The Wanton Wife of Bath.
The Tune is, Flying Fame.
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IN Bath a wanton Wife did dwell,
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as Caucer he doth write;
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Who did in pleasure spend her days
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in many fond delight;
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Upon a time sore sick she was,
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and at the length did dye,
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Her soul at last to Heavens gate,
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did knock 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 doting knave;
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I will come in, in spight she said,
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of all such churles as thee;
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Thou wert the causer of our woe,
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our pain and misery.
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And first broke Gods commandements,
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in pleasure of thy 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 at the gate,
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and bids her pack to Hell,
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Thou false deceiver, why said she,
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thou maist be there all well;
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For thou deceiv'dst thy father dear,
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and thine 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 lye,
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on them two Bastards got,
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And thus most tantingly she chaft
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against poor silly Lot.
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Who knocks there, quoth Judith then,
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with such shrill sounding notes?
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Alas fine minks you cannot hear;
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quoth she, for cutting throats.
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Good Lord how Judith blusht for shame,
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when she heard her say so.
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King David hearing of the same,
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he to the Gate did go,
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Quod David, who knocks 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 causedst thy servants,
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in battel to be slain,
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Thou caused then more strife then I,
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who would come here 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 mad 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 didst maintain beside;
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And those made thee forsake 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 besides thy wits,
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thou wouldst not have ventured;
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And therefore I do marvel much,
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how thou this place have enter'd.
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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 whorson runaway, quoth she,
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thou diddest more amiss.
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I think, quoth Thomas, womens tongues
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of Aspen-leaves are made;
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Thou unbelieving wretch, quoth she,
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all is not true that's 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, then
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'Twere ill for you fair Mistriss mine,
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she answered her again:
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You for your honesty, quoth she,
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should once been stoned to death,
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Had not our Saviour Christ come by,
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and written on the Earth,
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It was not 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 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 denied:
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Remember Paul what thou hast done,
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although a lewd desire;
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How thou didst persecute Gods Church,
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with wrath as hot as fire.
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Then up starts Peter at the last,
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and to the Gate he hies;
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Fond fool, quoth he, knock not so fast,
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thou weariest Christ with cries.
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Peter, said she, content thylelf,
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for mercy may be won,
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I never did deny my Christ,
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as thou thyself hast done.
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Whenas our Saviour Christ 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 trembled at his sight.
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Of him for mercy she did crave,
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quoth he, thou hast refused
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My proffer, grace, and mercy both,
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and much my name abused.
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Sore have I sinned, O Lord, she said,
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and spent my time in vain,
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But bring me like a wandring Sheep
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into thy Flock again.
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O Lord my God I will amend
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my former wicked vice:
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The thief at these poor silly words,
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past into Paradise.
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My Laws and my Commandements,
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saith Christ, were known to thee,
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But of the same in any wise,
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nor yet one word did ye,
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I grant the same, O Lord, quoth she,
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most lewdly did I live,
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But yet the loving Father did
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his Prodigal Son forgive.
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So I forgive thy soul he said,
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through thy repenting cry,
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Come therefore into my joy,
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I will not thee deny.
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