The Canterbury tales and Faerie queene &c., &c., &c., ed. for popular perusal with current illustrations and explanatory notes, by D. Laing Purves.

THE WIFE OF BATH'S TALE, f
Envy, or pride, or passion, or offence? "Thou hast y-had five husbandes," said he;
I say but for this ende this sent6nce,1 And thilki 13 man, that now hath wedded thee,
That little while in joy or in pleasance Is not thine husband: "14 thus said he certain;
Lasted the bliss of Alla with Constance. What that he meant thereby, I cannot sayn.
For death, that takes of high and low his rent, But that I askS, why the fifthe man
When passed was a year, even as I guess, Was not husband to the Samaritan?
Out of this world this King Alla he hent, How many might she have in marriage?
For whom Constance had full great heaviness. Yet heard I never tellen in mine agel5
Now let us pray that God his soule bless: Upon this number definitiofin.
And Dame Constanci, finally to say, Men may divine, and glosen 16 up and down;
Toward the town of Rome went her way. But well I wot, express without a lie,
To Rome is come this holy creature, - God bade u for to wax and multiply;
And findeth there her friendes whole and sound: That gentle text can I well understand.
Now is she scaped all her,dventure: Eke well I wot, he said, that mine husband
And when that she her father hath y-found, Should leave father and mother, and take to
Down on her knees falleth she to ground, me;
Weeping for tenderness in hearte blithe But of no number menti6n made he,
She herieths God an hundred thousand sithe.4 Of bigamy or of octogamy;
In virtue and in holy almes-deed Why then should men speak of it villainy? 17
They liven all, and ne'er asunder wed * Lo here, the wise king Dan 18 Solomon,
Telinasnewend; I trow'that he had wives more than one;
Till death departeth them, this life they lead: Iow that head wvs rethn one
As would to God it lawful were to me
And fare now well, my tale is at an end.-
To be refreshed half so oft as he!
Now Jesus Christ, that of his might may send a
What gift 19 of God had he for all his wives?
Joy after woe, govern us in his grace, hagiftofodhadheforahiswis
Joy after woe, govnthat beus in his grplace, No man hath such, that in this world alive is.
God wot, this noble king, as to my wit,20
The first night had many a merry fit
With each of them, so well was him on live.21
Blessed be God that I have wedded five!
THE WIFE OF BATHB1'S TALE. Welcome. the sixth whenever that he shall..
For since I will not keep me chaste in all,
THE PROLOGUE.5 When mine husband is from the world y-gone,
Some Christian man shall wedde me anon.
EXPERIENaE, though none authority 6 For then th' apostle saith that I am free
Were in this world, is right enough for me To wed, a' God's half,22 where it liketh me.
To speak of woe that is in marriage: He saith, that to be wedded is no sin;
For, lordings, since I twelve year was of age, Better is to be wedded than to brin.s
(Thanked be God that is etern on live),7 hat recketh me 24 though folk say villainy 2
Husbands at the church door have I had five, - Of shrewed26 Lamech, and his bigamy?
For I so often have y-wedded be,- I wot well Abraham was a holy man,
And all were worthy men in their degree. And Jacob eke, as far as ev'r I can.27
But me was told, not longe time gone is, And each of them had wives more than two;
That sithen9 Christe went never but ones And many another holy man also.
To wedding, in the Cane l of Galilee, Where can ye see, in any manner age,28
That by that ilkl example taught he me, That highS God defended 29 marriage
That I not wedded shoulde be but once. By word express? I pray you tell it me;
Lo, hearken eke a sharp word for the nonce,'2 Or where commanded he virginity?
Beside a welle Jesus, God and man, I wot as well as you, it is no dread,30
Spake in reproof of the Samaritan: Th' apostle, when he spake of maidenhead,
1 Judgment, opinion. 2 Snatched. Uxore,' and particularly'Hieronymus contra Jovinia3 Praises. 4 Times. num."' St Jerome, among other things designed to
5 Among the evidences that Chaucer's greatworkwas discourage marriage, has inserted in his treatise along
left incomplete, is the absence of any link of connexion passage from "Liber Aureolus Theophrasti de Nupbetween the Wife of Bath's Prologue and tale, and tiis." 6 Authorities, written opinions, texts.
what goes before. This deficiency has in some editions 7 Lives eternally.
caused the Squire's and the Merchant's Tales to 8 Great part of the marriage service used to be perbe interposed between those of the Man of Law and formed in the church-porch. 9 Since. 10 Cana.
the Wife of Bath; but in the Merchant's Tale 11 Same. 12 Occasion. 13 That,
there is internal proof that it was' told after the jolly 14 John iv. 13. 15 In my life.
Dame's. Several manuscripts contain verses designed 16 Comment, make glosses.
to serve as a connexion; but they are evidently not 17 As if it were a disgrace.
Chaucer's, and it is unnecessary to give them here. 18 Lord; L dominus." Another reading is "the wise
Of this Prologue, which may fairly be regarded as a man, king Solomon."
distinct autobiographical tale, Tyrwhitt.says: "The ex- 19 What special favour or licence.
traordinary length of it, as well as the vein of pleasantry 20 As I understand, as I take it.
that runs through it, is very suitable to the character 21 So well went things with him in his life.
of the speaker. The greatest part must have been of 22 On God's part. 23 Burn. 24 What care I.
Chaucer's own invention, though-one may plainly see 25 Evil. 26 Impious, wicked.
that he had been reading the popular invectives against 27 Know. 28 In any period.
marriage and women in general; such as the'Roman 29 Forbade; French, "defeadre," to prohibit,
de la Rose, Valerius ad Rufinum, De non Ducend. 30 Doubt.