouthe there,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">The firste thyng I wolde of hym requere,<br>He wolde it do, if it lay in his myght.<br>Bifor the court thanne preye I thee, sir knyght,'<br>Quod she, 'that thou me take unto thy wyf,<br>For wel thou woost that I have kept thy lyf.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">If I seye fals, sey nay, upon thy fey!'<br>This knyght answerde, 'Allas and weylawey!<br>I woot right wel that swich was my biheste!<br>For Goddes love, as chees a newe requeste,<br>Taak al my good, and lat my body go!'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Nay, thanne,' quod she, 'I shrewe us bothe two,<br>For thogh that I be foul, and oold, and poore,<br>I nolde for al the metal, ne for oore,<br>That under erthe is grave, or lith above,<br>But if thy wyf I were, and eek thy love.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'My love?' quod he, 'nay, my dampnacioun!<br>Allas, that any of my nacioun<br>Sholde evere so foule disparaged be!'<br>But al for noght, the ende is this, that he<br>Constreyned was, he nedes moste hir wedde,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And taketh his olde wyf, and gooth to bedde.<br>Now wolden som men seye, paraventure,<br>That for my necligence I do no cure<br>To tellen yow the joye and al tharray,<br>That at the feeste was that ilke day;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">To whiche thyng shortly answere I shal.<br>I seye, ther nas no joye ne feeste at al,<br>Ther nas but hevynesse and muche sorwe,<br>For prively he wedde hir on a morwe,<br>And al day after hidde hym as an owle,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">So wo was hym, his wyf looked so foule.<br>Greet was the wo the knyght hadde in his thoght,<br>Whan he was with his wyf abedde ybroght,<br>He walweth and he turneth to and fro.<br>His olde wyf lay smylynge everemo,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And seyde, 'O deere housbonde, benedicitee,<br>Fareth every knyght thus with his wyf, as ye?<br>Is this the lawe of Kyng Arthures hous?<br>Is every knyght of his so dangerous?<br>I am youre owene love, and eek your wyf;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">I am she which that saved hath youre lyf.<br>And certes, yet dide I yow nevere unright;<br>Why fare ye thus with me this firste nyght?<br>Ye faren lyk a man had lost his wit.<br>What is my gilt? for Goddes love, tel it,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And it shal been amended, if I may.'<br>'Amended,' quod this knyght, 'allas! nay! nay!<br>It wol nat been amended nevere mo;<br>Thou art so loothly and so oold also<br>And therto comen of so lough a kynde,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That litel wonder is thogh I walwe and wynde.<br>So wolde God, myn herte wolde breste!'<br>'Is this,' quod she, 'the cause of youre unreste?'<br>'Ye certeinly,' quod he, 'no wonder is!'<br>'Now, sire,' quod she, 'I koude amende al this,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">If that me liste, er it were dayes thre,<br>So wel ye myghte bere yow unto me.<br>But for ye speken of swich gentillesse<br>As is descended out of old richesse,<br>That therfore sholden ye be gentil men,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Swich arrogance nis nat worth an hen.<br>Looke who that is moost vertuous alway,<br>Pryvee and apert, and moost entendeth ay<br>To do the gentil dedes that he kan,<br>Taak hym for the grettest gentil-man.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Crist wole, we clayme of hym oure gentillesse,<br>Nat of oure eldres for hire old richesse.<br>For thogh they yeve us al hir heritage,<br>For which we clayme to been of heigh parage,<br>Yet may they nat biquethe for no thyng</div><div style="margin:10px 0">To noon of us hir vertuous lyvyng,<br>That made hem gentil men ycalled be,<br>And bad us folwen hem in swich degree.<br>Wel kan the wise poete of Florence,<br>That highte Dant, speken in this sentence.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Lo in swich maner rym is Dantes tale:<br>`Ful selde upriseth by his branches smale<br>Prowesse of man, for God of his goodnesse<br>Wole, that of hym we clayme oure gentillesse.'<br>For of oure eldres may we no thyng clayme</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But temporel thyng, that man may hurte and mayme.<br>Eek every wight woot this as wel as I,<br>If gentillesse were planted natureelly<br>Unto a certeyn lynage doun the lyne,<br>Pryvee nor apert, thanne wolde they nevere fyne</div><div style="margin:10px 0">To doon of gentillesse the faire office,<br>They myghte do no vileynye or vice.<br>Taak fyr, and ber it in the derkeste hous<br>Bitwix this and the mount of Kaukasous,<br>And lat men shette the dores and go thenne,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Yet wole the fyr as faire lye and brenne<br>As twenty thousand men myghte it biholde;<br>His office natureel ay wol it holde,<br>Up peril of my lyf, til that it dye.<br>Heere may ye se wel, how that genterye</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Is nat annexed to possessioun,<br>Sith folk ne doon hir operacioun<br>Alwey, as dooth the fyr, lo, in his kynde.<br>For God it woot, men may wel often fynde<br>A lordes sone do shame and vileynye,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And he that wole han pris of his gentrye,<br>For he was boren of a gentil hous,<br>And hadde hise eldres noble and vertuous,<br>And nel hym-selven do no gentil dedis,<br>Ne folwen his gentil auncestre that deed is,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">He nys nat gentil, be he duc or erl;<br>For vileyns synful dedes make a cherl.<br>For gentillesse nys but renomee<br>Of thyne auncestres for hire heigh bountee,<br>Which is a strange thyng to thy persone.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thy gentillesse cometh fro God allone,<br>Thanne comth oure verray gentillesse of grace,<br>It was no thyng biquethe us with oure place.