IN Bath a wanton Wife did dwell, | |
| As Chaucer he doth write; | |
| Who did in Pleasure spend her Days, | |
| In many a fond Delight. | |
| |
| Upon a time sore sick she was, | 5 |
| And at the length did die; | |
| Her Soul at last at Heaven’s Gate, | |
| Did knock most mightily. | |
| |
| Then Adam came unto the Gate, | |
| Who knocketh there? quoth he: | 10 |
| 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, | 15 |
| Now gip you doting Knave. | |
| |
| I will come in, in spight she said, | |
| Of all such Churles as thee; | |
| Thou wert the Causer of our Woe, | |
| Our Pain and Misery; | 20 |
| |
| And first broke God’s Commandments, | |
| In pleasure of thy Wife: | |
| When Adam heard her tell this Tale, | |
| He run away for Life. | |
| |
| Then down came Jacob at the Gate, | 25 |
| And bids her pack to Hell, | |
| Thou false Deceiver, why, said she, | |
| Thou may’st be there as well. | |
| |
| For thou deceiv’st thy Father dear, | |
| And thine own Brother too. | 30 |
| 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, | 35 |
| Who bid thee here to wait. | |
| |
| With thy two Daughters thou did’st lie, | |
| On them two Bastards got; | |
| And thus most tauntingly the chaft | |
| Against poor silly Lot. | 40 |
| |
| Who calleth there, quoth Judith then, | |
| With such shrill sounding Notes? | |
| This fine Minx surely cannot hear, | |
| Quoth she, for cutting Throats. | |
| |
| Good Lord, how Judith blush’d for shame | 45 |
| When she heard her say so; | |
| King David hearing of the same, | |
| He to the Gate did go. | |
| |
| Quoth David, who knocks there so loud, | |
| And maketh all this Strife! | 50 |
| You were more kind, good Sir, she said, | |
| Unto Uriah’s Wife. | |
| |
| And when thou causedest thy Servant | |
| In Battle to be slain, | |
| Thou causedest then more strife than I, | 55 |
| Who would come here so fain. | |
| |
| The Woman’s mad, said Solomon, | |
| That thus doth taunt a King. | |
| Not half so mad as you, she said, | |
| I know in many a thing. | 60 |
| |
| Thou haddest seven Hundred Wives, | |
| For whom thou did’st provide, | |
| Yet for all this, three hundred Whores, | |
| Thou did’st maintain beside. | |
| |
| And those made thee forsake thy God, | 65 |
| And worship Stocks and Stones, | |
| Besides the charge they put thee to | |
| In breeding of young Bones. | |
| |
| Had’st thou not been besides thy Wits, | |
| Thou would’st not thus have ventured; | 70 |
| And therefore I do marvel much, | |
| How thou this Place hast entered. | |
| |
| I never heard, quoth Jonas then, | |
| So vile a Scold as this, | |
| Thou Whore-son run away, quoth she, | 75 |
| Thou diddest more amiss. | |
| |
| I think, quoth Thomas, Women’s Tongues | |
| Of Aspen-Leaves are made. | |
| Thou unbelieving Wretch, quoth she, | |
| All is not true that’s said. | 80 |
| |
| What Mary Magdalen heard her then, | |
| She came unto the Gate, | |
| Quoth she, good Woman, you must think | |
| Upon your former State. | |
| |
| No Sinner enters in this Place, | 85 |
| Quoth Mary Magdalen then. | |
| ’Twere ill for you, fair Mistress mild | |
| She answer’d her again: | |
| |
| You for your Honesty, quoth she, | |
| Should once be stoned to Death, | 90 |
| Had not our Saviour Christ come by, | |
| And written on the Earth. | |
| |
| It was not your Occupation, | |
| You are become divine, | |
| I hope my Soul in Christ’s Passion | 95 |
| Shall be as safe as thine. | |
| |
| Then rose the good Apostle Paul, | |
| Unto this Wife he cried, | |
| Except thou shake thy Sins away, | |
| Thou here shalt be denied. | 100 |
| |
| Remember Paul, what thou hast done, | |
| All thro’ a lewd Desire, | |
| How thou did’st persecute God’s Church, | |
| With Wrath as hot as fire. | |
| |
| Then up starts Peter, at the last, | 105 |
| And to the Gate he highs, | |
| Fond Fool, quoth he, knock not so fast, | |
| Thou weariest Christ with Cries. | |
| |
| Peter, said she, content thy self, | |
| For Mercy may be won, | 110 |
| I never did deny my Christ, | |
| As thou thy self hast done. | |
| |
| When as our Saviour Christ heard this, | |
| With heavenly Angels bright, | |
| He comes unto this sinful Soul, | 115 |
| Who trembled at his Sight. | |
| |
| Of him for Mercy she did crave, | |
| Quoth he, thou hast refused | |
| My proffered Grace, and Mercy both, | |
| And much my Name abused. | 120 |
| |
| Sore have I sinn’d, O Lord, she said, | |
| And spent my time in vain. | |
| But bring me like a wand’ring Sheep | |
| Into thy Flock again: | |
| |
| O Lord my God, I will amend | 125 |
| My former wicked Vice. | |
| The Thief at these poor silly Words, | |
| Past into Paradise. | |
| |
| My Laws and my Commandments, | |
| Saith Christ, were known to thee, | 130 |
| But of the same in any wise, | |
| Not yet one Word did ye. | |
| |
| I grant the same, O Lord, quoth she, | |
| Most lewdly did I live, | |
| But yet the loving Father did | 135 |
| His prodigal Son forgive. | |
| |
| So I forgive thy Soul, he said, | |
| Through thy repenting Cry, | |
| Come you therefore into my Joy, | |
| I will not thee deny. | 140 |
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