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THE

1

WIFE OF BATH,

I

HER

TAL

L E.

N days of old, when Arthur fill'd the throne,
Whose acts and fame to foreign lands were

blown ;

The king of elfs and little fairy queen

Gamboll'd on heaths, and danc'd on ev'ry green;
And where the jolly troop had led the round,
The grass unbidden rose, and mark'd the ground:
Nor darkling did they glance, the filver light
Of Phoebe ferv'd to guide their steps aright,
And with their tripping pleas'd, prolong the night.
Her beams they follow'd, where at full fhe plaid,
Nor longer than she shed her horns they staid,
From thence with airy flight to foreign lands
convey'd.

Above the rest our Britain held they dear,
More folemnly they kept their fabbaths here,

And made more fpacious rings, and revell'd half

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I fpeak of ancient times, for now the swain Returning late may pass the woods in vain, And never hope to fee the nightly train:

In vain the dairy now with mints is drefs'd,
The dairy-maid expects no fairy guest,

To fkim the bowls, and after pay the feaft.
She fighs and shakes her empty fhoes in vain,
No filver penny to reward her pain:

For priests with pray'rs, and other godly geer, Have made the merry goblins disappear; And where they play'd their merry pranks before, Have sprinkled holy water on the floor : And friars that through the wealthy regions run, Thick as the motes that twinkle in the fun, Refort to farmers rich, and bless their halls, And exorcife the beds, and crofs the walls : This makes the fairy quires forfake the place, When once 'tis hallow'd with the rites of grace: But in the walks where wicked elves have been, The learning of the parish now is seen, The midnight parfon pofting o'er the green, With gown tuck'd up, to wakes, for funday next, With humming ale encouraging his text; Nor wants the holy leer to country-girl betwixt.) From fiends and imps he fets the village free, There haunts not any incubus but he.

The maids and women need no danger fear
To walk by night, and fanctity fo near:
For by fome haycock, or fome fhady thorn,
He bids his beads both even fong and morn.
It so befel in this king Arthur's reign,

A lufty knight was pricking o'er the plain;
A bachelor he was, and of the courtly train.
It happen'd as he rode, a damfel

gay
In ruffet robes to market took her way:
Soon on the girl he caft an amorous eye,
So straight she walk'd, and on her pasterns high :
If seeing her behind he lik'd her pace,

Now turning short, he better likes her face.
He lights in hafte, and, full of youthful fire,
By force accomplish'd his obfcene defire:
This done away he rode, not unefpy'd,
For fwarming at his back the country cry'd :
And once in view they never loft the fight,
But feiz'd, and pinion'd brought to court the knight.
Then courts of kings were held in high renown,
Ere made the common brothels of the town:
There, virgins honorable vows receiv'd,
But chafte as maids in monafteries liv'd:
The king himself, to nuptial ties a flave,
No bad example to his poets gave;

And they, not bad, but in a vicious age,

Had not, to pleafe the prince, debauch'd the ftage. Now what fhould Arthur do? He lov'd the

knight,

But fovereign monarchs are the source of right:
Mov'd by the damfel's tears and common cry,
He doom'd the brutal ravisher to die.
But fair Geneura rofe in his defence,

And pray'd fo hard for mercy from the prince,
That to his queen the king, th' offender gave,
And left it in her pow'r to kill or fave:
This gracious act the ladies all approve,
Who thought it much a man fhould die for love;
And with their mistress join'd in close debate,
(Cov'ring their kindness with diffembled hate
If not to free him, to prolong his fate.
At laft agreed they call'd him by confent
Before the queen and female parliament.
And the fair speaker rifing from the chair,
Did thus the judgment of the house declare.
Sir knight, though I have afk'd thy life, yet
ftill

Thy destiny depends upon my will:

Nor haft thou other furety than the

grace

Not due to thee from our offended race.

But as our kind is of a fofter mold,

And cannot blood without a figh behold,

I

grant thee life; reserving still the pow'r To take the forfeit when I fee my hour: Unless thy answer to my next demand Shall fet thee free from our avenging hand. The question, whofe folution I require, Is, What the fex of women moft defire? In this difpute thy judges are at ftrife ; Beware; for on thy wit depends thy life. Yet (left, furprised, unknowing what to fay, Thou damn thyfelf) we give thee farther day: A year is thine to wander at thy will; And learn from others, if thou want'ft the fkill. But, not to hold our proffer turn'd in scorn, Good fureties will we have for thy return; That at the time prefix'd thou shalt obey, And at thy pledge's peril keep thy day.

Woe was the knight at this severe command; But well he knew 'twas bootlefs to withstand: The terms accepted as the fair ordain,

He put in bail for his return again,

And promis'd answer at the day affign'd,

The best, with heav'ns affiftance, he could

find.

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