The Wanton WIFE of BATH.
Tune of, The Flying Fame, etc.
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IN Bath a wanton Wife did dwell,
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As Chaucer he doth write,
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Who did in Pleasure spend her Days,
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In many a fond Delight.
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Upon a Time sore sick she was,
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And at the length did die;
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Her Soul came to Eliziums Gate,
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And knockd most mightily.
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Then Adam came unto the Gate,
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Who knocketh there? quoth he;
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I am the Wife of Bath, she said,
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And fain would come to thee.
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Thou art a Sinner, Adam said,
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And here no Place shall have;
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Alas! for you, good Sir, she said,
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Now gip you donting Knave.
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I will come in, in Spight, she said,
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Of all such Churls as thee;
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Thou art the Causer of our Wo,
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Our Pain and Misery.
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Thou first broke the Commandment,
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To pleasure thine own Wife:
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When Adam heard her tell this Tale,
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He ran away for Life.
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Then down came Jacob to the Gate,
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And bids her pack to Hell;
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Thou false Deceiver, why? quoth she,
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Thou shouldst be there as well.
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For thou deceivest thy Father dear,
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And thy own Brother too:
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Away went Jacob presently,
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And made no more ado.
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She knocks again with Might and Main,
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And Lot he chides her straight;
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Why then, quoth she, thou drunken Ass,
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Who bids thee here to wait.
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With thy two Daughters thou didst lie,
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On them two Bastards got,
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And thus most tauntingly she chast,
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Against poor silly Lot.
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Who knocketh there, quoth Judith then
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With such shrill sounding Notes:
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Alas! fine Minks, we come not here,
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Quoth she, for cutting Throats.
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Good lack how Judith blushd for Shame,
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When she heard her say so:
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King David hearing her say that,
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He to the Gate did go.
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Quoth he, Who does knock there so loud,
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And maketh all this Strife:
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You were more kind, good Sir, she said,
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Unto Uriahs Wife.
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And when thou causeth thy Servants,
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In Battle to be slain;
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Thou causeth them more Strife than I,
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Who would come in so fain.
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The Womans mad said Solomon,
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That thus doth taunt a King;
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Not half so bad as you she said,
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I know in many a Thing.
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Thou hadst seven hundred Wives at once,
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For whom thou didst provide;
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For all this, three hundred Whores
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Thou did maintain beside.
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And those made thee forget thy God,
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And worship Stocks and Stones;
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Besides the Charge they put thee to,
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In breeding of young Bones.
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Hadst thou not been out of thy Wits,
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Thou wouldst not have venturd,
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And therefore I do marvel much,
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How you this Place have enterd.
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I never heard, quoth Jonas then,
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So vile a Scold as this:
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Thou art not without Faults, quoth she,
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Thoust likewise done amiss.
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I think quoth Thomas, Womans Tongues,
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Of Aspen Leaves are made;
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Thou unbelieving Saint, quoth she,
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All is not true thats said.
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When Mary Magdalen heard then,
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She came unto the Gate:
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Quoth she, Good Woman, you must think,
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Upon your former State.
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No Sinner enters in this Place,
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Quoth Mary Magdalen,
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Tis well for you then, fair Mistress,
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She answered her again.
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You for your Honesty, quoth she,
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Sould once been stond to Death,
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Had not our Saviour Christ come by,
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And writ it on the Earth.
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It was your Occupation,
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You are become divine:
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I hope my Soul in Christs Passion,
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Shall be as safe as thine.
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Then rose up the good Apostle Paul,
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Unto this Wife he said,
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Except thou shake thy Sins away,
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Thou here shalt be denyd.
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Remember, Paul, what thou hast done,
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All through a wild Desire,
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How thou didst persecute the Churh,
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With Wrath as hot as Fire.
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Then up rose Peter at the last,
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And to the Gate he hies;
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Sinner, quoth he, knock not so fast,
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Thou weariest us with Cries.
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Peter, said she, content thyself,
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For Mercy may be won,
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I never did deny the Faith,
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As thou thyself has done.
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When as our Saviour then heard this
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With Heavenly Angels bright,
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He comes unto this sinful Soul
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Who trembles at his sight.
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Of him for Mercy she did cry,
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Quoth he thou hast refused
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My profferd Grace, and Mercy both,
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And much my Name abused.
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Sore have I sinned, O Lord! said she,
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And spent my Time in vain;
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But bring me like a wanderd Sheep,
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Unto thy Flock again.
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O Lord my God, I will forsake,
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My former wicked Vice:
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The Thief, when he had said these Words,
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Passd into Paradise.
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My Laws and my Commandments,
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Saith Christ, were known to thee;
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But of the same no Notice took,
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As I did plainly see.
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Do thou forgive me now, quoth she,
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Most lewdly I did live;
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But yet the loving Father did
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His wicked Son forgive.
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I will forgive thy Soul, said he,
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For thy repenting Cry,
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So come enter into my Rest,
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For Ill not thee deny.
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