<br>Thenketh hou noble, as seith Valerius,<br>Was thilke Tullius Hostillius,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That out of poverte roos to heigh noblesse.<br>Reedeth Senek, and redeth eek Boece,<br>Ther shul ye seen expres that it no drede is,<br>That he is gentil that dooth gentil dedis.<br>And therfore, leeve housbonde, I thus conclude,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Al were it that myne auncestres weren rude,<br>Yet may the hye God-and so hope I,-<br>Grante me grace to lyven vertuously.<br>Thanne am I gentil whan that I bigynne<br>To lyven vertuously, and weyve synne.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And ther as ye of poverte me repreeve,<br>The hye God, on whom that we bileeve<br>In wilful poverte chees to lyve his lyf.<br>And certes every man, mayden or wyf,<br>May understonde that Jesus, hevene kyng,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Ne wolde nat chesen vicious lyvyng.<br>Glad poverte is an honeste thyng, certeyn,<br>This wole Senec and othere clerkes seyn.<br>Who so that halt hym payd of his poverte,<br>I holde hym riche, al hadde he nat a sherte;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">He that coveiteth is a povre wight,<br>For he wolde han that is nat in his myght,<br>But he that noght hath, ne coveiteth have,<br>Is riche, although ye holde hym but a knave.<br>Verray poverte, it syngeth proprely.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Juvenal seith of poverte myrily,<br>`The povre man, whan he goth by the weye,<br>Bifore the theves he may synge and pleye.'<br>Poverte is hateful good, and, as I gesse,<br>A ful greet bryngere out of bisynesse;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">A greet amender eek of sapience<br>To hym that taketh it in pacience.<br>Poverte is this, although it seme elenge;<br>Possessioun, that no wight wol chalenge.<br>Poverte ful ofte, whan a man is lowe,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Maketh his God and eek hymself to knowe;<br>Poverte a spectacle is, as thynketh me,<br>Thurgh which he may hise verray freendes see.<br>And therfore, sire, syn that I noght yow greve,<br>Of my poverte namoore ye me repreve.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now sire, of elde ye repreve me,<br>And certes, sire, thogh noon auctoritee<br>Were in no book, ye gentils of honour<br>Seyn, that men sholde an oold wight doon favour,<br>And clepe hym fader for youre gentillesse,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And auctours shal I fynden, as I gesse.<br>Now, ther ye seye that I am foul and old,<br>Than drede you noght to been a cokewold;<br>For filthe and eelde, al so moot I thee,<br>Been grete wardeyns upon chastitee;</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But nathelees, syn I knowe youre delit,<br>I shal fulfille youre worldly appetit.'<br>'Chese now,' quod she, 'oon of thise thynges tweye:<br>To han me foul and old til that I deye,<br>And be to yow a trewe humble wyf,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And nevere yow displese in al my lyf;<br>Or elles ye wol han me yong and fair,<br>And take youre aventure of the repair<br>That shal be to youre hous, by cause of me,<br>Or in som oother place may wel be.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now chese yourselven wheither that yow liketh.'<br>This knyght avyseth hym and sore siketh,<br>But atte laste, he seyde in this manere:<br>'My lady and my love, and wyf so deere,<br>I put me in youre wise governance.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Cheseth yourself, which may be moost plesance<br>And moost honour to yow and me also.<br>I do no fors the wheither of the two,<br>For, as yow liketh, it suffiseth me.'<br>'Thanne have I gete of yow maistrie,' quod she,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Syn I may chese and governe as me lest?'<br>'Ye, certes, wyf,' quod he, 'I holde it best.'<br>'Kys me,' quod she, 'we be no lenger wrothe,<br>For, by my trouthe, I wol be to yow bothe!<br>This is to seyn, ye, bothe fair and good.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">I prey to God that I moote sterven wood<br>But I to yow be al so good and trewe<br>As evere was wyf, syn that the world was newe.<br>And but I be tomorn as fair to seene<br>As any lady, emperice or queene,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That is bitwixe the est and eke the west,<br>Dooth with my lyf and deth right as yow lest.<br>Cast up the curtyn, looke how that it is.'<br>And whan the knyght saugh verraily al this,<br>That she so fair was, and so yong therto,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">For joye he hente hire in hise armes two.<br>His herte bathed in a bath of blisse,<br>A thousand tyme arewe he gan hir kisse,<br>And she obeyed hym in every thyng<br>That myghte doon hym plesance or likyng.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And thus they lyve unto hir lyves ende<br>In parfit joye;-and Jesu Crist us sende<br>Housbondes meeke, yonge, fressh abedde,<br>And grace toverbyde hem that we wedde.<br>And eek I praye Jesu shorte hir lyves,</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That nat wol be governed by hir wyves;<br>And olde and angry nygardes of dispence,<br>God sende hem soone verray pestilence!</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Heere endeth the Wyves tale of Bathe.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=Geoffrey+Chaucer">Geoffrey Chaucer</a><div class=q> <img src="https://www.citatepedia.ro/g/32share.png" style="float:left" alt="Share"> <script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=395633" data-title="The Canterbury Tales; the Wyves tale of Bathe de Geoffrey Chaucer" data-description="The Prologe of the Wyves tale of Bathe./Experience, though noon auctoritee/Were in this world, were right ynogh to me/To speke of wo that is in mariage;/For, lordynges, sith I twelf yeer was of age,/Thonked be God, that is eterne on lyve,/Housbond..."></div> </div> </div>

solid border dashed border dotted border double border groove border ridge border inset border outset border no border blue green red purple cyan gold silver black