Chaucer, Geoffrey: The Wife of Bath's Prologue (1 159 words)

Text size: − / +

Display options

Display as: HTML / XML / original HC / raw XML

Show source and parameters: yes / no

Line numbers: on / off

Page breaks: on / off

Corpus contents

Sort by: author / title

For more sorting options, please use the search feature.

page 107

column 2


1Now, sire, now wol I telle forth my tale.
2As evere moote I drynken wyn or ale,
3I shal seye sooth; tho housbondes that I hadde,
4As thre of hem were goode, and two were badde.
5The thre were goode men, and riche, and olde;
6Unnethe myghte they the statut holde
7In which that they were bounden unto me.
8Ye woot wel what I meene of this, pardee!
9As help me God, I laughe whan I thynke
10How pitously a-nyght I made hem swynke!
11And, by my fey, I tolde of it no stoor.
12They had me yeven hir lond and hir tresoor;
13Me neded nat do lenger diligence
14To wynne hir love, or doon hem reverence.
15They loved me so wel, by God above,
16That I ne tolde no deyntee of hir love!
17A wys womman wol bisye hire evere in oon
18To gete hire love, ye, ther as she hath noon.

page 108

column 1


19But sith I hadde hem hoolly in myn hond,
20And sith they hadde me yeven al hir lond,
21What sholde I taken keep hem for to plese,
22But it were for my profit and myn ese?
23I sette hem so a-werke, by my fey,
24That many a nyght they songen 'Weilawey!'
25The bacon was nat fet for hem, I trowe,
26That som men han in Essex at Dunmowe.
27I governed hem so wel, after my lawe,
28That ech of hem ful blisful was and fawe
29To brynge me gaye thynges fro the fayre.
30They were ful glad whan I spak to hem faire,
31For, God it woot, I chidde hem spitously.

32Now herkneth hou I baar me proprely,
33Ye wise wyves, that kan understonde.
34Thus shulde ye speke and bere hem wrong on honde,
35For half so boldely kan ther no man
36Swere and lyen, as a womman kan.
37I sey nat this by wyves that been wyse,
38But if it be whan they hem mysavyse.
39A wys wyf, if that she kan hir good,
40Shal beren hym on honde that the cow is wood,
41And take witnesse of hir owene mayde
42Of hir assent. But herkneth how I sayde:

43'Sire olde kaynard, is this thyn array?
44Why is my neighebores wyf so gay?
45She is honoured over al ther she gooth;
46I sitte at hoom; I have no thrifty clooth.
47What dostow at my neighebores hous?
48Is she so fair? Artow so amorous?
49What rowne ye with oure mayde? Benedicite!
50Sire olde lecchour, lat thy japes be!
51And if I have a gossib or a freend,
52Withouten gilt, thou chidest as a feend,
53If that I walke or pleye unto his hous!
54Thou comest hoom as dronken as a mous,
55And prechest on thy bench, with yvel preef!
56Thou seist to me it is a greet meschief

column 2


57To wedde a povre womman, for costage;
58And if that she be riche, of heigh parage,
59Thanne seistow that it is a tormentrie
60To soffre hire pride and hire malencolie.
61And if that she be fair, thou verray knave,
62Thou seyst that every holour wol hire have;
63She may no while in chastitee abyde,
64That is assailled upon ech a syde.

65Thou seyst som folk desiren us for richesse,
66Somme for oure shap, and somme for oure fairnesse,
67And som for she kan outher synge or daunce,
68And som for gentillesse and daliaunce;
69Som for hir handes and hir armes smale;
70Thus goth al to the devel, by thy tale.
71Thou seyst men may nat kepe a castel wal,
72It may so longe assailled been overal.

73And if that she be foul, thou seist that she
74Coveiteth every man that she may se,
75For as a spanyel she wol on hym lepe,
76Til that she fynde som man hire to chepe.
77Ne noon so grey goos gooth ther in the lake
78As, seistow, wol been withoute make.
79And seyst it is an hard thyng for to welde
80A thyng that no man wole, his thankes, helde.
81Thus seistow, lorel, whan thow goost to bedde,
82And that no wys man nedeth for to wedde,
83Ne no man that entendeth unto hevene.
84With wilde thonder-dynt and firy levene
85Moote thy welked nekke be tobroke!

86Thow seyst that droppyng houses, and eek smoke,
87And chidyng wyves maken men to flee
88Out of hir owene houses; a, benedicitee!
89What eyleth swich an old man for to chide?

90Thow seyst we wyves wol oure vices hide
91Til we be fast, and thanne we wol hem shewe -
92Wel may that be a proverbe of a shrewe!

page 109

column 1


93Thou seist that oxen, asses, hors, and houndes,
94They been assayed at diverse stoundes;
95Bacyns, lavours, er that men hem bye,
96Spoones and stooles, and al swich housbondrye,
97And so been pottes, clothes, and array;
98But folk of wyves maken noon assay,
99Til they be wedded - olde dotard shrewe! -
100And thanne, seistow, we wol oure vices shewe.

101Thou seist also that it displeseth me
102But if that thou wolt preyse my beautee,
103And but thou poure alwey upon my face,
104And clepe me "faire dame" in every place.
105And but thou make a feeste on thilke day
106That I was born, and make me fressh and gay;
107And but thou do to my norice honour,
108And to my chamberere withinne my bour,
109And to my fadres folk and his allyes -
110Thus seistow, olde barel-ful of lyes!

111And yet of oure apprentice Janekyn,
112For his crispe heer, shynynge as gold so fyn,
113And for he squiereth me bothe up and doun,
114Yet hastow caught a fals suspecioun.
115I wol hym noght, thogh thou were deed tomorwe!

116But tel me this: why hydestow, with sorwe,
117They keyes of thy cheste awey fro me?
118It is my good as wel as thyn, pardee!
119What, wenestow make an ydiot of oure dame?
120Now by that lord that called is Seint Jame,
121Thou shalt nat bothe, thogh that thou were wood,
122Be maister of my body and of my good;
123That oon thou shalt forgo, maugree thyne yen.
124What helpith it of me to enquere or spyen?
125I trowe thou woldest loke me in thy chiste!
126Thou sholdest seye, "Wyf, go wher thee liste;
127Taak youre disport; I wol nat leve no talys.
128I knowe yow for a trewe wyf, dame Alys."
129We love no man that taketh kep or charge
130Wher that we goon; we wol ben at oure large.

column 2


131Of alle men yblessed moot he be,
132The wise astrologien, Daun Ptholome,
133That seith this proverbe in his Almageste:
134"Of alle men his wysdom is the hyeste
135That rekketh nevere who hath the world in honde."
136By this proverbe thou shalt understonde,
137Have thou ynogh, what thar thee recche or care
138How myrily that othere folkes fare?
139For, certeyn, olde dotard, by youre leve,
140Ye shul have queynte right ynogh at eve.
141He is to greet a nygard that wolde werne
142A man to lighte a candle at his lanterne;
143He shal have never the lasse light, pardee.