"Guard me, good angels! (cried the gentle May,)

Pray Heaven this magic work the proper way! Alas, my love! 'tis certain, could you see,

You ne'er had used these killing words to me : So help me, Fates, as 'tis no perfect sight, 776 But some faint glimmering of a doubtful light." "What I have said (quoth he), I must main

tain,

For by the immortal powers it seemed too plain-"

"By all those powers, some frenzy seized

your mind,

780

(Replied the dame); are these the thanks I

find?

Wretch that I am, that e'er I was so kind!"
She said; a rising sigh expressed her woe,
The ready tears apace began to flow,

And, as they fell, she wiped from either eye 785
The drops; for women, when they list, can cry.
The knight was touched; and in his looks
appeared

Signs of remorse, while thus his spouse he cheered :

"Madam, 'tis past, and my short anger o'er! Come down, and vex your tender heart no

more:

790

Excuse me, dear, if aught amiss was said;
For, on my soul, amends shall soon be made :
Let my repentance your forgiveness draw;
By Heaven, I swore but what I thought I

saw."

Ah, my loved lord! 'twas much unkind
(she cried,)

On bare suspicion thus to treat your bride.
But, till your sight's established, for a while,
Imperfect objects may your sense beguile.

795

Thus when from sleep we first our eyes display, The balls are wounded with the piercing ray, 800 And dusky vapours rise, and intercept the day. So just recovering from the shades of night, Your swimming eyes are drunk with sudden light,

Strange phantoms dance around, and skim before your sight.

"Then, sir, be cautious, nor too rashly deem; Heaven knows how seldom things are what they seem!

806

Consult your reason, and you soon shall find
'Twas you were jealous, not your wife unkind:
Jove ne'er spoke oracle more true than this,
None judge so wrong as those who think

amiss."

810

With that she leaped into her lord's embrace, With well-dissembled virtue in her face. He hugged her close, and kissed her o'er and

o'er,

Disturbed with doubts and jealousies no more: Both, pleased and blessed, renewed their mutual

Vows,

A fruitful wife, and a believing spouse.

815

Thus ends our tale, whose moral next to make, Let all wise husbands hence example take ; And pray, to crown the pleasure of their lives, To be so well deluded by their wives.

820

8

B

THE WIFE OF BATH.

HER PROLOGUE.

FROM CHAUCER.

EHOLD the woes of matrimonial life, And hear with reverence an experienced wife;

To dear-bought wisdom give the credit due,

5

And think, for once, a woman tells you true.
In all these trials I have borne a part,
I was myself the scourge that caused the smart;
For, since fifteen, in triumph have I led
Five captive husbands from the church to bed.

Christ saw a wedding once, the Scripture says, And saw but one, 'tis thought, in all his days; Whence some infer, whose conscience is too nice,

No pious Christian ought to marry twice.

II

But let them read, and solve me, if they can, The words addressed to the Samaritan: Five times in lawful wedlock she was joined ; And sure the certain stint was ne'er defined. 16 “Increase and multiply," was Heaven's command,

And that's a text I clearly understand.

This too, "Let men their sires and mothers

leave,

And to their dearer wives for ever cleave."
More wives than one by Solomon were tried,
Or else the wisest of mankind's belied.
I've had myself full many a merry fit;
And trust in Heaven I may have many yet.
For when my transitory spouse, unkind,

20

25

Shall die, and leave his woeful wife behind,
I'll take the next good Christian I can find.
Paul, knowing one could never serve our
turn,

Declared 'twas better far to wed than burn.
There's danger in assembling fire and tow; 30
I grant 'em that, and what it means you know.
The same apostle too has elsewhere owned,
No precept for virginity he found:

'Tis but a counsel, and we women still
Take which we like, the counsel, or our will. 35
I envy not their bliss, if he or she
Think fit to live in perfect chastity;
Pure let them be, and free from taint or vice;
I, for a few slight spots, am not so nice.
Heaven calls us different ways, on these bestows
One proper gift, another grants to those;
Not every man's obliged to sell his store,
And give up all his substance to the poor;
Such as are perfect, may, I can't deny;
But, by your leaves, divines, so am not I.

41

45

51

Full many a saint, since first the world began, Lived an unspotted maid, in spite of man : Let such (a God's name) with fine wheat be fed, And let us honest wives eat barley-bread. For me, I'll keep the post assigned by Heaven, And use the copious talent it has given: Let my good spouse pay tribute, do me right, And keep an equal reckoning every night: His proper body is not his, but mine; For so said Paul, and Paul's a sound divine. 55 Know then, of those five husbands I have had, Three were just tolerable, two were bad. The three were old, but rich, and fond beside, And toiled most piteously to please their bride: But since their wealth, the best they had, was

mine,

60

The rest, without much loss, I could resign.
Sure to be loved, I took no pains to please,
Yet had more pleasure far than they had ease.
Presents flowed in apace with showers of

gold

:

They made their court, like Jupiter of old. 65
If I but smiled, a sudden youth they found,
And a new palsy seized them when I frowned.
Ye sovereign wives! give ear, and under.
stand,

Thus shall ye speak, and exercise command.
For never was it given to mortal man,
To lie so boldly as we women can:

70

Forswear the fact, though seen with both his

eyes,

And call your maids to witness how he lies. 'Hark, old Sir Paul; ('twas thus I used to say)

Whence is our neighbour's wife so rich and

gay?

75

Treated, caressed, where'er she's pleased to

roam

I sit in tatters, and immured at home.

80

Why to her house dost thou so oft repair?
Art thou so amorous? and is she so fair?
If I but see a cousin or a friend,
Lord! how you swell with rage like any fiend!
But you reel home, a drunken beastly bear,
Then preach till midnight in your easy chair;
Cry, wives are false, and every woman evil,
And give up all that's female to the devil.

85

"If poor, (you say) she drains her husband's

purse;

If rich, she keeps her priest, or something worse; If highly born, intolerably vain,

Vapours and pride by turns possess her brain, Now gaily mad, now sourly splenetic,

90