THE
WANTON WIFE OF BATH.
|
IN Bath a wanton wife did dwell,
|
As Chaucer he did write,
|
Who did in pleasure spend her days,
|
In many a fond delight,
|
Upon a time sore sick she was,
|
And at the length did die,
|
Her soul came to Elysium's gate,
|
And knock'd most mightily.
|
When Adam come unto the gate,
|
Who knocketh there? quoth he;
|
I am the wife of Bath she said,
|
And fain would come to thee.
|
Thou art a sinner, Adam said,
|
And here no place shall have,
|
Alas! for you, good Sir, she said,
|
Now gip you doating knave.
|
I will come in, in spite, she said,
|
Of all such churls as thee,
|
Thou art the causer of our woe,
|
Our pain and misery:
|
You first broke the commandment,
|
To pleasure thine own wife,
|
When Adam heard her tell this tale,
|
Me ran away for life.
|
Then down came Jacob to the gate,
|
And bid her pack to hell,
|
Thou false deceiver, why? quoth she,
|
Thou shouldst be there as well;
|
For thou deceivest thy father dear,
|
And thy own brother too,
|
Away went Jacob presently,
|
And made no more ado
|
She knocks again with might and main
|
And lot he chides her straight,
|
Why then, quoth she, thou drunken ass,
|
Who bids thee here to wait?
|
With thy two daughters thou didst lie,
|
On them two bastards got,
|
And thus most tauntingly she chaft,
|
Against poor silly Lot.
|
Who knocketh there? quoth Judith then,
|
With such shrill sounding notes,
|
Alas! fine minks, we come not here,
|
Quoth she, for cutting throats;
|
Good lack how Judah blush'd for shame,
|
When he heard her say so.
|
King David hearing her say that,
|
He to the gate did go.
|
Quoth he, who knocks there so loud,
|
And maketh all this strife,
|
Yon were more kind, good Sir, she said,
|
Unto Uriah's wife;
|
And when thou causeth thy servants
|
In battle to be slain,
|
Thou causeth them more strife than I,
|
Who would come in so fain.
|
The woman's mad, said Solomon,
|
That thus doth taunt a king,
|
Not half so bad as you she said,
|
I know in many a thing;
|
Thou hadst seven hundred wives at once
|
For whom thou didst provide,
|
For all this three hundred whores,
|
Thou didst maintain beside.
|
And those made thee forget thy God,
|
And worship stocks and stones,
|
Besides the charge they put thee to,
|
In breeding of young bones;
|
Hadst thou not been out of thy wits,
|
Thou wouldst not have ventur'd,
|
And therefore I do marvel much,
|
How you this place have enter'd.
|
I never heard quoth Jonas then,
|
So vile a scold as this,
|
Thou art not without faults quoth she,
|
Thou hast likewise done amiss;
|
I think, quoth Thomas, women's tongues
|
Of aspin leaves are made,
|
Thou unbelieving saint quoth she,
|
All is not true that's said,
|
When Mary Magdalen heard this,
|
She came unto the gate;
|
Says she good woman you must think,
|
Upon your former state,
|
No sinner enters in this place,
|
Quoth Mary Magdalen;
|
Tis well for you then fair Mistress,
|
She answer'd her again.
|
You for your honesty quoth she,
|
Should once been ston'd to death,
|
Had not our Saviour Christ come by,
|
And writ it on the earth.
|
It was your occupation,
|
You are become divine,
|
I hope my soul in Christ's passion,
|
Shall be as safe as thine.
|
Then rose up the good apostle Paul,
|
Unto this wife he said,
|
Except thou shake thy sins away,
|
Thou here shalt be deny'd
|
Remember Paul what thou hast done,
|
All through a wild desire,
|
How thou didst persecute the church,
|
With wrath as hot as fire.
|
Then up rose Peter at the last,
|
And to the gate he hies,
|
Sinner quoth he, knock not so fast,
|
Thou weariest us with cries
|
Peter quoth she content thyself,
|
For mercy may be won,
|
I never did deny the faith,
|
As thou thyself hast done,
|
When as our Saviour then heard this,
|
With heavenly angels bright,
|
He comes unto this sinful soul,
|
Who trembles at the sight.
|
Of him for mercy she did crave,
|
Quoth he thou hast refused,
|
My profer'd grace and mercy both,
|
And much my name abus'd.
|
Sore have I sin'd O Lord said she,
|
And spent my time in vain,
|
But bring me like a wandering sheep,
|
Unto thy flock again.
|
O Lord my God I will forsake,
|
My former wicked vice,
|
The thief when he had said these words.
|
Pass'd into Paradise.
|
My laws and my commandments,
|
Saith Christ were known to thee,
|
But of the same no notice took.
|
As I did plainly see.
|
Do thou forgive me now quoth she
|
Most lewdly I did live,
|
But yet the loving father did,
|
His wicked son forgive.
|
I will forgive thy soul said he,
|
For thy repenting cry,
|
So come enter into my rest,
|
For I'll not thee deny.
|
|
|
|
|
|